MEET THE HEART OF
CAMP
Caring, Dedicated, Exceptional
Majo Orozco
Majo has been at Waukeela for seventeen years. She started out as a camper when she was 11, then became a counselor when she was 18 working in our ropes department. She then became our Senior Alley Head for three years managing all our Senior campers and staff before being promoted to Staff Director in 2021. After Covid we invited Majo to work year-round for camp as one of our Assistant Directors, so she has literally grown up at camp.
Majo has a deep understanding of camp life and she really ‘gets’ what it means to be a camper and counselor. She is multi-talented, highly innovative, and she is constantly envisioning and devising new approaches to many aspects of our programme. What Majo has brought and continues to bring to our community is impossible to measure and we are hopeful she will be with us for many years to come bringing consistency and balance to our senior staff and wider community.
Ellie Moore
Ellie started as an 18 year old counselor in 2015, working as a sailing instructor in the boat house. She has spent four of her 9 years with us as Head of our Boat House managing all aspects of boating on our lake. In 2021, we created a three-group camp system introducing Mini Alley for our three youngest age groups. Asking Ellie to be our Mini Alley Head was the easiest decision to make because our youngest campers simply adore her.
Her passion for camp and zest for life is irresistible and in the Fall of 2023 we invited Ellie to work year round for camp as an Assistant Director whose main role is to liaise with our families and campers out of season. Ellie visits or holds zoom calls with all our new campers ensuring they have a familiar face and contact point way before their first day at camp. She is very much at the heart of Waukeela life and is one of our most experienced members of staff.
If you ask any Waukela camper to tell you about an influential role model in their life,
...they will most likely tell you about their counselors.
At Waukeela we take enormous care in choosing the people who will become role models for our campers because we know they will have an immeasurable impact on our campers’ lives.
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A WAUKEELA COUNSELOR'S ROLE CAN BE DIVIDED INTO
3 MAIN ELEMENTS:
Looking after the safety and wellbeing of our campers
Creating moments full of fun, growth, magic and connection
Showing campers what life can be like for them in a couple of years
Us In Numbers
Our staff is more than a team – they're a family! With a majority returning year after year, many having grown up as campers themselves.
70%
return from the previous year
50%
were campers themselves
30%
prefer chocolate ice cream
Building the Ultimate Camp Team
Staffing camp every summer is no easy feat, but after years of experience, we have developed a system that works. We start by recruiting people who did an amazing job the previous summer. Our staff love their experience just as much as our campers and many of them return year after year. After that, we look at our upcoming CITs. After a strenuous 7 week Counselor In Training program most of our CITs are ready to become counselors. Then we open applications to the general public, most of the people who reach out to us are former campers who miss the pines and want to come back to give back. We also search internationally, looking for people with extraordinary skills who bring different perspectives to our campers. After a rigorous application process we select only those people who we are certain will excel in all 3 areas of the role.
The Magic Behind the Pines
Alongside our counselors, we have a team of maintenance staff, kitchen staff, housekeeping staff, and nurses who undergo the same rigorous application process and training. Our support staff is made up of dedicated professionals who keep the camp running smoothly behind the scenes. From preparing nutritious meals to maintaining the cleanliness and safety of our facilities, each member of the team plays an essential role in creating a welcoming and supportive environment. Their contributions not only allow campers and counselors to thrive but also enable them to experience the magic of Waukeela firsthand as part of our vibrant community.
Training, Bonding, and Building Excellence
Once we have a complete staff, starting in January we begin our onboarding process. A 20 hour online course which covers topics such as: emergency procedures, staff and camper wellbeing, homesickness, lake safety and restorative justice, among others. And once summer comes around we get all our staff in for almost 2 weeks of trainings during which they get: lifeguard certified, high ropes certified, Water Safety Instructor certified, CPR/First Aid certified.
With everyone certified, we go into 10 days of what we call Staff Education Week, 10 days of learning, bonding and preparing for camp to start. By the time the kids arrive, our staff are experts at helping with homesickness, solving conflict, connecting with campers, creating fun and engaging activities.
Waukeela staff members come from all over the US and the World to spend their summer in the beautiful mountains of New Hampshire.
Waukeela counselors are the absolute best in the business and love helping us build a caring community. They bring a wide variety of skills to each of our activity areas, and inspire campers by sharing stories, traditions, and insights from around the globe.