Why did you decide to intern at camp?

“I decided to intern at camp for a few different reasons— mainly because I love camp. 

I was a senior in college at the time, and took some time to consider what I wanted to do with the time immediately after I graduated from Auburn. I knew that I wanted to honor the Lord with my time and do something meaningful in that transitional time of life. I also knew that the ‘real world’ after college was always going to be waiting for me afterwards.

So, I decided to take the opportunity to work a semester at a place where I knew I’d be able to honor the Lord with my time by doing what I love with people I love. It was a chance to dedicate my time to serving God, work with a team whose goal is to advance his kingdom, and trust that he would watch over me through it all.”

What was life like as an intern at camp?

“Life as an intern was so rewarding in so many ways. It was also challenging. Interning was a great balance of having fun with your coworkers (who quickly become your close friends) while also working hard to serve Camp’s visitors well.

As interns, we spent a lot of time together as a cohort learning new work skills around camp, reading and discussing a theology book we’d chosen for our intern book club, and just getting to be a part of camp staff in the shoulder season.

Working in the shoulder season (anytime other than summer) is great because it involves a lot of the same camp jobs we come to love during the summer. You also get to see everything that goes on behind the scenes of hosting a group, which is especially cool if you’ve worked as a summer staff counselor but haven’t seen what support staff looks like.

One of the main parts of the internship is establishing your own personal goals for the semester, laying out a realistic plan of achieving them, and then doing so. We spent a lot of time over the course of the semester working on our goals, which, while looking different for everyone, gave us a real sense of unity as we all worked towards reaching them together.

As interns, we also had unique leadership opportunities with the outreach projects we helped plan and take part in. Some examples are when we got to help teach a Bible class at a local school, throw a party at the local senior center, and table at nearby college campuses for recruiting. All of these helped us grow in our planning and leadership abilities.”

What is your favorite memory as an intern?

“My favorite memory as an intern would have to be one rainy day when we finished work and decided to take a canoe to the point. We paddled around and explored some islands and shorelines around the lake, and we even found an old abandoned fishing camp in one of the coves. We were just having so much fun swimming and canoeing around in the pouring rain without a care in the world. I’ll always remember that day.”

What was your biggest takeaway from the internship?

“My biggest takeaway from the internship has to be the growth I experienced in my walk with the Lord. Establishing positive habits that included daily time in the word and in prayer was a blessing that has continued to carry on in my life well after my time as an intern ended. Full-time staff and the other interns created a very positive and encouraging environment for building these habits and prioritizing my faith above all else. I got to learn the value of walking closely with the Lord all over again, which was what I loved about my summers at Camp so much.”

What would you say to people considering the Camp Highland internship?

“I’d tell them to pray about it. If you love camp and want to dedicate a period of time to growing in your walk with God and serving others, you should spend time in prayer considering the internship.

I can say to anyone considering the internship that it’s a very worthwhile investment of your time, and a great way to make new friends, deepen existing relationships, learn new skills, make a ton of memories, and do all this while honoring the Lord. You will be challenged and you will grow. If that’s what you’re looking for, you should definitely talk to someone on Full-time staff about it!”

Interested in the Camp Highland Internship?

If you’re interested in applying for the internship program here at Camp Highland, you can fill out our interest form here! We would love to talk with you more about the internship and answer any questions you may have.

You can also check out the Internship Packet here for some quick details about the program. Contact us at elora@camphighland.com if you’d like to learn more!