From Nervous Counselor to Camp Director: Finding a Calling at Camp Bear Creek
Your first year of college includes a lot of things that feel scary—moving away from home, meeting new roommates, finding new friends, and adjusting to class schedules and academic responsibilities. For me, there was an extra layer of fear because I chose to spend my freshman year in Spokane, Washington—an entire twenty-four-hour drive from my home in Iowa. I couldn’t go home on weekends to do laundry or ease my homesickness.
The summer after that first year, I took another leap of faith and accepted a job as a summer camp counselor at a camp I had never been to before. I remember arriving on the first day, a bundle of nerves and uncertainty. Would I make friends? Would I be a good counselor? What was camp even like?
That scary leap turned out to be one of the most important decisions I ever made. At camp, I found a community that welcomed me with open arms. More importantly, that community saw strengths in me that I hadn’t yet recognized in myself. I was encouraged to take risks, try new things, and stretch in ways I never imagined possible.
One summer turned into another and then a third. Before I knew it, I was graduating from college. I had grown from counselor to Media Communications Intern, working in a role that aligned with my college degree. Camp taught me leadership, teamwork, problem-solving, and resilience—and it also gave me opportunities to utilize practical skills like video editing, photography, and social media marketing. Camp was truly the place where I grew into the adult I wanted to become.
At the end of my last summer on staff, I drove through the camp gate with a full-time job already lined up for fall. I felt ready and prepared, thanks to my experiences at camp. But there was an ache in my heart—I didn’t feel ready to leave this place that had given me so much. I pulled over on the gravel road, looked back, and prayed, “God, if it’s your will, bring me back here. Find a way for me to make a career out of camp ministry.”
I drove away for what I thought would be the last time. But a few months later, I got a phone call: there was an opening for a full-time Marketing and Communications Coordinator at camp. I couldn’t believe it—God had answered my prayer.
Now, as I prepare to celebrate my 13th anniversary working full-time at Camp Bear Creek, I can look back with deep gratitude. Camp has continued to challenge and grow me. I’ve taken on new roles—first as Program Director, and now as Camp Director—and I’ve watched the camp itself grow alongside me, adding new programs, updating facilities, and preparing for a bright future of ministry and transformation.
As we enter this season of thanksgiving, I want to say a heartfelt thank you to every camper, parent, and staff member I’ve had the joy of working with. Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for welcoming me into your community. Thank you for helping preserve this sacred space of sanctuary and inspiration—for believing in the leadership and dreaming with us about the future. My life was forever changed because of Camp Bear Creek. I hope many of you reading this can say the same.
Camp Bear Creek has been more than just a workplace—it’s been a home, a community, and a place where faith and purpose intersect. Looking back, I see how every step of my journey was guided by God’s hand—from that nervous first summer to the ministry I now have the privilege to lead. I know that just as camp shaped me, it will continue to shape countless others who come seeking connection, growth, and the presence of God in creation. My hope is that every person who steps through our gates finds what I found here—a place to belong, to grow, and to be transformed.
Winter Blues
