Why Serving Teens in North Georgia is the Perfect Way to Spend a Summer

Oftentimes, people in college see summers as a time to grab an internship for a future job, take summer classes, or even just relax and prepare for the next upcoming semester. Me, I chose to head straight from Auburn University to the small town of Tiger, Georgia, and serve for thirteen weeks as a Programs Director for Life Teen Camp Covecrest. This is a camp that I have grown up at and hold very dear to my heart. Every week, I was challenged with 250+ teenagers from all over the country.

Aside from all of the mud pits, zip lines, and bonfires, I learned so much about how important and rigorous managing large amounts of people can be (especially when they are young teenagers). Day to day, I was tasked with setting up for all the activities around camp which meant I was always on my feet. And if something went wrong or needed to be changed, it was up to my team and I to quickly assess and maneuver the situation well.

The days were long and the sun was always hot but choosing to do something I loved for a summer was well worth all of the sweating and sunburns that I received. All of the tasks that I was assigned to were genuinely fun but, the best part of the summer was the relational ministry with all of the kids there. This past summer, I learned communication skills I never knew I'd need. Of course, there were the obvious ones like sportsmanship, boosting team morale, and comforting someone on a tough day. However, the world doesn't always prepare you for how to get a screaming 14-year-old off of a zipline in under two minutes with only a walkie-talkie and a rope. That right there is communication.

Regardless of whether or not you take an internship, summer classes, or just relax in the summers, I will always be proud of my choice to direct programs and scheduling at Camp Covecrest. And who knows, maybe sometimes those experiences prepare you even more for a job than you would think.