Reflective Essay On Lifeguard

I am confronted with challenges every summer day as a supervisor at the world-renowned Texas waterpark, Schlitterbahn. I work closely with children of all ages, families, lifeguards, managers, and other staff members. On any given morning, I am unable to anticipate the obstacles that will confront me and the problem solving strategies I will be forced to call into action.

This past summer, I received a set of keys, a radio, and a name tag that read “Supervisor.” This was my third year working at the waterpark where I advanced from lifeguard to lead lifeguard and finally into a management position. I was now the youngest administrator in the operations department. Walking into work the first morning in my new uniform, the lifeguards looked surprised. Most of them were older than me and apprehensive about a boss who seemed so young. Initially, they spoke to me in a condescending tone and passively refused to complete any of the tasks I requested. When I politely asked a group of lifeguards to clean and straighten a section of the park after we had closed, the area was still in disarray when I

Immediately my adrenaline kicked in and I began to go into shock. For three years I was trained to handle medical dilemmas and seizures, but this was real. After a ten second panic attack subdued, I allowed my training to commence. I asked a witness to call 911 and I jumped to aid by checking her vitals to make sure she was breathing and still alive. Lifeguards and I rolled her onto her side and monitored the length of the convulsions and eventually medics arrived and took over the scene. This lady survived this catastrophe and returned to the park less than a week later and found me, she was extremely grateful for myself and the lifeguard that aided her. The gratitude and appreciation she expressed made me enjoy and respect my