A big hello to all of the Senecans' who are reading this, as well as to the greater CSL community!
Well, the school year passed WAY faster than I had expected it to, and now here I am, just days before general staff orientation begins, writing what is my very first blog post as Seneca Unit Head! To say that I am excited is an understatement; I have been eagerly aspiring to be Seneca Unit Head since the first summer I left Seneca to be a Tusc camper in 2008. From that point on, I have never spent another summer away from the village that is so dear to my heart (besides 2013 when I worked as an Assistant Programming Director, but I still lived on the S-road, so that counts... right?).
Camp is an unusual place where, perhaps unlike high school, college or other places I have spent a significant amount of time at, we return down Camp Road and we just pick back up where we left things. It feels as though we were never apart! Ari mentioned in his post how it's hard to pinpoint when exactly camp begins and ends because we are all, to some extent, thinking and working towards the next summer when we will be reunited. Nevertheless, I'd like to briefly share with you some notable events from my last several months. Exactly three weeks ago, I returned to America after studying in Florence, Italy for the spring semester. While I had an incredible time traveling throughout Europe, learning a new language, and immersing myself in a new culture, I also learned quite a bit about myself and grew significantly from the experience. In fact, a lot of what I experienced over on "the boot" was similar to many of the life lessons I have picked up throughout my 12 summers at CSL. From pictures, it could appear as though I was on a four month "vacation", but it was not "easy" to live abroad - the adventure, the self discovery, the toughness. I was thankful for how my experience at CSL helped me to adapt to a new environment, and by the end of May, I felt a similar sentiment leaving Italy as to how I feel when I leave camp at the end of each summer. Granted, these are very different places, but I found a similar sense of calm and internal serenity in Italy, away from the busy schedules at home and at school, that I find at Camp. In the fall, which will be here way too soon, I will be returning back to Ithaca, NY as a senior at Cornell University, where I will be working towards my bachelors degree in Human Development while simultaneously applying to graduate schools where I aspire to earn a masters degree in Education.
Seneca was a special time during my camper experience, and my job is to make sure that it continues to have a lasting impact on the girls who are currently campers. In Seneca, we are at a time in our lives where there is opportunity for exponential growth. It is where we learn how we can harness our strengths and embrace our weaknesses to be the best possible versions of ourselves. In Seneca, we bond together as a united entity, yet focus inward on our own self development in order to be the leaders, the friends and the individuals we strive to be. We have an AMAZING staff this summer, many of whom were my own campers when I was a new counselor in Seneca. I cannot wait to see the work they do this summer with all of you.
Somehow, the days keep speeding up and before I know it, you will all be unpacking your trunks in one of our six cabins, cheering "TIME FOR A SENECA SPIRIT CHEER" in the dining hall, and hanging out by the fire pit or around the big wooden tables in the middle of the village. I have butterflies in my stomach, awaiting the moment you all finally arrive to camp, and I am to honored to have the privilege of being your Unit Head this summer.
Get ready for an amazing summer!
Sarah Kaufman
