My name is Ben and this is my first year as a international camp counselor at YMCA Camp Matawa! Woohoo! It is my first time doing anything like this, as England doesn’t have any sort of summer camp for any young children to get away from there home life and let themselves go and have fun.
The whole idea of a summer camp appealed to myself as I completed a first diploma in sport, where I had the chance to teach kids from ages 4 to 16. I had never been to America before, so Camp also gave me a chance to see a different way of living and to get to know new people from around the world. I didn’t realize how fun and exiciting this opportunity was until I arrived to a warm welcome once I got off the bus in Milwaukee and into the world of YMCA Camp Matawa.
At first I was very quiet and a bit jet lagged, so I didn’t understand that this would be my best summer of my life at the tender age of 22 ! I got the chance each week to work with different campers from different areas, different backgrounds, different ages and with so many different personalities that all got mixed together and became one cabin by the end of every week. This really did open my eyes to what I would like to do in the future and I got to learn a lot about myself and what type of person I am. I learnt so many new skills and I built relationships with each camper and counselor throughout the summer.
Camp Matawa is already classed as my second home and I want to give that sense of atomsphere to anyone and everyone that chooses to visit or stay at camp. I am so happy to have chosen this experience and that they chose me to continue the tradition of the YMCA and I always hold the four values throughout my life Caring, Respect, Responsiblity and Honesty.
This summer was very much my first at camp but definitely not my last !
Thank You
Ben Middleman