“Helping her try something new made me feel proud.”
That’s how Shane describes his experience helping a camper who had never been on a bicycle before give it a try.
After 10 years of being a camper himself, last summer, at age 18, Shane worked at Pine Tree Camp as part of camp’s first ever Leadership in Training Program.
“Shane has a natural leadership ability that Pine Tree Camp’s Leadership in Training Program enhanced,” said his mother, Kristine. “He just turned 18 and is coming into his own and at a point when he’s transitioning in life. They were very supportive of his growth and the job just clicked with him. The program team saw his strengths and placed him in roles he was really good at. They wanted him to succeed.”
Shane could see his own personal growth as well.
“Leading these activities allowed me to build extra confidence in my leadership abilities and made me feel safer trying to lead in new situations,” he said.
He has so many childhood memories at Pine Tree Camp and, last summer, through his job, he helped others make memories as well.
“It’s the best first job ever! You get to meet so many different people, and you learn a lot about different ways to communicate,” he said. “I definitely want to come back and do it again next year.”