Hello all!  After a brief hiatus, I return to you with a snapshot of my summer.  Transitioning from the college lifestyle  that more often than not involves staying up until 2 am watching re-runs of The O.C. with roommates and consequently sleeping in until the not-so-early hour of noon to a summer season full of 7 am risings for  full days of work at Camp Sunrise always proves to be interesting.  As a group leader in charge of approximately twelve toddlers affected by disabilities ranging from mild ADHD to severe autism, I find myself loving my summer job but reserving time in my afternoon schedule for a daily nap.  I am sure that my campers do the same.  

Camp Sunrise, a Connecticut day camp serving students ages 3-21 who have special needs, is the dream summer job for a student studying special education.  It provides a vast amount of hands on experience but, unlike student teaching, leaves the student completely in charge.  There is no supervising teacher who gently determines the course of each day.  Although sometimes overwhelming, an experience like this allows for a unique opportunity to independently lead a group of children and learn from one's very own mistakes and triumphs. 

This summer marks my eighth at Camp Sunrise, but I did not always hold the position of Blue Group Leader.  In today's post, I will share my first year at camp, during which I served as a high school volunteer who was paired with a camper who needed more help than his peers and helped him to navigate through the day.  But, this was just the beginning of an eight year journey that truly transformed my life ambition.  You are welcome to stay tuned to future posts to learn about my more recent camp experiences and how they have influenced my study of special education.

For now, let's return to my early years at Camp Sunrise.  Down’s syndrome, autism, cerebral palsy, post traumatic stress disorder, mental retardation… the list of disabilities I was certain to encounter as a volunteer at Camp Sunrise seemed to continue infinitely through the pages of the training manual that lay before me.  As an eighth grader with virtually no experience working with children with special needs, the labels were daunting.  Instead of educating me, they shouted abnormality, difference, and fear.  But, I was soon to learn from my camp buddy named Maddie that labels, while important for medical and legal issues, have little importance on a personal level.  No matter where an individual’s mental capacity falls on a diagnostic scale, how able he is to communicate with others, or how physically limited he appears to be, a person can always be discovered.  Each child is able in some way able and has great potential to achieve, and the importance of fanning the spark of magic that lies within everyone cannot be overstated.  

The first time I met camper Maddie, I did not notice that her knobby legs were bent inward at a seemingly impossible angle.  She sat tall in her wheelchair, covered by a flowing skirt that concealed her physical disability.  I did, however, notice that she spent hours upon hours rocking back and forth in her seat, intermittingly smacking the palm of her hand on her smooth, delicate face.  Maddie’s disability represented one of the most severe diagnoses at Camp Sunrise.  However, you never would have guessed it from the smile that lit up her face or, as I was eventually to learn, from the power of her beautiful voice. 

Maddie was a twelve-year child stuck in the mind and body of a two-year old.  She relied completely on her caregiver, and her disability was so profound that her camp counselors excitedly celebrated when she was able to grasp a paintbrush for a mere five seconds.  But, Maddie was also an amazing musician.  Although she was unable to articulate the lyrics to a song, she would sing her own words perfectly in tune while rocking back and forth to the beat of the music.  Any musician can explain the joys of performing in concert and sharing his gift with others.  And Maddie, just like any other musician, loved the stage. So, together we spent our afternoons at camp circling the gymnasium; I, her eager audience, pushed her chair, and she, the talented musician, graced me with the beauty of her more-than-able voice.  

I can't help but laugh when I look back at my first summer at camp because the outcome was so unexpected.  Prior to that experience, I was convinced that I would some day attend veterinary school and open my own practice somewhere in town.  I was so dedicated to this goal that I spent hours upon hours at our local vet's office, shadowing the technicians and doctors.  I was eager to sit in on surgeries, feed the kittens, and help in any way I could during office visits. I was a vet in the making, but the magic of Camp Sunrise was truly life changing.  Having been exposed to the amazing world of special education, I could no longer visualize myself as a veterinarian and changed my life plans accordingly.  Since then, I have spent every subsequent summer at Camp Sunrise and owe the discovery of my passion for special education to the inspiring children I met that very first summer.  I am now privileged to work with the three to seven year olds as a group leader and am responsible for planning recreational activities for my children to participate in each day.  As I do so, I never forget the lessons Maddie and the others taught me and remain forever thankful to them for helping me to chose this career.  

Check back soon for more reading about this year's Camp Sunrise adventures!      

Below are just a few pictures to highlight my past summers at camp.  Enjoy!