“This is my second year as a Discovery Camp counselor and for a year before that, I volunteered with Explorer Camp. I’ve been coming to this YMCA since I was 2 months old. I was in daycare here, before and after care, camp, swim lessons. I’ve been coming here for as long as I can remember. At camp, I was always one of the kids all the counselors knew and I kind of figured I would work here one day. Another reason why I wanted to work at camp was that I liked the idea of working 40 hours per week without working weekends. It’s great when you really love the job. I like seeing the kids grow up. I feel like I’m having a good influence and positive impact on them. My favorite part of camp really is watching the kids grow and make new friends. Sometimes, when they first come to us, they don’t want to interact with the other kids. Then, they start to make friends, which makes the kids happy, the parents happy and me happy. I also like seeing them swim. When they first start, some are afraid to even put their toes in the water. Now, they can’t wait to swim.”