Rockbrook has an amazing group of people working as cabin counselors, instructors and support staff. Working at summer camp means serving as mentors for the children at Rockbrook, learning and growing, and having a great time.
The secret to being a great camp counselor is truly enjoying the company of the campers, getting to know them and ultimately caring for them as true friends
If you’ve been reading our posts over the years, you know that we believe summer camp is more than just fun. It’s certainly filled with laughter, smiles and exciting activities, but it’s also formative, truly educational in important ways.
For everyone at camp, life here teaches you things, really foundational things that stay with you long after you leave camp. The culture of Rockbrook, guided by its philosophy and values, drives this learning, creating the perfect context to explore, discover and grow… and along the way, to form incredibly meaningful friendships.
One place where this is especially clear is during the ceremonial campfire that closes each session, our “Spirit Fire.” This is a time when we sing traditional songs and listen to campers and staff members reflect a little on their time at camp. With the whole camp gathered, we hear about making best friends, being your true self, feeling “at home” here at Rockbrook, and also deep gratitude for the experience.
Here’s a great example.
This past summer, Liz Lydon, a longtime camper and now staff member, shared her thoughts on what Rockbrook means to her. Liz does a wonderful job describing how her Rockbrook experience has shaped her over the years. She writes:
Seven years ago I came to Rockbrook for the first time filled with excitement. Excitement for all of the fun activities, crafts, and trips that I would get to do here. Little did I know that I was coming to a place much more valuable than what the website could ever display. Little did I know, just how much I would fall in love with this wooded mountain, and how special it would be in my heart. Special enough for me to return time and time again, and even now, to return for the first time as a counselor.
There’s something in the air at camp that makes you feel so valued as a person and sparks a lot of personal growth. I give much credit to Rockbrook for shaping me into the woman I am today.
Here at camp we all learn so many valuable lessons whether we realize it or not. So I ask all of you to reflect on three lessons that I’ve learned through my years at camp.
How to Live Free of Fear and Judgment
The first thing I learned at camp is how to live life free of fear and judgment. To make mistakes and grow from them rather than feel embarrassed. Ultimately, life is too short not to jump in the lake, or go down that rapid, or even just hop in the middle of a banquet dance circle. Rockbrook was my first safe space, and after years of revisiting camp and growing in confidence, Rockbrook taught me how to make a safe space within myself. It is so important for every one of you to understand that you are valued and loved and respected. Bring the confidence that you’ve learned while here at camp into the rest of life.
How to Be a Good Person
The second lesson I learned is that it feels good to be a good person. As you get older every year at camp, you pay closer attention to the songs, the prayers, and the history; and decide what it all means to you. They all teach lessons that we may forget while distracted by the real world and by social media. Rockbrook has maintained a culture at camp that encourages everyone to be the best human that they possibly can be.
Here, we remember the true value of being kind and having compassion. We know that it is much healthier to acknowledge the positivity in an individual rather than focus on what you might not like about them. We understand that every single person that you come into contact with can offer something valuable in your life.
How to be Myself
The third thing I’ve learned from Rockbrook, is how to learn about myself. It’s here at camp that you have the time to look inward and reflect on who you are. How would you define yourself based off of your actions, emotions, and your perspective on life. Are you proud of who you’ve become? And most importantly, think about who you would like to be. Identify that person and actively work towards it. I know that for me, the best person to be is, in fact, a Rockbrook camper.
I learned through the years that a Rockbrook camper is kind and creative. They are never afraid to get a little dirty and have a little fun. They’re the first to lend a helping hand and the last to run away from a challenge. It’s the little things that everyone does while here at camp that make Rockbrook so special. I’m so thankful that I found Rockbrook and I couldn’t imagine how my life would be without it.
At camp, you can’t help but learn these sorts of things. The environment, the support, the encouragement, the other people reflecting these same values, and yes the fun of it all —everything contributes to making camp life this rich and meaningful. It’s a wonder to witness and for everyone, a joy to experience.
Looking back on twelve years at Rockbrook Camp, I am lucky enough to have experienced Rockbrook as a camper, counselor, and now assistant director. I’m filled with a sweet sense of pride and joy when I see junior campers excitedly finding minnows in the creek, middlers walking (with purpose) to muffin break, and senior campers strategizing how to get tortellini refills as quickly as possible. I love watching counselors sing with their campers, lead dance breaks during meals, and teach new skills during activities. Nothing brings me more joy than watching counselors welcome campers into the Rockbrook community.
As I watch campers and counselors navigate their summer at Rockbrook, I am constantly reminded of what I have gained because of camp.
A Community That Fosters Growth
Speaking to an excited Hi-Up counselor looking forward to cabin day, I was reminded today of how appreciative I am that Rockbrook is a community that fosters independence, confidence, and growth. From the youngest campers to our CAs, these skills and qualities are ingrained into life at Rockbrook. Campers are encouraged to choose their own activities, and every activity is open to every age group. Even though some activities have unfamiliar names— Hodge Podge, Curosty, and Folklore, to name a few —campers quickly learn that stepping out of their comfort zones is an experience that is celebrated at Rockbrook.
It’s not an unfamiliar sight to see a camper’s activity card filled with a variety of activities like horseback-riding, tie-dying, jewelry-making, and rock-climbing. More often than not, campers try to take all these activities in the same day! Of course, there are also plenty of opportunities outside of activities in which campers can experience something they’ve never done before. The junior overnight is a great first camping experience for our youngest campers, in which the junior cabins spend the night camping at the Rockbrook Junior Outpost. The Junior Outpost is a pair of roofed platforms tucked away on the Rockbrook property, in which juniors make s’mores, learn new songs, and fall asleep under a blanket of stars. The Middlers and Seniors are offered incredibly exciting opportunities to whitewater raft, kayak, hike, and climb on real rock.
Challenge by Choice
One of my favorite trips as a camper was when I got to climb at Castle Rock, the beautiful rock face that overlooks camp. You can climb to the top, shout out your success, and hear campers cheering for you on the hill far below! While all these amazing opportunities are being offered, the motto for encouraging campers is “challenge by choice.” These activities are brand-new to many campers, and the Rockbrook community encourages campers to take on new experiences with gusto.
As a former Rockbrook camper, I have benefitted time and time again from these opportunities for growth. I am constantly rewarded for my curiosity and independence, which encourages me to “choose more challenges”- and at Rockbrook, I always come out the other side stronger for it. Life is full of moments outside of my comfort zone, and I’m thankful for the experiences at Rockbrook that taught me the value of resilience, dedication, and hard work.
After over a decade at camp, I attribute a lot of my self-confidence and positive self-image to the unbelievably encouraging and supportive community at Rockbrook. No day at Rockbrook goes by without celebrating campers who are gaining new and wonderful experiences at camp. Whether it’s soaring to new heights on the zip line, the first slide down the waterslide, or trying a different cereal for breakfast, each and every person taking a step out of their comfort zone is met with cheers, applause, and even spontaneous song.
Rockbrook has taught me many wonderful lessons that have remained with me into my adult life, and I’m lucky to have learned the confidence to keep choosing challenges and work to succeed at something new.
Seeing all the action at camp, all the happy busy kids here, it’s easy to forget that there are almost 100 people on the Rockbrook staff at any one time. There are many people working to make camp possible. There are the cabin counselors, the young women 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. Most have been campers themselves when they were younger, and now have returned to Rockbrook to get their “camp fix” and benefit from the experience. Some have come from abroad to spend their summer at camp. And others are friends of people somehow related to Rockbrook and its history.
Counselors as Activity Instructors
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 know their sports— tennis, volleyball, soccer, and gymnastics for example. Others have real talent painting and drawing, directing musical theater, or tying complex friendship bracelet patterns. Someone teaches the yoga classes while another belays girls as they climb Castle Rock. Every activity at camp has counselors directly involved at every turn.
Activity Specialists
Another area of staffing is our “activity specialists.” These are folks who do not live in a cabin with campers, but have special knowledge or skills pertaining to an activity, and therefore can be in charge. This summer we have specialists for ceramics, weaving, gymnastics, and candle/soap making. This also includes our adventure staff. These are certified instructors in whitewater kayaking and rafting, canoeing, rock climbing, backpacking, and ziplining. The best example of this is our riding staff. All 10 of these folks work to care for and train our 32 horses and also teach the mounted riding lessons all week.
Support Staff Keep Camp Running
The other areas of staffing are equally critical for camp to operate. These are the maintenance staff, bus drivers, photographers and videographers, the kitchen staff, and housekeeping staff. We should also recognize the fantastic team of nurses that staff our Health Hut, and perhaps most importantly, the kitchen crew that keeps us well fed with meals and homemade snacks (muffins!).
Together, along with the directors, 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. We’ve said it before; it’s the people that make Rockbrook.
Sliding Rock Trip
After dinner tonight we loaded all of our buses, gathered 6 lifeguards and their gear, and took a trip to Sliding Rock. We took all of the mini session Middlers and Seniors and a few full session girls to fill the trip— 90 people in all. It’s quite a sight to see our 6 white buses and vans in a convoy driving into the Pisgah National Forest.
Looking at this photo you might think the experience of sliding down 60-feet of sloping rock and splashing into the pool at the bottom is painful. Or perhaps these girls are screaming because they’re terrified. Actually, their reaction is typical at Sliding Rock; it’s an uncontrollable scream of delight that erupts after feeling the cold water, accelerating down the rock, and anticipating the imminent plunge. Even over the roar for the falling water, these screams are plenty loud enough to be heard. Slide after slide the girls screamed and laughed, shivered a little bit from the cold water and evening air, but had a complete blast.
No Sliding Rock trip is complete without a stop at Dolly’s Dairy bar located at the entrance to the Forest. It’s become a camp tradition for everyone to take at least one trip there during their camp session. Tonight was these girls’ night. Everyone chose their favorite flavor and enjoyed a sweet treat as it was growing dark.
Back at camp, it was time for bed after this big fun evening out. So much singing in the bus, screaming and shivering at Sliding Rock, and goofing around at Dolly’s will wear a girl out! But that’s a good thing!
We’d like to introduce you to Mimi Dunn and Sofie Ehlinger Lawrence, our two new year-round directors at Rockbrook! While both are stepping into new roles at camp, Mimi and Sofie have already spent many years as part of the Rockbrook Camp community. They both know the benefits of being a camp counselor, have worked with children outside the camp setting, and have now returned to Rockbrook.
Mimi Dunn, Staff Director
Mimi is now the Staff Director at Rockbrook. She returns to camp after spending 4 years teaching middle school social studies, most recently in Colorado. Mimi grew up in Charleston, WV, received her undergraduate degree from Rhodes College, and her Masters in Education from Northwestern University near Chicago. Mimi has worked as Rockbrook’s Staff Coordinator, a Hi-Up counselor, and Senior Line Head. If you’ve been following the Rockbrook blog, you may recall some of her previous posts. Mimi will be recruiting and hiring cabin counselors and activity instructors, designing and leading staff training sessions, and assisting staff members during the summer. Look forward to meeting her this summer and enjoying her fun sense of humor. Pun alert!
Sofie Ehlinger Lawrence, Wellness Director
Sofie is the new Wellness Director at Rockbrook. Rockbrook has created this new director position to provide greater support for the social, emotional and mental health needs of its campers and summer staff. Following the struggles many young people have endured during the pandemic, and given our philosophy of creating a caring and supportive community at Rockbrook, we recognize that everyone at camp would benefit from more attention to personal wellness. Life at camp is already a place of incredible well-being (great food, great sleep, tech-free outdoor play, warm friendly relationships, and a feeling of belonging —truly a haven from the outside world), but when we sometimes need a little extra care, Rockbrook will be ready. Sofie will lead our efforts to help campers, their parents, and staff members alike navigate potential personal wellness troubles we might face while at camp.
Sofie brings to this role her experience and insights gained from many years working at camp. She has been a cabin counselor, the head of the waterfront, and our former Staff Director. Sofie was a North Carolina Teaching Fellow while completing her Bachelor’s degree at UNC-Asheville, worked in the wellness community in Raleigh, NC, and is currently pursuing a Masters in clinical social work.
Welcome Back!
Everyone here at Rockbrook is excited to welcome both Mimi and Sofie back to camp. We’re certain you’ll enjoy getting to know them this summer! Meanwhile, give them a shout, and say hello!
Why be a junior counselor? This is a question I have heard many times, especially from counselors on other lines who are accustomed to living with Rockbrook’s older campers. I’ve considered the question many times through the summer.
Recently, one of my former campers from earlier in the summer wrote me a letter, updating me on her post-camp life and asking how the rest of my summer had gone. “Dear Ellie,” she wrote on the envelope, continuing the rest of her sweet notes inside. She wrote about how much she missed me, and asked me to say hello to some of the other counselors she had bonded with throughout her session. The love that this camper expressed for her counselors (many of which were not even in her cabin) is a true testament to how the Junior Line really becomes a family.
It Takes a Village
The phrase “it takes a village to raise a child” comes to mind often on the Junior Line where cabins up on the top of the hill go on exciting adventures together, support each other, and share in each other’s triumphs and joy. We clean cabins together, swim together, and laugh together.
Living with our youngest campers is truly, in my opinion, the most rewarding experience one can have at camp. Many of our Juniors are coming to camp for the first time ever. They’re embarking on a huge journey, and being part of that first step is an incredible privilege. Although I’m not a parent myself, I like to imagine that there’s a lot in common; I’m introducing my girls to my favorite place in the world and helping them turn Rockbrook into their home away from home.
Seeing Camp Through Fresh Eyes
Junior counselors experience Rockbrook like no other counselors. I’m constantly looking at Rockbrook through fresh eyes, sharing my campers’ new experiences and sharing their unbridled joy. I dance when we get to go to Dolly’s, scream with laughter when someone drops a meatball on the ground, and shed a happy, heartwarming tear when I watch my girls reunite with their parents at the end of the session.
So why be a junior counselor? Because the juniors love like no other campers do. They love their new cabin mates, their new adventures, and their counselors who help make it all happen. They especially love Felix, the camp dog. Being a junior counselor is full of ice cream, hair braiding, and watching groups of girls become sisters — I wouldn’t change it for the world.
Over 25 years ago I was a counselor, and this summer it feels as though I’ve come home to relive the magic of camp.
Long ago mornings at camp began with Rockbrook runners and I’m happy to say that opportunity has grown to have many campers running and walking a beautiful (and hilly) loop around camp. During free time campers and counselors may run or walk or a combination of both along the knobby hills and alongside the creek.
The Spirit Endures
Nowadays my mornings have varied: taking a hike to Castle Rock that can unveil a new perspective, enjoying peaceful moments to write and reflect, or having time to take a much needed shower. A recent morning I happily used the early quiet before the rising bell to read and type up journal entries from one hundred years ago. The women adventurers who led the inaugural summer of 1921 have the same spirit felt at Rockbrook today. The journal entries feel more exciting than finishing my book right now. I’m not sure what is more amazing and beautiful, the way they wrote so eloquently and efficiently or the open spirit of adventure and ‘can do’ attitude that were so clearly a part of Rockbrook days. Not the drizzling rain nor torrential pours would stop them from an outdoor adventure!
Slowing Down and Speeding Up
There was and still is a rushing around at camp that might start with the constant sounds of the water flowing in the creek or nearby waterfall, then it’s eager campers running to their next activity or maybe to a muffin break. This feeling of haste is a welcome one; a retreat from life outside of camp and brings me to those summers a quarter of a century ago. There are of course the moments that also slow down time, when I see campers focused and chatting while working on a project or hopping along the creek searching for crawfish and salamanders and playing along the lake edge scooping up tadpoles. Campers might also be relaxing reading, knitting, or sketching in a crazy creek. There are the familiar smiles and songs along with silly and savvy announcements and twilight dance parties or sunset on the hill.
Rockbrook’s pace, living outdoors, surrounded by new friends has been the anxiety reducing treatment I didn’t anticipate, but see in the smiles of campers each day. I have learned my camp mom role is to be present, and ready to help, but the counselors do all the real work of a camper’s ‘mom’. I remember the life of a counselor is the world of their campers. Setting the tone of friendship and fun. Not only do I hear words of wisdom from counselors (and campers too), shared during unexpected moments, but also the caring and thoughtful voices that are most often just the right thing to say.
I’m so grateful that the counselors along with HUPS, and CAs know the campers and carry forward the traditions of Rockbrook. I also appreciate that my daughters and I get to experience the spirit and be part of the history during this one hundredth year of summertime at Rockbrook Camp for Girls.
Today in the Dining Hall there was lots of moo-ing sounds during announcements. Campers and counselors alike joined in on the noise-making in eager anticipation of the reveal of this week’s Counselors of the Week, or COWs for short. Each week we recognize two counselors from each age group who have contributed in big ways to the camp community.
All of our staff are incredibly invested when it comes to creating camp magic, and it is a lot of fun to celebrate some specific victories amongst our staff once a week. Especially if that celebration sounds like moo-ing.
Camper Nominations
Campers have a chance to nominate their counselor for a COW award throughout their time at camp. The nomination form asks campers to tell us why their counselor deserves to be a COW, and we tend to get some very thoughtful responses:
“She has a solution to every problem and is always super kind. She never fails to make us laugh.”
“She is attentive to our needs and she knows when to joke around and when to be serious. My counselor helps us resolve conflicts in the cabin.”
“My counselor’s upbeat personality and awesome dance moves keep us going. She makes camp a truly wonderful experience. She has the amazing ability to both hype us up and calm us down as needed.”
“My counselor is so patient and nice!”
“She is funny and cool and always helps you when you need it.”
“My counselor holds us to a high standard because she wants us to be the best versions of ourselves. She recognizes our uniqueness and never talks down to us. She reads to us every night and she takes good care of us when we need help. We love her so much!”
What Counselors Do
Being a counselor at Rockbrook is a big job. Between teaching activities, planning special events, and serving up enthusiasm all day every day, our staff also make space for important one-on-one conversations with campers and reading a chapter to their cabin at lights out each night. Our counselors teach campers how to tie a friendship for their uniform tie, and they also teach campers how to bounce back after hurt feelings or a scraped knee. Rockbrook counselors cheer campers on as they make their own beds, climb to the top of the alpine tower, try a new food in the dining hall, sing a solo in the camp play, make a new friend, speak up for themselves in a cabin discussion, and try an activity they didn’t think they’d like.
Modeling Rockbrook Spirit
The most important part of the counselor job is serving as an example of what it means to have Rockbrook Spirit. We want our staff to exude kindness and enthusiasm, grit and determination, friendliness and inclusion, because we hope our campers will embody those characteristics, too. Our counselors model the ways they want to see our community thrive, and campers are right there watching and learning along the way. We know those campers are watching because they tell us on their COW nominations just how much they are learning from their counselors every day. But more than that, we see the strong bonds that form between counselors and their campers, a true reflection of the investment our staff members are excited to make in the Rockbrook experience overall.
So moo with me, won’t you? We’ve got lots to celebrate when it comes to these fantastic Rockbrook counselors!
Say hello to Casey Blair, Rockbrook’s new Program Director!
Everyone at Rockbrook is thrilled to announce that Casey Blair will begin serving as the full-time Program Director at camp. If you’ve attended camp recently, you already know Casey because over five years she has been a cabin counselor, Line Head, lifeguard, and most recently the Staff Coordinator. In addition to joining the team of directors, she now will be planning and organizing camp activities and summer events, managing the equipment and supplies for activities, and assisting special program staff members.
Casey was born and raised in Louisville Kentucky. She attended Centre College in Danville, KY, where she received a Bachelors of Art, majoring in studio art with an emphasis on ceramics. After that, she did an internship at the Speed Art Museum in Louisville, working with school groups. From there, she went to University of Louisville, where she received a Master’s in the Art of Teaching (MAT) degree, becoming certified to teach elementary school grades K-5. She did her student teaching at Farmer Elementary and worked with 1st and 4th graders.
Casey is very excited to work at camp year round. She is eager to start planning for next summer, and “getting to talk about camp everyday.” She explained, “the campers keep me coming back— getting to know them, seeing what they have learned at camp and watching how much they have grown throughout the school year is always fun.”
When asked what she loves about camp, she said, “It’s the people. I really love the kind of community that we cultivate here. It is open, welcoming, and encouraging. And of course, I love the North Carolina mountains.”
Hey there! My name is Emily Schmitt and this is my eighth summer at Rockbrook! Six of those years have been as a camper and I’m now in my second year on staff, this year being my first as a full counselor. Last year, I lived the CIT (counselor in training) life and was not sure what to expect this summer because I’d be filling a role completely new to me.
I’m on the Middler line, leading a group of girls either going into sixth or seventh grade— so a very transformative period in their lives to say the least. I started coming to camp at this age. I was about to start sixth grade and though I remember a lot about my camper years, details of my activities and the small minutia of camp life have faded from my memory. The main thing I remember clear as day are all the interactions I had with my counselors. They were my world when I was at camp. I was so obsessed that even after my second senior year I made one of my counselor’s names my computer password! Yeah, I was that obsessed.
Discovering My Impact
I was here for second session this summer and now that we’re officially in third session, which happens to be the session I attended as a camper, I’m getting daily confirmations of the impact that I’m making on my campers— something that surprises me every time it happens. Recently, we had Jugband, where the whole camp gathers together and we sing old camp songs, make silly jokes, put on our best southern accent, and use anything around us as an instrument. I took on the persona of ‘May,’ short for “Mayonnaise,” and soon after my campers started to copy me, and in the back of my mind I knew it was because they were following my lead.
I’m teaching tennis and riflery this session, and though I am experienced down on the riflery range, tennis is something I am less proficient in, although I’ve played casually before. This was rather daunting for me, but I knew if I was enthusiastic, then the girls would be too. So, when we were signing up for activities, I explained to my girls that I was doing something that made me slightly uncomfortable, but I was going to do it with all I had and encouraged them to follow suit. Many of my campers signed up for new activities like climbing and gymnastics, and I even got one of my girls to sign up for tennis! Another example was during our Animal Planet themed dinner, when I started singing along to the songs that were playing over the speaker. Soon my whole table chimed in, and we were all singing along to “The Circle of Life” from The Lion King.
The Small Moments Matter
It’s in the small ways that I know I’m making a difference in these girls lives, like when one of them will randomly give me a hug or they’ll call out my name as I’m walking down the hill, just to wave. Back when I was a camper, I didn’t know or realize that the small interactions I had with my counselors meant as much to them as it did to me. These girls are the reason I love this job and the reason I hope to come back for many more years to help create the magic of Rockbrook and make this place as special for my campers as it was for me when I was growing up.
