Students gathered to take advantage of the opportunity to be recruited by summer camps in and out of the Minnesota area at the 2015 Summer Camp Fair in Alumni Hall. Out of state opportunities ranged from camps in Wisconsin, Montana, Idaho, Colorado and Iowa, and a total of 33 camps attended the fair.

“Among these 33 there are church camps, Lutheran Volunteer Corp, a girls only camp, day camps and a camp for abused kids,” Administrator Sara Masters said.

With such a wide variety of recruiters, many were anticipating a larger crowd of students to attend the event on Feb. 10.

“It was good but we felt like there weren’t as many students there as we wanted. I did interview a few people… I would love for more students to come. Some people that wouldn’t think they’d make a good camp counselors could really be good at it,” Camp Director at Camp Amnicon 2011 alumna Bethany Ringdahl said.

The fairs purpose is to make it easier for students to be exposed to opportunities by coming and meeting with students about how they would fit into a camp. It is a source for students to build onto their résumés rather than only having experience at a traditional internship or summer job.

“Whatever your passions are you can find them at some sort of summer camp.“—Logan Boese

“It’s a good opportunity to be exposed to a broad variety of things. A lot of people have one mentality about camps but it is so much more than that. Whatever your passions are you can find them at some sort of summer camp. Some psychology majors like to work at special needs camps for example. There are also athletic camps, adventure camps, and of course traditional camps but even those have started to diversify their programs,” Junior Philosophy and Religion Major Logan Boese said.

In the future, recruiters are hoping to have a larger turnout due to the benefits for students working at camps during their college experience.

“It is great for personal development. It is an act of serving others and can lead to personal transformation and discovery. It also looks great on a resume, just like any other job. It deals with a lot of problem solving skills, which is favorable to employers,” Ringdahl said.

“It is great for personal development. It is an act of serving others and can lead to personal transformation and discovery.”—Bethany Ringdahl

For those that are interested in attending the summer camp fair in the future, the atmosphere is more laid back and welcoming than a job fair. The one notable difference is that students don’t need to dress up and bring a resume in order to meet with a recruiter.

“The fair is very easy going and people are really excited to have Gustavus students interested in their camps,” Boese said.

Having a job at a summer camp can allow students to improve their problem solving skills while also giving opportunities to move up into a leadership position or consider a longer-term career at a camp.

“I think it is a good work experience. It can look good on a resume and is challenging in a different way than just sitting in an office. I think it’s a climate in which Gustavus students would thrive,” Boese said.

-Haley Bell