Author: admin

“Why did you decide to become a teacher?” I get this question all the time, and my response always begins with two words: Camp Alkulana. I first started working at Camp when I was 18 years old, and I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I had thought about acting, journalism, counseling, anthropology, and dance. But teaching? The thought never occurred to me. I had been home-schooled throughout my K-12 education, so I hadn’t been in a traditional school setting until college. It turns out I didn’t need a traditional school setting to find my true calling. I needed a camp. I needed a sanctuary of nature with green trees, a bubbling creek, and a cool mountain breeze. I needed camping, hiking, and tubing down…

In March of 2008, I was told that I would be going to summer camp. Naturally, I was nervous. I had never been to the mountains and the thought of being surrounded by people I had never met gave me chills. But nevertheless, I was excited about the prospect of learning new things and having a summer full of outdoor activities. As the school year came to a close and I learned more about what I would be doing at camp, my excitement grew and I even invited a friend from school. What I need to point out before I tell you about my camp experience is that I was a very shy twelve year old girl; I mean, I was painfully shy. I could go weeks without speaking a…