Category: Staff Corner

I had the pleasure of interviewing Isabella Scarpelli recently about her journey to pursue flight school at Southern Illinois University where she is currently in her second year. Isabella spent 6 years as a Woodland camper/CIT and has been on staff for 2 years so far (we hope she is able to come back for many more!). Isabella is extremely versatile when it comes to teaching activities and this summer was found helping out at Farm Zoo or the barn and assisting in swimming or canoeing. The activity she is most known for; however, happens at the Rec Hall every 4th hour. Isabella is a superstar when it comes to rewriting and directing plays for each 2-week session! The final show, “Clue” was a true testimony to her amazing talents (along with co-director, Lizzy Germann).

I invite you to jump into the interview with me:

The Spark to Soar: what drew Isabella to aviation 

As many high school students often find, there are moments of freaking out during junior year because it is hard to land on the one thing you are interested in enough to want to spend the next 4 years studying/doing that thing. Isabella went down a list of possibilities, thought about it a lot, and was intrigued by aviation as a potential career.

She did some research and felt that she could be successful in that environment and decided to give it a try. Isabella likes to be in motion whether in a car, plane, or boat, and has never been afraid of flying (a definite plus!). She was pretty set on that path once she made up her mind that was what she wanted to do (not to say that she didn’t have her moments of doubt before actually landing at SIU). 

Isabella also shared that she still has her moments of uncertainty, and she is able to ground herself knowing that she is surrounded by others in the same boat (or plane!) and is able to get perspectives and support from fellow students and instructors. Isabella is actually pursuing TWO degrees – one in flying and the other in aviation management.

Isabella finds herself taking classes such as Current Aviation Management Practices (what’s happening in the industry right now), Aviation Writing and Communication (writing about industry trends), and Aviation Weather (always good to know visibility, wind speed and direction, and other details that can affect your flight). She completed the stage check for her first flight course and has started on the next one. Isabella is currently halfway finished with the requirements needed to get her Private Pilots License.

From Camp to Cockpit: skills that are coming in handy in flight school

The biggest skill for Isabella is focus. She offered that it comes natural to her as she gets very locked in and focused once she is in flight mode. When she steps onto the airfield, Isabella can’t think about anything else. She is 100% “all in.” Once on the ground, it always strikes Isabella how focused she was leading up to and throughout the flight.

Because Isabella values being places on time and timeliness, this helps her wade through the long list of things she needs to get done on a daily basis. She recognizes this as part of the importance of being professional whether at camp, in the classroom, or cockpit. 

Being flexible is another skill that serves Isabella well. As a camper and counselor, Isabella is very used to how things out of your control (the weather!) can change up the daily schedule and routine. It is no different with her schedule and instructor, there are always unexpected turns and twists with how they meet up and how things get done. 

On top of focus, timeliness, and flexibility, Isabella has a strong work ethic. She spent 2 months at camp, transitioned to school at the bottom tip of Illinois in 10 days, began a full load of classes, and started a part-time job working at Starbucks.

Calm in the Clouds: flying can be so unpredictable and remaining calm under pressure is extremely important! 

There are definitely times that it gets stressful while in the air. Isabella shared that she got lost once or twice while in the practice area and didn’t know where she was to get back. It is easy to get disoriented, so in that situation, the first step is to admit to the instructor that she was lost. Easier said than done; however, the sooner that happens, the quicker things get figured out and she was back on her way to reorienting and knowing where she was. 

Other stressful situations while in the clouds is choosing the right point on land to do a maneuver off and choosing a field to make an emergency landing. This is where Isabella calls on her focus to stay calm and not get rattled or distracted.

Teamwork That Travels: both camp and aviation require strong teamwork and communication 

While Isabella has flown solo, the majority of her time in the air is spent with an instructor. She has made the comparison that communicating with her instructor in a lot of ways is like communicating with her co-counselor at camp. In order to make things happen such as takeoff, change course, or land, it is imperative to have seamless communication with the person sharing the cockpit with you. At camp, in order to take the best care of your campers or to teach an activity with another staff member, communication and collaboration are key.

Advice to Future Dreamers: wisdom from Isabella’s journey to pass along

Isabella believes that listening to and knowing and being honest with yourself is where it starts. When she began exploring options and aviation as a possible path, she would ask herself if it was realistic that she was going to succeed or not. Isabella also encourages trying out a lot of different things as she is currently doing to see what else you might like. She went to boat club mainly for sailing and she finds herself gravitating towards activities involving nature (both are missed from her days at camp!). As mentioned previously, Isabella likes to drive, and she is currently working on getting a boating license.

Isabella also recognizes that being with different groups of people helps you branch out into areas that you might not normally try. She is considering joining a shooting club that offers a variety of experiences other than the rifles she became accustomed to at Woodland. Isabella is also becoming more involved in things around aviation such as women in aviation and rush for an aviation business fraternity.

From Camp to Career: come join us! If you are or know an emerging leader who is wanting to explore personal and professional skill development, we invite you to let us know HERE (first time staff members) or RETURN staff (have been on staff at least one previous summer).

Seeing all the action at camp, all the happy, busy kids here, it’s easy to forget that there are about 35 people on the Woodland staff at any one time. There are many people working to make camp possible. There are the cabin counselors, the special people who live in the cabins with the campers, eat their meals with the campers, spend most of their day relating to them. These are the folks who most directly help set the tone at camp. They’re kind, silly, and enthusiastic. Some have been campers themselves when they were younger, and now have returned to Woodland to get their “camp fix” and have their turn at making an impact on the leaders of tomorrow. We have a good number of staff who came from far away like Mexico, Spain, and even Ireland to spend their summer at camp. And others are friends/family of people somehow related to Woodland and its history.

Cabin counselors are also very special activity instructors during the day. They are assigned to one or more activities where they guide, lead and instruct the campers as they progress in a given area. You can imagine this means the cabin counselors have a wide range of skills, talents, and versatility. We have a good sized group who became re/certified as lifeguards before pre-camp officially started. Some staff are land sports enthusiasts— tennis (Dani D, Sofia G, Lucia, Adri, Irene, Xime), gymnastics (Sofia M, Adri), riding (Kelly, Tess, Cuau, Sofia L, Isabella, Lou), archery (Lou, Miranda) or riflery (Irene, Molly), for example.

Others have real talent directing drama (Isabella, Lizzy) or dance (Sofia M), developing cool art (Estefi, Lizzy, Dani D, Miranda, Sofia G, Nat) or nature projects (Sofia L). Others teach the Zoo classes (Sophia, Isabella) and care for the animals there while others work with campers to learn to swim/ski (Jackie, Isa, Molly, Maria T, Lucia, Delia, Dani G), sail (Izzi, Xime, Adri, Tess, Delia, Dani G), canoe (Lizzy, Isabella) or enjoy some fishing on Sand Lake (Lou, Nat, Isa, Delia). Every activity at camp has counselors directly involved at every turn!

Another area of staffing is our very special activity directors. These leaders have special knowledge or skills pertaining to an activity, and therefore can be in charge of the program and the staff teaching in that area. Each instructional activity has at least one person in this role. The riding director (Kelly) not only teaches mounted riding lessons but is also in charge of caring for our 12 horses. Other directors include a Program Director (Calla) who schedules all campers and staff for daily and evening activities, our CIT directors (Xime and Izzi) who run the leadership training program for the oldest campers, and a canoe trip director (Estefi) who takes each cabin group on an overnight experience. Our Camper Care Coordinator (Jackie) is closely involved with the campers and staff of each age group to ensure a successful cabin experience.

The other areas of staffing are equally critical for camp to operate and have more very special people. These are maintenance staff (Chet and Kevin), van drivers, motor boat operators, photographers and videographers, and office staff (both on-site and remote: Lee, Mayte, Natalie, Kim). We should also recognize Nicole who can be found in our Health Center caring for and keeping us well physically and mentally, Maria H who is caring for our day campers, and last but certainly not least, the kitchen team (Chef Brittnie, Chef Kristen, Paty, Incy, Karla, and Merari) that keeps us well fed with delicious meals and snacks.

Together, along with JoAnne and the Jordan family, all of these people help keep camp going on a day to day basis. They help us stay healthy, active, and engaged with everything camp life presents. It’s a great group of dedicated people who love camp, enjoy being with kids and making each moment of each day special in some way. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again; it’s the people that make Camp Woodland!

p.s. It’s never too early to start talking to those folks in your network (family, friends, neighbors, church community, co-workers, etc.) with college-age connections about the exciting opportunities a summer at camp provides (not to mention camp is a GREAT first job)!

Seeing all of the action at camp, all the happy kids here, it’s easy to forget that there are about 30-35 people on the Woodland staff at any one time. There are MANY people working to make camp possible. While July 12 has been officially named as #CampCounselor Day by the American Camp Association, we appreciate our staff EVERY day!

There are the cabin counselors: the college-age gals who live in the cabins with the campers, eat meals with the campers, and spend most of their day relating to them. These are the ones who most directly help set the tone at camp. They’re kind, silly, and enthusiastic. Many have been campers themselves when they were younger, and now have returned to Woodland to get their “camp fix” and have their turn at making an impact on the leaders of tomorrow. A few have recently come from abroad to spend their summer at camp. And others are friends of people somehow related to Woodland and its history. Regardless, they all work out their schedule and somehow manage to drop what they are doing during the school year to be in Northern Wisconsin for close to 8 weeks.

Cabin counselors are also activity instructors during the day. They are assigned to one or more activities where they guide, lead and instruct the campers as they do something. You can imagine this means the cabin counselors have a wide range of skills and talents. One might be certified to teach archery, and another to be a lifeguard. Some are landsports enthusiasts— tennis, gymnastics, riding or riflery, for example. Others have real talent directing drama or dance, developing cool art projects, or tying complex friendship bracelet patterns. Some teach the Zoo classes while others work with campers to learn to swim, sail or canoe. Every activity at camp has counselors directly involved at every turn.

Another area of staffing is our activity directors. These leaders have special knowledge or skills pertaining to an activity, and therefore can be in charge. Each instructional activity has at least one person in this role. The riding directors not only teach mounted riding lessons but also care for our 12 horses daily. Other directors include a Program Director who schedules all campers and staff for daily and evening activities, our CIT directors who run the leadership training program for the oldest campers, and a canoe trip director who takes each cabin group on an overnight experience. We also have adult leadership who are closely involved with the campers and staff of each age group.

The other areas of staffing are equally critical for camp to operate. These are the maintenance staff, van drivers, motor boat operators, photographers and videographers, and office staff (both on-site and remote). We should also recognize the fantastic team that can be found in our Health Center caring for and keeping us well physically and mentally, and perhaps most importantly, the kitchen crew that keeps us well fed with a-mazing meals and snacks.

Together, along with JoAnne and the Jordan family, all of these people help keep camp going. They help us stay healthy, active, and engaged with everything camp life presents. It’s a great group of dedicated people who love camp, enjoy being with kids and seeing them have fun. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again; it’s the people that make Camp Woodland!

p.s. It’s never too early to start talking to those folks in your network (family, friends, neighbors, church community, co-workers, etc.) with college-age connections about the exciting opportunities a summer at camp provides!

There’s no doubt that working as a Woodland counselor is the most purposeful, fun, and growth-filled way to spend your summer (but don’t just take it from us!). We recently spent time having a Zoom conversation with the 2023 first year staff members who graduated from our CIT program as we wanted to hear directly from them about their experience being a counselor for the very first time.

We took a deep dive into the transition that occurs each summer for a group of girls who are typically longtime and extremely loyal campers. This group of 6 was no exception! They all started camp in 2014 (around the age of 9-10 yrs old) and spent 8 consecutive summers as a camper/CIT and 1 year on staff 2023. For those of you who are already doing the math in your head, you probably came to the conclusion that this entire group will be celebrating their 10th summer in the Northwoods on Sand Lake, and you would be absolutely correct. JoAnne, please make sure we have restocked our Woodland 10 yr blanket supply!

Please join us in our engaging and enlightening conversation:

What is your first year of college like? What is a superpower you have because you went to/worked at camp?

• Monica: I live in a triple with two other girls, and one of the other girls was also a camp counselor. We talk about how being at camp teaches you how to live with other people outside of your family and how to respect boundaries and live with people in a new environment.
• Molly: It makes me more open minded to meeting other people and meeting new types of people. A lot of my friends from home are pretty similar, so meeting many different people at camp teaches me a great skill to apply at school or wherever I go.
• Tori: Teamwork is no stranger to me, including trusting other people to get things done. I also know how to communicate with other people and understand the delicate balance between taking the lead and knowing when to take a step back.

What made you decide to apply to work on staff after 8 summers as a camper?

• Molly: As a camper I realized that I was building up to something; not being a counselor would have left me feeling incomplete. It was the natural next step.
• Katherine: I want to teach in the future, so working at camp is good experience for a field like that.
• Monica: I always looked up to my counselors so much, and coming to camp as a staff member is a way I can give back to the wonderful role models I had growing up.

Describe your summer on staff in a ONE word:

• Katherine: NEW. I felt this way with CIT years too, each change at camp is different. Even with all of the things you are familiar with each summer, you are also thinking about different things and have a different mindset.
• Aubrie: CHALLENGING. I agree with Katherine’s word, “new”, and when things are new they are challenging. Experiencing things is how you figure out what to do, so it’s challenging to be in a new experience. And, there is no way to fully prepare.
• Molly: REWARDING. Building off the previous words of new and challenging, it also takes a little bit to get acclimated. The relationships with campers and co-counselors was so worth it and so rewarding.
• Isa: – ENERGETIC. For me this summer was filled with energy. I was always trying to be bright and uplifting for the campers. I used a lot of energy in everything I did. 

Being on staff is pretty different from being a camper! What advice do you have on the transition from camper to counselor?

• Monica: I was told that you won’t get to see your friends as much. I realized the main difference is going to camp for yourself as a camper and thinking about what camp can do for you. You will now think about what you can do to help camp.
• Tori: It is common to be nervous, but also important to be confident. If you act nervous, it creates a cycle going in that direction. Being confident makes it easier for campers to be on the right path and follow the expectations of group living. 
• Aubrie:  You will not only taking care of campers, but you will also be building a relationship and bonding with them. It easy to remember to just to take care of them and get them going to what is happening next. Without that  relationship; however, you would miss a lot of things. I found it is really important to do both.
• Katherine: – I remember the 1st day campers arrive that it was awkward and that this develops naturally over time. If a camper is really nervous at the start, it takes time for them to feel comfortable with you.
• Isa: Remember that you were also a camper and try to remember yourself at their age. It helped me with my new campers telling them that what they were feeling was totally normal and that I went through the same my first year. It also helped to remember what counselors where like when I was a certain age and what things I liked and what things I didn’t. It is like being the counselor that you needed at your age but for them. An example for me was at swimming lessons; I tried to make it fun because I remember what it was like being 9 and going into the cold lake to swim. 

Was there anything that surprised you about working on staff for the first time or anything you wish you knew about being a counselor but didn’t?

• Isa: It’s honestly going to be easier than you think. In my case, coming back as a counselor after so many years and after being a second year CIT was not as intimidating as I thought it would be. At the beginning, it’s funny that you’re the one in charge and it feels like you’re in the wrong place, but then you get used to it. Coming after being a CIT I thought that it wasn’t going to be more of a change but it’s also very tiring at times. You need to look after yourself and really take advantage of your time off to reset. 
• Monica: It is good to remember that each camper is unique in their own way with their development.
• Molly: Sometimes it is OK just to let campers do certain things. I found myself trying hard to keep campers from being close friends with another camper because I didn’t want other girls to feel left out. Then I realized that it is OK to have closer friends as long as you are not being exclusive to the other girls and that you also spend time with the whole cabin group. 

Jackie and I were super impressed with the maturity of this group and are excited to have them back on staff for 2024! They have a profound love for camp and truly want to create a special experience for their campers, both in the cabin and in activities. They have already identified things they will do differently this summer based on their experience this past summer. The fact that they are taking their growth opportunities from 2023 in order to make future improvements speaks volumes! Without question they will be good mentors for the group of counselors making the transition from being a camper to a first year staff member in just a few months. We know that Nat, Cuau, Isabella, Anna, Maya, and Tess will leave their own AMAZING footprint on the “Open New Doors in ’24” summer ahead and can’t wait to have them as counselors!