The mountains often attract those who either desire a hiatus from the commotion of city life or express interest in the outdoors. Hartland Winter Camp, offers both options for students.
Seniors Samantha Krikorian and Sean O?Neal volunteered to supervise recreation at the camp, located in Badger, CA, for three weekends: Feb. 8-10 for 4th-6th grades; Feb. 15-18 for junior high; and Feb. 22-24 for high school.
?I agreed to work as a recreation?s assistant because I love kids,? Krikorian said. ?I?m comfortable being in front of a lot of people. I thought it would be a lot of fun and wanted to try something different.?
Tom McEntee, drama teacher and recreational director for the camp, nominated Krikorian and O?Neal for the positions based on their work ethic.
?The recreation team is a hard job to get,? McEntee said. ?This year there were more openings, giving Sean and Sammie a better chance to be hired.?
Although O?Neal has worked at numerous camps in the past, the experience is new for Krikorian.
?I wasn?t sure what to expect because I have never been to any camps except when I went with the school,? Krikorian said. ?I loved getting to know the kids even in the short days we were together. The hardest part, however, was trying to get them to be involved.?
Though the camps last only three days in contrast to the weeklong camps offered in the summer, the experience impacted Krikorian.
?It opened my eyes to taking what I do here at school to somewhere I?m not involved in,? Krikorian said. ?The change of environment showed me how great God?s creation is even though I am not a mountain person.?
O?Neal, who enjoys mountainous terrain, attended numerous Christian camps with his church before accepting the job. He credits his motivation to supervise recreation from past experiences and memories developed at camp.
?Camp gives kids memories they hold onto forever,? O?Neal said. ?I still recall my first water balloon battle and the rush I felt that hot summer day. However, Christian camps give much more important memories. These memories do not simply stay with a person; they change their lives forever.?
O?Neal believes the camp’s purpose is to help kids grow spiritually through creating memories of salvation, baptism and healing.
?If we only help the kids have a good time and they go home without seeing Christ?s love in some way, we have failed as an organization,? O?Neal said. ?I love to see campers smile with joy, but I love the spiritual aspect of Hartland the most.?
Opening weekend, the speaker, Chip Henderson, preached about God?s agape (selfless) love.
?After the service, Sam and I found out that 23 kids received Christ as their savior,? O?Neal said. ?At that moment nothing else mattered to me.?
Both Krikorian and O’Neal highlighted the spiritual aspects of the weekends and both plan to work for Hartland in the future.
?I definitely want to work there again,? Krikorian said. ?I would love to be a recreational assistant over the summer for seven weeks.?
