My journey with Camp Kesem began 3 years ago. Alongside 15 incredibly gifted leaders at UC, I serve as the Teen Leadership Program Coordinator. Camp Kesem is a nationwide organization that creates a unique space to bring together and support children impacted by a parent’s cancer. In my senior year of high school, cancer touched my family when my father was unexpectedly diagnosed with cancer. For the past three years, Camp Kesem has become one of the most significant pieces of my identity as a student, as a leader, and as person. CK is where I go for support, growth, laughter, and most of all friendship. I am excited to share this very special piece of my life. Planning Camp, I envisioned what I wanted the schedule to look like in my head. I considered things like theme, games, leadership building, and of course.... FUN! I constantly daydreamed of fun activities that I could incorporate into the schedule. I journaled and jotted all of my ideas down, my excitement grew with every passing day. I dedicated on average 15 hours a week to meeting with my fellow coordinators and planning camp on my own time. Inspiration strikes in the most unexpected moments. Especially walking to class in freezing snow, with no pen anywhere to be found..... or during an exam. (Awkward- going to my professors office hours, assuring him I didn't want to take pictures of the test just my idea I wrote in the corner). When this journey started in September, I was excited, optimistic, driven, and a bit nervous. From day to day, I didn't see growth. By winterbreak, I started to reflect on all of my journal entries that I did bi-weekly. It all came together. I realized that growth as a leader doesn't come in one day. It is made up of pieces of everyday. Over time, I was able to learn to lead by example, grow in my commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion within programming, and mobilize our general body in designing camp for the summer of 2020. Time passes, before I knew it, spring break was approaching and we were making the final touches to our schedules. Every snacktime, 10 minute transition, game, and locations of each unit were meticulously planned and executed. I was finished. I laughed, I cried, I dreamed, I wanted to give up (often), and yet I was finished and I was proud. On March 15, I turned in my final draft for approval.... then COVID happened. Kesem at Home Camp Kesem, nationwide, cancelled all in person camps and created a Virtual Camp called Kesem at Home. I was devastated. The schedule I dreamed, created from scratch, and polished to perfection will never be lived out. My emotions varied everyday. I was informed that not only my completed schedule wasn't possible but I had to make an entirely new schedule adapted to fit new guidelines for Camp Kesem at Home. As a leader, my job is to shift the focus to the future. Regardless of my emotions, you have to lead with eyes focused on new goals rather than dwelling on the negatives. As of today, I am starting this process over. I am dreaming, creating, and innovating for virtual camp. I feel more confident starting this process over after I spent my time reflecting, growing, and learning through experiences. Questions and thoughts moving forward: HOW CAN WE USE THIS ROADBLOCK TO GROW, ADAPT, AND INNOVATE? Our organization is virtual 11 months out of the year. How will Kesem@Home change how we support children throughout the year? One of my goals for this experience was to gain the leadership skills necessary to become a co-director of our chapter. I was able to broaden my knowledge base, discover my personal collaborative approach, attend meetings, and learn from the outgoing directors. I reached my goal and I am excited to have been offered the co-director position this upcoming year. This journey didn't go at all how I imagined. My schedule was to have this experience completed by May and pt. 2 (the actual week of camp) completed in the beginning of August. Sometimes things don't go according to plan, but often that's when the most significant impacts come. My self-designed reflection will come by the end of August.
Camp Kesem talent show K@H welcome video |