Internship Highlight – Olivia

Hi, I’m Olivia Gaines and I’m an Intern at Black Diamond Camp (BDC). I am twenty-two years old and originally from Hockinson, Washington. I first came to Black Diamond Camp in 2021 as part of the Summer Staff team. I had such a wonderful summer full of deep friendships and opportunities for personal growth, and I knew I would miss camp when I left. I heard about the Internship Program and really wished I could stay for it, but I was still in college and had a year or so left before I graduated.

Fast forward to the winter of 2022; I had just graduated college in Colorado and was looking to move back to Washington, but I didn’t know where to move or what I wanted to do for work. Around this time, Andrew Hurst, Director of Youth Ministries at BDC, reached out to me, asking if I had any plans for the upcoming summer. I remembered how much fun it was to work at Camp and thought it would be a great opportunity to return to a new position, as Group Camp Program Lead. Throughout the summer, I grew in my leadership skills and learned more about the behind-the-scenes of camp ministry. As the summer was coming to a close, I realized an internship at BDC would be a great opportunity to continue my growth from the summer.

Through the internship program, I’ve learned about all parts of Camp. My favorite aspect so far has been shadowing. Each week, the Interns get to shadow a different department at Camp. I’ve loved learning all the inner workings in each department, as well as getting to know people in those jobs better. I’m looking forward to the second semester of the Internship Progtam where we each can pick one department to specialize in for the rest of the program. I can’t wait to see what else there is to learn!

For more information about the Internship Program, click here.

-Olivia Gaines, 2023-24 Intern