Journeying from Camp Counselor to Director and Teacher!

 

With the uncertainty surrounding summer and parents needing care for their children as they return to work, it was great to connect with Kassandra Vargas and learn about her role as Summer Camp Director for Young Set Club in our southern region and its continued success even with modifications in place. Vargas also works year-round with us as an associate teacher at Mound CDC.  

What is your current role/title with us? How long have you been with CDI?   

 I’ve been with the organization for five years. I am a Summer Camp Director at Young Set Club in the south and during the school year, I work at Mound CDC as an associate teacher.   

When did you start working for YSC? Have you had any other roles/titles with us?   

I started off as a Summer Camp counselor in my 1st year and spent 2 years as an Assistant Camp Director to Ronnie Hanks before moving into the Camp Director role. This is my 2nd year as Camp Director.   

Tell me about your career and educational background. What roles were you in prior to coming to CDI?   

I was looking into Physical Therapy and had gotten a job at a massage studio working with a massage therapist. Summer camp happened to be happening concurrently, so I was working both jobs for a short time. After summer camp was over, I had enjoyed doing that so much, so I continued coming back every summer.

“I realized this is where I wanted to be,” I thought.“This is awesome.” I loved it so much.” 

I decided to leave my position at the massage studio and come back to work at summer camp. I took some classes in child development and discovered I really enjoyed working with kids and preferred the spontaneity of the day compared to working in an office environment. It was a transition. I realized I wanted that not just during the summer, but all the time.   

I inquired about new opportunities that might be available throughout the year and ended up applying to Mound CDC per Ronnie’s suggestion. I have spent 2 years as an Associate Teacher at Mound and it’s great being able to bring back activities to our summer camps and vice versa.   

What does a typical day look like in your role at Young Set Club?  

I arrive a little bit earlier than our camp counselors to open camp for the day. I make sure all the rooms are open and all supplies are disinfected and organized. The morning is dedicated to setting up everything for the morning drop off for parents. There is often a bustle of activities going on. Our camp counselors will have activities going on outside. We are going in and out of the office and checking emails. We make sure our camp counselors have everything that they need, getting supplies lists, and getting organized with everything we need. Since we did not have a camp at Camarillo this year, we had all their supplies and spent time unpacking and organizing their pods, so we have an easier transition next summer. We do lunch at 12:30, I am helping counselors and watching kids, disinfecting areas inside and out. At the end of the day, we transition to office time and we again work on drop-offs for parents.  

Is there a particular experience/memorable moment that stands out to you in your time here at YSC/CDI?  

This year, all of the staff are returning and have a familiarity with our campers and know what the summer camp module looks like day-to-day. Our camp counselors are so on top of what they are doing.

“They’re able to simultaneously be there with the kids, disinfect and socially distance all at the same time while keeping a positive attitude. They’re doing such a flawless job.”

One of our counselors set up an area outside where kids can do obstacle courses with their bikes and help them become more comfortable. One of them even helped one of the campers learn how to ride a bike and it was so awesome coaching them through it and being a positive influence. It is so rewarding we get to see them learn how to ride a bike and watch them grow up.  

Our staff is so amazing at what they do. One of my favorite things to do at the center is Science Time. We had a book fair, I brought 365 Days of Science Experiments. The kids loved it so much that they named it Charlie’s Science Book. It is their favorite time of the day, so whenever we do science, we bring out the book and follow the instructions. It is my favorite thing to do there. I love the experiment and seeing their faces full of wonder. It is their favorite thing to look at whenever they have open time.

“They always choose Charlie’s book instead of picture-based books and it makes me so proud that they gravitate to the educational book.”  

What does summer camp look like in the current climate of social distancing and Covid-19?  

Activities are more individualized and labeled so the campers know exactly where to look for them. We have two counselors, who work on transitional activities while the other works on prepping materials. We have trays and baskets with items and materials for activities that each camper will use for activities.  

We have a disinfecting section for counselors for children to utilize and a separate staff area where they keep masks and belongings.  

Some of our modified outdoor activities include pool noodle tag vs. traditional tag, a current camp favorite. They also built an obstacle course with chalk on the ground where they hop or zig-zag through. We try to think of activities that involve fewer materials to touch but is still very fun for all age groups so everyone can participate.   

At first, we were not sure what everything would entirely look like, so it was great having experience at Mound first to transition and know what we were looking for and going for. Coming up with creative has been challenging but in a good way. We were worried that the children might not like the activities because of the modifications, but to our pleasant surprise, they were happy and excited to be with us and even come up with their own ideas. Have open black top, bring bikes and scooters.   

What do you enjoy most about YSC and working here at CDI?   

I love the open opportunities at Young Set Club and coming up with ideas that don’t have to follow certain schedules like you would have at the center, which is great during the school year, but I love the flexibility of summer camp where we have different opportunities each day. We could be doing rocket science or making water balloons.  

Tell me something that you think makes our organization unique.  

I really appreciate the time to work on social-emotional development. At school, they are really focused on the materials and learning while in school. I really like to focus on other aspects of development as well, such as learning how to be friendly with your neighbor and introducing new children into the classroom. I love being able to witness the growth of the children throughout the year and seeing all the progress they have made from the beginning to the end of the school year. They might be nervous at the beginning of the year and by the end, they’re the first person to get up and dance or welcome someone new. 

“It’s amazing to witness the developmental milestones and seeing the why and how it happens.”