Kelly is a counselor in 5-8 for 5th and 6th grade girls
How long have you been with SEP?
This is my first year.
What made you want to work here?
I absolutely love working with kids and hope to be an elementary school teacher some day, so I knew this would be a fantastic experience for me.
What's your special topic?
My special topic is called: Oh La La: The Art of French Cheese, and More! The first day, I discuss with the campers all the different regions of France and how incredibly diverse they are. The campers are surprised to find that in one single country one can find a rocky coast, crystal blue Mediterranean waters, a quaint Germanic-style town, and white-capped mountains. On day two, we discover the delectable cheeses of these regions, how they are made, and they even get to try a few kinds including Camembert and Roquefort.
What's your favorite part of camp, and why?
My favorite part about camp is when I get to return to my eight campers after a break or afternoon classes. They are also SO excited and eager to tell me all about what they have done that day. I love hearing their stories and getting to know them better each day. It is such a rewarding feeling!
What's your hall theme?
Our door theme is hershey! Campers have hershey kisses for name tags, and my door has a giant Reese's Cup man.
Do you prefer eating at O-Hilll or St. Anne's?
St. Anne's, hands down! They provide us with an amazing variety of food each day, and nearly all the options are healthy choices. This helps to give the campers energy to keep them going throughout the day.
What's something about you that someone might not expect if they didn't know you well?
I am a Bodycombat instructor at our gym at Virginia Tech. Usually, I am a pretty soft-spoken person, so people are sometimes surprised that I teach such an intense, high energy kickboxing class.
When you first started working here, what's something that surprised you?
How exhausted I felt at the end of the day. Keeping up with the campers is hard work, but it is all worth it.
What's a funny story that's happened so far at camp?
In order to avoid problem situations, we have blocked off the doors between the girls and boys dorms. To make sure that my campers never try to open the door, when explaining the rules I asked them if they had ever seen Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and then left it at that. They haven't gone near the door since.
What do you think is the most difficult part of the job?
I think the most difficult part is saying goodbye to my campers. Being a counselor for one of the youngest groups of campers, I have to be much more motherly with them, so saying goodbye will be incredibly difficult after having cared for them for the past 12 days.
What do you think about gifted education?
I know that it is a highly regarded program that fosters a healthy and advanced learning environment for those students who always want to go above and beyond. Having been in a gifted program, I understand how helpful the program is for students who would otherwise be bored in school. When children are challenged by course material, they are more engaged and excited about learning.
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