Six students volunteered to be cabin leaders for a fifth and sixth-grade Outdoor Education trip the week of Oct. 15 to Oct. 21. After a week of leading San Mateo County students in environmental activities at the San Francisco YMCA (Young Men’s Christian Association) Camp Jones Gulch, an experience available to students multiple times each year, cabin leaders came back with not only an unforgettable experience but improved leadership and communication skills. 

“I really needed to work on my leadership skills. I think I really improved in that area,” sophomore Justin Wan said. 

Cabin leaders were tasked with managing a cabin of over 10 kids, all of which they were expected to supervise for 23 hours a day. They were responsible for doing things like making sure the students were on time for activities and taking them to meals throughout the day. Despite the difficult and tiring hours, leaders felt that being a role model for their kids helped them make the most out of the experience for themselves. 

“Taking part in the songs, the skits and the cabin activities overall enhances your experience as a cabin leader,” sophomore Ally Morris said. “When the kids are looking up to you, you want to be brave for them, have a good time, and set a good example, so that they can have a good time.”

Fully immersing himself in the camp experience as a cabin leader also helped sophomore Justin Wan come out of his shell not— only at camp, but back at home. 

“I’m generally a more quiet student. Believe it or not, I actually have social anxiety. But I went anyway. And I think that really just changed my whole life. It kind of I guess you could go with the metaphor ‘a turtle with the head out of its shell, right?’ But that type of thing, it really improved my leadership skills. It really just opened my eyes, the whole thing was, sometimes you got to embarrass yourself a little, sometimes you have to take risks,“ Wan said. 

While challenging to miss a week of school, Morris still recommends the experience to all who are interested. 

“I would say definitely do it. Because when you think about it looking back on it later, you’re not going to remember that one week of school you missed. You’re gonna remember the amazing time you had at Outdoor Education. I feel like it’s such a big experience in my life now, and missing going to school totally isn’t a big deal,” Morris said. 

Career Coordinator and Service Liaison Carrie Hermann, who facilitates the connection between Burlingame students and the camp, recognizes that alongside volunteer hours, the experience has so much to offer for high school students who decide to take part in the opportunity. 

“I always encourage our high school students to participate in something like this, because it’s such a great experience for them to really help guide students,” Hermann said.  “And by doing that, they are just becoming better leaders and improving their communication skills. And just by doing that and recognizing, ‘I have to kind of be on my best behavior,’ because there are these other students that are looking to me is great on both ends. So the older students are like, ‘I’m going to be at my best because I’m a role model.’ And then the younger students, just by being around that are really kind of learning.”