More Than a Summer Job

My academic life had always been driven by self-improvement; I constantly strived for more after achieving my goals. Although I excelled in school, particularly in STEM, I began to realize that pursuing success for myself alone felt incomplete. So I looked outward and saw an opportunity to influence others: I applied to be a camp counsellor at the London Children’s Museum, wanting to inspire a new generation of curious learners, especially young girls passionate about STEM.

Just like any other journey to growth, I soon discovered how unprepared I was. I assumed that working with children aged 4 to 11 would be manageable, but on my first day after training, I was already overwhelmed by small camper disagreements and hoping that larger conflicts would never arise (spoiler alert: they did).

During lunch one mid-July afternoon, a child with sensory sensitivities began wailing as the sink overflowed and flooded the floor. Other campers stared as the child threw their pizza into the puddles, just as my supervisor arrived and the remaining food still needed to be served. Before I could react, another child announced they were going to pee their pants, and immediately did so on my shoes. The room went so quiet that you could hear my heart thudding, as campers looked around and my co-counsellor hesitated. I had never led in a situation like this, but waiting was not an option. I signaled to my co-counsellor to calm the distressed child, guided the rest of the group toward quiet activities to reduce stimulation, asked a floater counsellor to distribute food, and escorted the child who had wet themselves to the washroom. After cleaning both of us, I returned to the room to ensure every camper was settled and then briefed my supervisor on what had occurred. Through experiences like this, my confidence grew, and I took initiative in leading activities, including science experiments, astronomy simulations, and engineering challenges.

One moment in particular stayed with me. While building a rocket with a young girl fascinated by science, she excitedly shared her dream of becoming an engineer at NASA. Watching her light up as she tested her design, I realized that my role extended far beyond supervision.

By the end of the summer, I had worked with over 100 children, including those with special needs, in a downtown camp serving families from diverse backgrounds. I also learned to communicate clearly with parents, in tense situations involving injuries or behavioral concerns. Explaining incidents required calm, empathy, and accountability, especially when speaking with adults twice my age about what mattered most to them: their child.

Spending my summer focused on impacting others taught me invaluable lessons and allowed me to build meaningful relationships with my campers. One even told their parents, “I wish Cailyn was my sister,” and 4 parents shared that the London Children’s Museum had been the most meaningful camp experience their child had. In September, I was offered a year-round position as Program Facilitator!