Camp O'Malley Staff Testimonials

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Matt Stowe

My name is Matt Stowe and I worked the summer of 2009 at Camp O’Malley. I attended Grand Valley State University before joining the Michigan Army National Guard. I am currently on deployment to Afghanistan so I have not graduated yet. I would highly recommend working at Camp O'Malley. I worked there one summer and it was honestly the best summer of my life. The counselors become your close knit family. The kids have a huge impact on you as well. The kids come from many backgrounds that have impacted their lives. As a counselor at Camp O'Malley one of the greatest things was to impact a young camper’s life positively and to create a bond with the campers. I will never forget the impact and bonds I was able to make and share with my campers. The campers help you grow as a person as well. Camp O'Malley was the best summer I have ever had and I would return in a second. I would recommend to anyone to take a summer and make a difference at Camp O'Malley.

Olivia Bush

Hello my name is Olivia Bush. While working at Camp O'Malley I was a student at Central Michigan University. I am now chasing my lifelong dream of becoming a cosmetologist at Douglas J Aveda Institute. I will graduate September of 2012!! I would HIGHLY recommend working at Camp O'Malley. I called Camp O'Malley home for the summer of 2010 and it was the most life changing experience I could have ever had. You walk up your first day of camp thinking you are going to make a big change in the kids lives, which you do, but what you don't realize is how much of an impact they have on you. I look at things differently, I smile when I don't want to and I love deeper. All because of the amazing children that impacted my life daily at camp for one summer. I have found who I truly am thanks to those kids. Children can see to the soul of a person and really show someone how to let loose and be themselves. I know I will forever remember those three months of my life, good and bad times. The memories I have continue to impact me daily and it's always my little reminder of something "beautiful" in the world.

Oja Clark

My name is Oja Clark and I worked at Camp O’Malley in 2010. That summer was the best in my personal opinion. I attended GRCC and that is how I heard about this opportunity. It was definitely a great place to work while having fun. For me this was not work at all. The impact Camp O’Malley had on me was the ability to care for others. No matter where the kids come from, their color, or age, caring has no requirements. This has helped me to be more open an accepting of others and others accepting of me. I have to say my favorite part of being on the camp staff, are the peers I had a chance to meet and I am blessed to know. That's the major part why I had so much fun and exciting times at Camp O’Malley, especially when you can call your boss a friend. A Camp O’Malley job is not a job, it is a very good excuse to have lots of fun with kids.

Ken Schreur

My name is Ken Schreur and I was a Camp Counselor/lifeguard at Camp O’Malley during the 2011 summer season. I will graduate from GVSU in 2013 with a Secondary Education degree in Social Studies and English and working as a Camp Counselor informed me that I had what it took to be a teacher. Being a Camp Counselor means putting the needs of the campers, and your co-workers above your own—whether that means time out of the cabin, special attention paid to campers, or taking care of something that wasn’t your responsibility—Camp Counselors learn to work for the benefit of others. Camp O’Malley got me certified to be a Lifeguard which means that this school year I now have two part-time lifeguarding jobs to help me pay my college tuition, it also gave me the lifeguarding experience to get a job at these two institutions. Personally, I love being a Camp Counselor and Lifeguard, I love playing Potato Round-Up, Capture the Flag, and doing swimming workshops with all the campers I had. The experience is amazing and for anyone who is thinking about going into social work, education, psychology, or any other field involving kids—this is a no-brainer to test yourself and get some valuable experience.

Cameron Groenewoud

Hello my name is Cameron Groenewoud. I worked at Camp O’Malley for two summers- 2008 and 2009- one just wasn't enough! I am currently student teaching, and will graduate from Grand Valley State University in August with my special education degree. I highly recommend you consider Camp O’Malley for your summer job, for the simple reason that it is much more than a job. It is an experience you will take with you for the rest of your life. It's been two years since I've worked there, and I still regularly recall the good times and life lessons I learned while working at camp. You will be challenged, you will be pushed past the point of patience, and, at some point in the summer, you will feel overwhelmed. But it's all worth it. In return you touch the lives of children, gain a family and learn exactly what you're made of. I couldn't be more proud to say I worked at Camp O’Malley, and I hope you consider joining the family and carrying on the legacy of fun and laughter for those kids most deserving.

Rachael Gonsior

Greetings! My name is Rachael Gonsior and I worked as a counselor at Camp O’Malley the summer of 2009. I graduated that year from Grand Valley State University and went on to secure several long-term substitute positions in Grand Rapids before landing my current job as a 7th/8th grade science teacher in Holland, MI. Working at Camp O’Malley taught me a lot of life lessons. 1. Kids are kids, no matter their background, age, race, religion…they want to feel safe, cared for, and have fun. 2. Challenging situations will build your character….being at camp wasn’t always easy, but it taught me a lot about myself and helped me problem solve through situations in a supportive environment that I have been able to apply to future endeavors. 3. You make a difference in those kids’ lives and have a blast with a lot of other crazy, fun, energetic people in the process. Camp counselors are some of the most giving individuals I’ve ever met, and spending an entire summer with that staff was very rewarding. My favorite part about being on staff was being able to take on various leadership roles. Whether it was leading a talent show, camp fire song, or teaching a team building game, I really built a lot of great communication skills and felt more confident about my ability to talk in front of large groups of people by the end. Many of the skills I learned at Camp O’Malley have followed me to my current teaching job, with being able to plan fun events for our students, as well as get along with a variety of people. I give Camp O’Malley a 5 out of 5 star rating!

Marie

My name is Marie, and I worked at Camp O’Malley the summer of 2010 and 2011. It was such an amazing experience, one that I would recommend to anyone. Working at camp taught me so much about myself and helped me choose what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I recently graduated from Grand Valley State University with my undergraduate degree in Social Work. I am now back at GVSU to obtain my Masters in Social Work. With my degree, I hope to work with children in the foster care system (that is of course assuming I don’t go steal the Camp O’Malley Director job). Working at Camp O’Malley has changed me and I owe that experience to O’Malley for making me the person I am today! Camp O’Malley is such a great organization and one that I hope to be involved with for a long time!

Keri Kowal

Hello! My name is Keri Kowal, and I had the privilege of working at Camp O’Malley during the summer of 2011. I am graduating this December from Grand Valley State University with a degree in special education. I'd recommend this job to anyone who loves the outdoors and enjoys being around kids! Working here has allowed my personality to shine. I truly am the happiest when I can share positive experiences with children. Camp O'Malley has allowed me work with a variety of children from all different backgrounds. I've learned so much from the campers both big and small, from the latest dance moves to the true joys of life. Most of my experience working with children has been in a more structured classroom environment. Letting "kids be kids" was definitely the best part of my summer. Some days can be tiring, but ALL days are filled with excitement and new adventures.

Stacy Michell

My name is Stacy Michell, and I'm addicted to Camp O'Malley! After my Junior year at Aquinas College, I got a summer job as a counselor at Camp O'Malley. I was studying to be a teacher and I wanted to get more experience with kids outside of the classroom environment. I expected to have a fun summer and learn more about working with kids. Well, I got that, and much more. After my first week with middle school girls all my notions that I could hand any kids had flown out the window. I'm pretty sure my boss, Becky, thought she had seen the last of me after that very difficult week. Without Becky, my incredibly supportive leader and the encouragement of my fellow counselors I might have thought about quitting. However, I knew that this job was just the challenge I needed to get ready for teaching. As the weeks of camp went on, our staff began to feel like a second family and the kids who came to camp taught me so much about myself, and the world. I loved getting to know all of the different personalities of the campers who came from such diverse backgrounds. By the end of the summer, my tears only came when I had to say goodbye to my campers at the end of the week. The next summer I went back to work at Camp O'Malley for another wonderful summer full of fun, friends, and the coolest people in the world: the kids. Even now, as an Elementary Special Education Teacher I can't stop going back to Camp O'Malley, even if it's just to visit. Being a camp counselor at Camp O'Malley was by far the BEST summer job I've ever had. I've never regretted working there for a second.

Heidi Be

I'm Heidi Be and Camp O'Malley will always be a part of my life. When I started at Camp O'Malley in the summer of 2007, I thought it would just be another summer job. As it turned out I fell in love with the Camp and the kids. I could not help but return to camp and work in some capacity every summer since.  I graduated from Grand Valley State University with a special education teaching degree. Even though I had always planned on becoming a teacher, working at Camp O'Malley ignited my passion for helping kids. While most of my education classes taught me the academic side of teaching, being a camp counselor helped me to understand all the different emotional needs kids hold on their shoulders. Unless kids know that your care, they do not care what you know. Any camper who attends Camp O'Malley is cared deeply for by all our dedicated staff. When a kid becomes a Camp O'Malley Camper, they meet at least 20 counselors, made up of men and women who are excited to spend time with them. It is part of our mission is to provide a fantastic fun week of camp, we also strive to build a better community in the West Michigan area by encouraging the youth to show their true success. One of my favorite Camp O'Malley memories was from a couple of years ago. It was on a Monday during our older Campers week. The campers had just gotten off the bus and the girls in my cabin were setting up their bunks. One of the girls who was at camp the year before asked me if her counselor from last year still worked at camp. I told her that counselor was working on a mission trip this summer. The camper then proceeded to tell me that she kept a letter her counselor had written her last summer and any time in her life when she felt upset or sad she would get out that letter and read it to feel better. As counselors we never know the impact we have on a child after only spending a week with each camper. However, I am sure this is just one of the many stories campers could tell about how important their week at Camp O'Malley was to them. Whether you are applying to work at Camp O'Malley or coming as a camper, be ready always to become a part of the Camp family and have a life changing summer.

Lyndsey Farlow

My name is Lyndsey Farlow. I am a Grand Valley State graduate, with a degree in Criminal Justice. It's actually the partnership with the Grand Rapids Police Department that sparked my interest working at Camp O’Malley during the summer of 2008. It was the kids that brought me back in 2009. Like so many of the other stories from fellow staff members, camp changed me for the better and will always hold a special place in my heart, even if I can't always make it back to help out or see the kids.

Camp will challenge you, the kids will push you to your limit and then push some more, but there is "something" about camp that just can't quite be explained. That something is different for each counselor, but it’s what makes you fall in love with the camp, with the experience, and more importantly the kids. I can't recommend working at O'Malley enough. I brought my little brother up my second summer at Camp and he still talks about when he is going to become a counselor someday.

Whether you are going into teaching, social work, or computers, Camp O'Malley is the BEST job you can have. The kids don't need you to be perfect, they just need you to be there for them. It’s truly been one of the best times in my life and has fueled me to want to give kids from Detroit a similar experience. Although nothing will ever beat O'Malley!

John Schuitema

My name is John Schuitema. I had the wonderful opportunity to work at Camp O'Malley during the summer of 2011. I am currently finishing up my fourth and final year at Calvin College. Working at Camp O'Malley was great for a number of reasons. First, I met a lot of wonderful people of whom I still visit a few of them. Secondly, I learned a lot about kids. They push you to your limits, however, they also look up to you. That in and of itself is enough for me to find my time worth while. Thirdly, you learn many new life skills. You are called upon to constantly make decisions and problem solve. For me, I didn't choose camp because I thought it would be easy. It is not. My breaking point was the second week I worked, but the kids needed me. I couldn't give up on them, and that is why staff training helped me immensely. When this time comes, you have to rely on your training. Oh, and the counselors are great and help you through. Then I made it my mission to play with the kids as much as I possibly could. Kids have a ton of energy and they want to show you all they can do. It is a blast to let them. They will not disappoint you and they will bring a smile to your face. That summer allowed me to actually see how my studies were translated into reality. I could actually see how theories in my classes were brought to life in my work. Because of Camp O'Malley, I have seen the world and the people in it with a greater appreciation of the unique. I have to admit, I love myself and am comfortable with myself. I learned how to truly love others.