From Camper to Counselor

Stephanie Lyseiko

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Every year I looked forward to coming up to Hawkestone to be a camper at Sokil. In 2013, however, I had the privilege to be a counsellor at this camp, and the experience was very memorable.

As a camper, the activities at Sokil camp were fun to participate in. The familiarity of the schedule, such as knowing what the first riddle of the day would be or the first meal, was something to look forward to. The counselors were always friendly and made the camp even better. Activities such as the weekly Vatra and Zabava were my favorite, and I was glad that over the years those events stayed the same.

As a counsellor, I had the chance to experience everything from an entirely new perspective. Being able to be a part of planning of a daily activities and participating in the activities with the kids really helped me appreciate an importance of the role of a counselor.

While being a counselor here, the most important lesson I learned was exactly how much each child varies. You form a special bond with each and every one of them, and that is unforgettable. The kids looked up to me as a role model and a teacher, but in the end I learned more from them.

Being at Sokil Summer Camp, where it was as a camper or a counselor was my favorite summer event. This was the place where my most memorable memories were made. If I had a chance to go to any other camp in the world, I would still choose Camp Sokil at Hawkestone in a heartbeat.

PHOTOS

1 - Stephanie Lyseiko with kids at Camp Soki at Hawkestone

2 - Stephanie Lyseiko