Camp Counselor Application Essay

I have had the privilege to work as an office assistant, a barista, and a camp counselor. Each of these positions has left me with unique experiences and skills. I am very organized and thorough due to my time working in the office. From my experiences as a barista, I am able to work quickly and efficiently under pressure. Finally, I am very adept at dealing with conflict, solving problems, and working through my own frustration as my work as a camp counselor was very challenging for me. The most important thing that I have learned from my work history is to be open, honest, and ask for help if I need it.
Scientific research and discovery interests me because it would allow me to develop my professional, intellectual, and personal skills
I was mainly in charge of ten Chinese children with an average age of eight however, I also supervised the entire camp of thirty-five children from the age of seven to fifteen with the help of at least one other counselor. They did not speak English very well, and I was expecting a challenge, but not to the extent that I experienced. I was under a tremendous amount of responsibility as I was in charge of the care of someone else’s children. I was also the only counselor on duty 24/7 and the only one that slept in the dorm with the children. The children often did not listen and because two of the six counselors that were hired with me left the camp early, we were short staffed and often had to take on more responsibility than originally planned. I suddenly became a teacher’s assistant, maid, and nurse. I was very frustrated and had to sit down with the director of the camp to explain my feelings so as to ensure that my feelings did not negatively impact the children’s experience at camp. The director was very understanding and our conversation resulted in the entire staff sitting down and having an open conversation about what would need to change so the counselors were not receiving too much pressure. This conversation allowed many of my coworkers to deal with their own feelings and the camp ran much more smoothly after that. We were able to be there for each other and the mood of the camp was greatly