Photo by: Nick Conley
Trading a summer of fun for one of labor may not sound appealing, but working at a summer camp just may provide the best of both worlds.
On Jan. 31, Oklahoma Christian University will host a summer camp job fair.
Director of Career Services Mark Chan said that working at a summer camp would provide an experience that one will not find at a regular job.
“The multiple opportunities you get to lead them thru obstacle courses and teaching them new skills, teaching them God’s word,” Chan said. “You tell me what other summer job will give you the responsibility of putting someone’s life in your hands.”
According to Chan, interactions at camp will prepare students for everyday life endeavors in a future career.
“We all come from different walks of life,” Chan said. “The interpersonal skills you get at camp are useful. To be successful in any walk of life, you have to work with people. And at summer camp you work with a lot of people.”
According to Chan, the camp staff will not be the only ones whose lives will be affected.
“Working at a summer camp will give those kids an experience they’ll remember forever,” Chan said. “Chances to truly impact change and bless peoples’ lives.”
Senior Cruz Ballinger worked at a camp with his home congregation for three years in a row. He said it was the least he could do.
“As a student, I feel like I can’t do as much for God’s kingdom throughout the year, and I can’t give a huge portion of my salary; so I give those kids my time,” Ballinger said. “I’m giving two weeks of my time for those kids, and it’s all good. I give them my heart and my soul, and it’s all for God.”
Camp War Eagle is a camp that many Oklahoma Christian students have worked at over the years. The incentives that come with the job just might be enough to make any student apply.
“It’s the best job for college students,” Ballinger said. “You get paid, you get free housing and you get three meals a day. The main job is to be a lifeguard. They’re doing something that’s fun, they get a great tan and they’re working for God’s kingdom. You get paid to do something that you love.”
When Oklahoma Christian alumnus Drew Nevius first learned about the summer camps, he was initially planning to do a church internship.
“My freshman year they had job fairs, internships, churches that would come and talk to students about internships and the camps that they could work for,” Nevius said. “Working at a camp sounded like a lot of fun, and I just wanted to get out of Edmond and try something new.”
According to Nevius, working at a Christian camp is an awesome opportunity to work with kids.
“You get to teach kids about God, and in doing that, it strengthens your own faith,” Nevius said. “It also makes you question why you believe what you believe, and you get to explain it to them. It’s really cool.”
The kids who were a part of the devotionals that Nevius led weren’t the only ones who benefitted from him talking about his faith.
“It was really fun getting to know college kids from other schools,” Nevius said. “Getting to know people outside of the Church of Christ was cool. I got to talk to them about my faith.”
There will be several camps at the job fair at the end of the month, and amongst those will be Shiloh Camp. It’s a camp in Oklahoma City geared toward providing the inner-city children with a fun and educational summer.
Chauncey Julius is the outreach coordinator for Shiloh Camp.
“We’re just going to inform people about Shiloh Summer Camp and raise awareness in the community about the opportunities here,” Julius said. “Some of the great things to take away from Shiloh are the leadership skills and public speaking skills that they’ll be developing to be a viable candidate for the workforce. We’re not just looking for counselors; we’re looking for leaders.”
For Julius, working at Camp Shiloh compelled him to live his life for something more meaningful. He was able to share his faith with others, and he met people that will be his friends forever.
“I would encourage someone to work for a camp for the relationships you’ll gain,” Julius said. “I met my wife at summer camp along with four other people that were a part of my wedding.”
Julius said he would encourage anyone interested to at least apply for opportunities.
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