Meet Our Program Director!

Posted by on January 25, 2016

As we mentioned in our last blog post, we have three assistant directors joining our team for Summer 2016 and we are so excited to introduce them to you! You’ve already met Graham and Gillian Moore and you probably already know our third assistant director: Cindy Vachon!

Cindy and her family have been in the Waukeela family for a very long time and we are thrilled to have her back as our Program Director.

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Below we did a quick interview with Cindy so you could get to know her a little bit more!

What is your background in Camping?

Exclusively Waukeela. I started at Waukeela in 1979, was a camper/CIT through 1986 and I was a staff member from 1988-1999. I was thrilled to return last summer and am looking forward to hitting the 25-year mark (at least) soon!

What is your favorite thing about working in a camp environment?

I love the energy and camaraderie. Especially now, when we are all so connected (to our phones, computers, whatever else), it’s nice to spend some time in a place where the Internet and electronics in general exist in the margins. I also love that Waukeela is a single-sex environment. It gives the girls a chance to be themselves and discover hidden talents in a way that might be much more challenging, or impossible, in school. Finally, Waukeela allows girls to explore activities that they might not have the time or opportunity to learn about during the school year.

What is your favorite thing about Waukeela?

Waukeela is in my blood. At last count, 30 members of my extended family have spent a significant amount of time there, including, now my two daughters. It’s so much fun to watch them experience camp now and remember what it was like when I was seven. They were both at Waukeela for the first time last summer, and could not have loved it more. They’ve been talking about going back since September!! I also love that the friendships I made at Waukeela are lasting. The nature of camp friendships is that you spend large amounts of time apart and then start up again as though there was no pause. I recently saw a camp friend for the first time in decades and it was as though we were 14 again.

What Waukeela tradition are you most excited to be a part of each Summer?

There are a lot of Waukeela traditions that I love, but I think one of my favorites is the singing. I love that we have songs for every occasion and mood, and that they evolve over time and with new campers. I also love the fact that the simple act of learning a camp song can make a new camper feel like she’s been there forever.