I have the pleasure of meeting a wide range of alumni, parents and campers that make up our Camp Burgess & Hayward community. When I asked alumni camper Gwen Baddeley how she was impacted by her time at Camp, she was excited to share, “My Camp experience is how I landed my first professional job!” Gwen interviewed at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts for the role of Museum Educator, and recounted how she secured her position due to her years of leadership development at camp:
“I was a shy and reserved person when I first went to Camp, and many of the things we did were outside of my comfort zone. The wonderful thing about Camp is the people; the staff and the campers made me feel like I was part of a community – we could all be silly together. Working at Camp, I was trusted to be responsible for a group of kids, leading them through the day and supporting them when they were homesick or dealing with conflicts, and this was a huge confidence builder for me. Not only was I caretaker, friend, and role model for these kids – I was developing my creativity and my leadership skills in a safe and supportive environment. Camp pushed me to challenge my own limits and do things I never dreamed I would; overseeing the high-ropes course, leading team-building activities for groups from Harvard and MIT when I was only 19, teaching forest and lake ecology classes to students from all over Massachusetts. These experiences were beyond formative, they made me the person I am today.”
The culture of Camp Burgess and Hayward is like no other. At Camp, children spend time outdoors without the distraction of technology, in a nurturing, engaging environment that allows them the space to build independence and self-reliance.
Gwen’s experience from Camp set her apart from other applicants at the museum. Her time at Camp gave her confidence, taught her management skills, and allowed her to shine as she accepted her role as Museum Educator, teaching children and managing their overall educational experience effectively, with comfort and ease.
To read Gwen’s full story, in her own words, visit our Camp Burgess & Hayward blog at campburgessandhayward.com/blog.