Johnsonburg: A Haven for Multicultural Fascination

I’ve been coming here to camp for twelve years now, and each of those years have presented their own unique challenges. In 2004, the question was whether or not I would enjoy camp. Once it was made abundantly clear that I would, the next few years’ challenges progressed to include zip lines, high ropes, team building, and the maintenance of friendships formed at camp. As I embarked onto Johnsonburg’s winding leadership track, I experience and embraced new challenges and obstacles. I tackled such matters as leadership, mutual understanding, and the fine particulars of the art of listening. All the defining times of those twelve years have both character and personality forming, but this year’s flagship challenge stands out as a particularly memorable and unique example.

Johnsonburg has always been a haven for my multicultural fascination. Ever since I was very young, I’ve been enamored with languages and culture, and Johnsonburg has provided an excellent locale for that passion to grow and thrive. In my camp career, I’ve had counselors from places including the United Kingdom and Malawi. I’ve made lifelong friends in both Ukraine and Hungary, and I’ve given travel advice to countless friends visiting the United States for the first time.

This year, that multicultural experience has been boosted to the max. We have international staff from 3 continents; we have languages spoken at camp ranging from Irish Goelic to Xhosa. The true crowning has been my work with one of our campers from Beijing.

This particular camper is here for three weeks, and when he arrived just yesterday, he spoke not a single word of English. Having studied Mandarin for three years in high school, it fell upon me to lead a group effort with this not only communication and understanding, but also insight and a positive camp experience. I’ve spend under 24 hours speaking and hanging out with this camper, and already both myself and the counselors have developed a fantastic bond and excited for the week ahead. Later today, this camper says he is excited to, “Ja lanqiu,” to play basketball with his friends.

I always knew Johnsonburg helped foster and nurture this passion and skill in me, but I thought when it paid off, it would be far away in both time and distance. Instead, I get to give back here and now to a place that’s given me so much and I’d like nothing better than for that to define my last year as a camper here. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go “Ja lanqiu.”