As a third culture kid (TCK) myself, I understand the importance of bringing TCKs together for a week-long residential camp. I have also always loved playing and hanging out with kids in groups large or small. So of course I was thrilled when I received my acceptance email to be a counselor-in-training (CIT) at Mussoorie Kids Camp, a camp located in North India for kids aged seven to twelve from various nationalities. Little did I know how much I would have to rely on my flexibility, leadership, and problem-solving skills that week. After two days of prep work among the counselors and CITs, the day was finally here. The campers were arriving. I greeted my campers as they arrived throughout the afternoon, five eleven-year-olds in all. Once everyone arrived, I led the girls in get-to-know-you games while my counselor got ready for the evening activities. I had wonderful girls, and I was eager to get to know each one of them as the week went on. In addition to being in charge of these five girls, I also prepared the props and set the stage for the skits each morning and helped with water games in the afternoons. Because my counselor was sick for most of the camp, the full responsibility for taking care of our five girls that week fell on me. Though I had not come to camp thinking I would be sole charge of five girls, I …show more content…
However, despite the exhaustion I felt at that moment, I already knew that I would definitely sign up again next year. As I got to know my campers and the other kids that week, I also got to know myself better. I learned that I could be counted on to do my best whenever unexpected situations came up, and that I could handle the responsibility of leading five kids on my own despite being only a few years older than them myself. Throughout the week I experienced both leadership roles and backstage jobs as I did my part in making sure the kids had the time of their
“Do I have to go? I mean, it’s not required for me to finish high school or anything. It’s just something you want me to do,” I pleaded with my parents. “Yes you have to go and there’s no way you’re going to get out of it either. It’ll be a good experience for you, and you might even make some new friends,” my father replied. Tomorrow I was going to HOBY, which stands for Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Seminar. It is specifically for sophomores in high school and I was chosen to be one of the candidates to represent my school for the year twenty fifteen. There are many HOBYs around the United States, but I was going to HOBY Ohio West located at the Ohio Northern University in Ada, Ohio. The seminar started on June fourth and concluded on the seventh. This was a four day event and I wouldn’t see my family for two of the days. I had just turned sixteen in April and I had never stayed more than an hour away from my family for a night or two. It was very nerve-wracking for me, but I had to go no matter what. Little did I know that this experience would make me into the more confident young woman I am today.
Eliza, for the last five years, has worked as a camp counselor at Mazemakers Day Camp. Most recently, Eliza was a senior counselor, responsible for leading four classes each day, while nurturing camper growth in general. Eliza has been able to expand her skills in curriculum development, camper connections,
It was a steep learning curve over the next thirteen years as I gained experience and eventually taught in Taiwan’s most prestigious elementary schools. My teaching experience, combined with my understanding of the culture led to my first management position in an educational role as I became the Head Teacher of a public elementary school in Taiwan. I felt a real sense of commitment to the community in this role and I set ambitious goals when I started this position. My ability to work within the framework of the Taiwanese culture helped me accomplish these goals.
I would like to consider my cultural heritage as diverse, but this is far from reality. Over the years as I matured through my teenage years, I was exposed to different cultures by life experiences and travel. I struggled to create both a personal and cultural identity while trying to adjust to my sight loss and with the support of my family I traveled overseas to experience other cultures for the first time. My family opened up their home to a foreign exchange program in turn allowing me the opportunity to travel over to Europe at the age of 16 years old. This opportunity started the slow progression of experiences that would open my mind to others who are unlike myself, especially traveling to a strange place and feeling different in a mainstream culture. It was not until the past 5 or 6 years until I fully accepted my disability that changed my view on being different, whether it’s race, class, gender or disability. Before this time period, my own fear of being different was so intense that I thought my weakness (disability) made me inferior of not only other cultures, but also my own family members.
The first day of band camp I was a bit nervous around him. Not that I was scared, I just didn’t want to make a mistake with him or hurt his feelings in any way. After all, I hadn’t been one on one with a special needs child since middle school. But, all of my nervousness was made up for with Tim’s boldness. The seniors and juniors in the band didn’t damper his spirits in the least! The young 8th grader strutted into the room like he owned the place. He didn’t demand the full attention of the room, he just assumed he already had it. “Hey, Patterson!” he proclaimed across the room to our band director with a massive grin.
For this project, I decided to volunteer as a facilitator for the 21st Century Program; a program that assists middle to high school refugee students to adequately understand and utilize the English language. As the program facilitator, one of my responsibilities is to help the students with their schoolwork and organize team building activities. The first week was challenging because I did not know what to expect from the students and I am also uncertain with what the students would think of me. As someone who the students see as their leader, it is important to show professionalism when dealing with younger children because most of them would look up to an older person as their role model. Being in a setting where everyone was accustomed
“ You want to be the same as American girls on the outside.” (Tan, Amy) Like Tan in her narrative “Fish Cheeks”, everyone has had a time in their lives when they wanted to fit in at school or home. Sometimes it is hard to try to blend into the surroundings. Moving from Boston to Tallahassee has taught me a lot about such things like honor, pride, and self-reliance. Such is related to us in Wilfred Owens’s “Dulce et Decorum est” which is about his experience in World War I. Sometimes experiences such as moving can teach more about life than any long lecture from any adult. As the old saying goes: “Actions speak louder than words.”
America, the land of the free and home of the brave. Our magnificent country is sought as a new homeland for immigrants trying to achieve the american dream. Our country has a poor system in regulating immigration. An account attesting to this is the words of an immigrant himself, Gonzalo, who came here as a child ,however, he was never legalized with paperwork and now finds himself conflicted as he states “I am scared to be deported to a place that I do not know.”This provides insight into the major immigration problems we are facing today, whether it is the overpopulation, threats of deportation, or illegal residents who have not yet gone through the legalization process. America has been known as the land of the free, and is sought as
It was time to go, it was 5am on a Saturday morning and I needed to get my pack to our church for loading. We got there a little late like usual, but it was okay, because you can’t leave the ScoutMaster(My dad) behind. We got on the road around 7am. I was in the car with two of my friends, My dad, and one of our assistant ScoutMaster. It took around 11 hours to get to camp. We took only two stops, one time to eat some sandwiches, and another time to pick up some food for the night. We got there around 6pm, and we had to unload all our supplies, pick tents, and find out who we were sleeping next to. The camp did not start till monday so we had a extra day to set up, explore the camp, and have some fun.
This season was only the second year that I had been in marching band, even though we did do parades in middle school. The year before, I was selected to be drum major of the upcoming marching season. I was excited to meet the challenge of getting back to the state championships. It was also nerve-racking because I felt if we didn't make it to state, it would be my fault. To be truthful, later on I experienced both sentiments from some of the most influential, heart-warming, absolutely awesome friends that I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. This would be the year that our band would adopt its slogan, its mission statement: Band #1.
I’d been hired after a rigorous application process; I was one of 17 kids, from my age group of 45, who had been employed. I lived in a bunk with two other counselors and eight campers. At the beginning of the summer, I requested to have the youngest campers for the summer. Consequently, my campers were nine years old, arguably the most difficult age at camp. The girls required lots of attention: we were essentially their parents for the summer. Nevertheless, I enjoyed being a counselor. Yet, I felt I was a bad counselor because I was never one to be jumping up and down. Although I felt very comfortable with my roles and responsibilities in the bunk, I wasn’t the type of person who would be screaming and cheering at volleyball tournaments or hosting camp talent shows on stage. I spent the first month thinking my quiet, more reserved personality made me a crummy counselor. In my mind, extroverted equaled superior, and I wasn’t either. It took me too long to comprehend that I was only feeling inferior because I’d consented to my own
From the friendships they can make that will last a lifetime, to the distinct memories they have of campfire traditions, camp is laced with immeasurable meaning. The skills that children learn and practice at camp can become a part of their identity, and may even grow into passions that they will continue to pursue as an adult. Whether they want it or not, the songs with constantly haunt them throughout the years and though they claim to hate it, they secretly enjoy the reminder of summer fun and adventure. One thing camp taught me that I find of value today, is to say “yes!” to adventures and working with my team to accomplish outrageously fun challenges and
In my first week I was introduced to the existing group of counselors or “leaders”. I was actually already very familiar with the other leaders, being that most of us grew up together, making this experience that much more exciting. The first week I was also assigned a small group of students to look after and to grow in fellowship with. However, I would not spend the entire night with these kids, allowing me to get to know the majority of the other thirty-five to forty kids. Since the church has a gym, a lot of the activities took place in there. A common game to play was dodgeball, though us leaders have gotten creative and created and played countless other
It was an extremely sweltering hot afternoon. I started my class with the three kids from a fairly big family. The kitchen was too noisy for me to conduct my class actually but I had adapted to this teaching atmosphere and as usual I started to teach their youngest sister Emily and later his two elder brothers John and Jack in turn. I was quite comfort with her demurely manner.
Intercultural relationships are essential to our survival as a people. Without interacting withone another, the wrld would not be the place it is today. I would not be the person I amtday. I can recaall an instance of intercultural relating that has affected me. It changed the way I view the world. Living in the United States, we are subjected to many races and cultures. Living in central New Jersey, though there are many types of people, life is usually the same on all ends of the spectrum.