Tuesday, July 30, 2019

An Ode to the CHV Dream Team (no Ode inside)



The CHV Dream Team (minus a few)
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, kids from ages nine to ninety-nine; allow me to introduce the CHV Dream Team. It’s the end of session one here at Camp Harbor View and I feel like giving some shout outs to my team (insert clapping emojis generously). Seriously, I feel extremely lucky to be working alongside such an incredible staff. Save the Harbor has provided me an incredible experience in a new field of work and 75% of that is due to my team. We are like a well-oiled fishing machine! Though some may call that a fishing boat…Anyways, I’ve just been so proud to work with this team. My position as a Senior Harbor Educator requires me to have the responsibility of each LHE and JPA at my site. As much as I have been a leader in many extracurricular activities, I have rarely gotten the opportunity to be a leader in a more professional sense. To be honest, I was quite nervous and doubted myself at first. Being able to work with a young, hard-working staff who was all on the same page really helped give me confidence in my leadership due to a more homogeneous mindset.


A Healthy Skate feat. Solomon & Micheal, CHV Campers
I especially want to highlight some important moments that happened this week, with respect to my interactions with the campers of Camp Harbor View. One of the most memorable occurred when I met a young girl pseudo-named Harley. My team and I decided to have a bit more focus on teaching about invasive species by having the kids go tide pooling on the beach. While climbing down the rocks towards the shore, a particular girl, Harley, seemed extremely nervous and unwilling to move towards the water. I had to grab a bucket on another part of the island, so I offered to take Harley to a less steep part of the beach so she could make her way down. As we walked, I chatted with her about the usual; what do you like to do, what’s your favorite part of school, etc. I commented on her artwork she was carrying, as she said Art was her favorite class. As we approached the water, it became clear Harley did not want to go on the beach because she was scared of the water. She became extremely anxious, so I quickly walked her to a table, and we sat down. She began to feel homesick and even shed a few tears. I ended up just talking a lot about my experiences with homesickness, revealing to her that I, a (somewhat) mature 21 year-old, still got homesick from time to time. This seemed to help cheer her up and I decided to have her keep me company as I fetched our bucket. We talked and giggled the whole journey and when we walked back and it was time for her group to lead, she introduced me as her new friend and gave me a hug. I felt so touched by how I went from stranger to friend in this girl’s eyes in all but twenty minutes, and it has honestly been one of the most rewarding feelings I have gotten from working for Save the Harbor. 


Your good pal, your best friend, your first mate,
Xavier

No comments: