Working at Camp changed my life!

I was 8 years old when I went to summer camp for the first time. It was the first time I had been away from my family. It was the first time that I made friends outside of school and the first time I ever bought a drumstick ice cream cone from a snack shack. There were a lot of firsts for me in my first week of camp (including my first mud pit). It’s where I experienced the depth of God’s love for the first time. I’ll never forget the impact that first week of camp had on my life.  

Since my first week at camp, I have been back to camp every year of my life. I’ve been a camper, volunteered my time, and worked on staff at Camp. For the past two years, I have worked as the Event Coordinator at Black Diamond Camp, in Auburn, Washington, where I host events and oversee the internship program.  

I worked as an intern for two years before transitioning into my role as Event Coordinator. I don’t know if there is a better way to describe being an intern here at Camp other than, it’s basically a dream job! You can have fun (and don’t have to worry about dressing in business clothes every day).  You get to empower kids to try new things. You get to speak truth and tell kids that they are valued beyond their circumstances. And you get to work behind the scenes to help make a safe and fun environment for life-change to happen. You get to impact kids’ lives in big ways. 

The power of camp isn’t just fun, games and cool dances. It’s so much more than what you might see on the surface. The power is in the lives that are changed each week. The power is in the campers who go on to be counselors and staff members. The power is in the campers who call camp their ‘home away from home’. The power is in the love of God that each child receives.  

Camp helped shape me into the person I am today. Camp is where I met (and where I married) my husband. Camp helped me make close friendships that I still have today. Camp made me a leader and continues to help me lead. 

If you end up having the opportunity to work at camp, take it! If you can give the gift of camp to a child, do it! You can impact a life much more than just a fun week away from the real world. You might just change a life! 

For more information on becoming an intern at Black Diamond Camp click here.

-Kaelin Lara, Guest Services Event Coordinator & Leader of the Internship Program at Black Diamond Camp