Wreck-less Driving

Too often we hear of tragic deaths of children, adults and families due to drivers ignoring the laws of driving. Driving is a privilege, as is every person's life. This is why we must get the message out to every driver to drive safe and carefully. On Monday a girl from my hometown was killed due to a driving accident. The girl's friend was speeding and driving in and out of the shoulder of the highway. This girl could still be alive and continuing with her 'American Idol' dream if it were not for the careless driving of her friend.
I always make sure to drive carefully and safe. When I was a first year student at the University of Scranton, a 16-year-old girl from my hometown was killed in a driving accident. A car was going over 80mph on a 25mph road with his headlights off. This accident shook up my town. Every time a driver gets into a car they must realize how many people can be affected if they decide to drive irresponsibly.

Being a camp counselor

This past week I was a camp counselor for a group of 11 campers between the ages of six and eight. Typically I have no problems working with campers, but that is because I usually had the older campers between the ages of 15 and 17. Working with such young children was a challenge. I had campers who were homesick, immature for camp and children who did not want to be at camp so they did whatever they could to get sent home. However I did have one camper who I genuinely wish could have stayed at camp forever. This camper was a young girl who arrived at camp Sunday morning excited and ready for a great week of camp. I was a little confused when she had repeated to who I believed to be her mother, "I get to keep this bag now because my name is on it, right?" I thought it was simply a hand-me down bag from an older sibling. When the woman said no I thought she must only be borrowing it from an older sibling then. It was not until we arrived at dinner when I realized why the child had wanted the bag so badly. The young girl had informed me that the three other boys who she had called her brothers were all in the foster care system. I then understood why the young girl wanted the bag so badly. This young girl who was only seven years old was in the system with her two older biological brothers. Every meal this girl would ask for more food or more lemonade even if she still had half a plate or glass left. All week this little girl would just crave the attention of my three coworkers and me, who were her counselors for the week. I had felt so bad when Saturday morning rolled around and it was time for this little girl to go home. Although this young girl is in a good home now, I fear that she may be moved again in the future. Being a camp counselor I wish I could say this does not happen often but unfortunately it does. That is why as a camp counselor I make sure the minute that a camper is left in my watch they have one of the best experiences they can have at camp. If nothing else is going right for a camper I want them to be able to forget their troubles and be able to have fun and be a kid and enjoy their time at camp. Being a camp counselor can be challenging at times but the greatest reward is the smiles and the laughter from every camper there.

Unschooling, Good or Bad?

This week while I am in staff training for Camp Johnsonburg, there is another camp that is sharing our campsite to run their own camp. This camp is called Stomping Ground. Stomping Ground is a camp that does not have its own site but uses other camps to run theirs. Stomping Ground is based on the principle of unschooling. Unschooling is a method of homeschooling where the desires, motives, drive, and responsibility for life is put in the hands of the learner. This idea seems like a good one, however after watching this camp occur I have swayed against the idea. Watching the little kids that have been here doing as they please with little structure I have felt that they are endangering their well being in society. Many of these children did not understand why they had to follow our camps pool rules, and did not listen to the rules any way which lead to a lifeguard having to do a rescue. Although this idea is good in the sense it allows children to be open and express themselves freely however they would like, it still seems to be an unsafe environment to grow up learning in. Perhaps if there was a bit more structure to unschooling, this would be a great thing for children to grow up in.

Camp Joy

This week is my first official week back at Camp Johnsonburg for the summer. Camp Johnsonburg is a Presbyterian Church camp in Hackettstown, New Jersey. This summer will be my third on staff and my second year working Camp Joy.


Camp Joy is a five day camp for adults with special needs, particularly Downs Syndrome and developmental disabilities. This is my favorite week to work at camp, by far. I have grown up working with and around people with special needs and it is something I enjoy to do. These adults ages range from 22-65. Each camper enjoys coming back to camp.


Many of the campers that will be arriving today have attended this camp for many years. This week of camp is great for them and it is an experience that I would not change for the world. Watching these adults smile with every activity we do is a gift within itself. They take nothing for granted while being here.

Looking back on Scranton so far

The class of 2015 graduated yesterday. Watching them graduate made me realize that I am now about to become a senior. Looking back at my past three years at the University of Scranton I have realized how much I have grown. 

Starting with my first year, I walked on to campus a week earlier than most first year students. I had signed up to go on the FIRST retreat which was run through the Office of Community and Social Justice. It was an amazing experience. Along with 49 other first year students, I helped with community service projects in the local Scranton area. Although I was not able to partake in all the days of the retreat due to an illness I was diagnosed with during my senior year of high school. What I did do with the other students I enjoyed a lot. While on FIRST I made some great friends who helped me through my first year of college. 

During sophomore year I had the opportunity to be a retreat leader on Connections which is a retreat for first year students to connect and make new friends. I was able to give a talk on my first year at Scranton all of my ups and downs. It was a great experience. I also had to get knee surgery during sophomore year. The knee surgery was not fun at all, it was my second knee surgery. If it weren't for my friends I don't know how I would have made it through the second half of sophomore year.

Junior year by far has been my favorite year at Scranton. In particular my spring semester. During my spring semester the theater company I am a part of on campus, Liva Arts Company, announced our show was going to be Jonathan Larson's "Rent." After auditioning and getting a callback, I received the news that I was not cast. I was disappointed that I was not a part of the cast, but the director reached out to me and another girl a part of the company who was not cast and offered to us to be the stage managers. We both accepted the position and then worked together to get all the props, costumes, set pieces together. We both put endless hours into doing this show. I had never worked with such an amazing cast and crew before. We had built such a close bond with one another that we have continued to stay close after the show had ended.

It is sad to think that my Scranton experience will be coming to a close soon. However I know all good things must come to an end and the memories and friendships I have made here will last me a lifetime.