At ISTC, we are lucky to be able to bring back a good number of staff members year after year. If you currently follow our Instagram page, which you absolutely should since a camp post a day keeps the doctor away, you have probably seen that we have wrapped up our returner reveal not too long ago. Leading up to these posts, we can hardly contain our excitement holding our returning coaches and counselors back from you – But why? Of course we know you are all pumped to see who’s coming back. It’s no mystery that every returning staff member is a positive and fun role model. From our point of view though, the returning team carries a special sense of excitement and character that is essential to the ISTC experience.
Just like you, our staff is unique. Even though we all experience ISTC in a different way, we all leave a better person, left counting down the days until the next time we are back. Although each of us has different reasons for returning, I come back each year simply because it is meaningful. Here is what I learned from working at ISTC.
For the record, it is actually a fact when I say nearly everyone enjoys working at ISTC. Where else in world do you get to spend your days with the coolest kids in the tri-state area enjoying summer’s warmth and playing sports? However, ISTC taught me the difference between enjoyment and passion.
Through building connections with campers and witnessing others flourish into more confident, mature individuals for an entire summer, I experienced a feeling of satisfaction that I’ve never felt before. At camp, I had learned that setting others up for success, campers or staff members, put me at my happiest. When asked about my summer during my last semester of college, my mind instantly skipped the occasional cabin mishaps and lack of cell phones. Instead, I found myself talking about camp and the way it allows you to help others as if it has been something I’ve done my entire life.
I have also learned that passion breeds action. Discovering what makes me tick at camp has influenced me to make positive change in other areas of my life. I became a more selfless student, participating in class more than I ever had before, realizing that my contributions have potential to help someone grasp the topic at hand better. I became a better son, understanding that even a phone call to my parents every once and awhile to check in allowed them to have more stress free days. The little things I did nonchalantly gained a sense of purpose. Discovering my personal drive at ISTC not only made better, but it also positively moved those around me.
As I mentioned before, everyone has a different experience at ISTC. We hope all campers leave with a further passion for sports and the outdoors. We hope all of our staff leave with the desire to work in field that solely focuses on the wellbeing of others. Most importantly, we hope that anyone who experiences ISTC allows our positive vibes and judgment free environment to help them discover who they are and what makes them their happiest.
I learned to be myself at ISTC. What will you discover this summer?
