Welcome back to The Front Row, Encore friends! I hope you had a wonderful long weekend if you had one, and, if not, that you had a chance to enjoy the sunshine that finally came to visit. In case you missed it, on Friday we featured Lauren, one of our all-star former camp counselors. She shared a bit about her experience and what she learned through working at Encore summer camps. Luckily for you, the fun doesn’t stop there! Today we’re excited to feature another one of our talented student performers and former camp counselors. Read on to get the scoop!
Encore: Please briefly introduce yourself. How have you been involved with Encore in past seasons?
Ryely: My name is Ryely Rogers and I am a sophomore at George C. Marshall High School. I have been actively involved with Encore for the past 3 years. I have been in 7 Encore shows, both cast and crew. My most recent project with Encore is Flip the Script – a student devised play about the integration of Arlington County Public Schools. We most recently performed Flip the Script at The Kennedy Center, and we are now touring!
Encore: Which camps did you work or volunteer for? Which age groups did you work with?
Ryely: Last summer I was a camp aide for It’s Elementary. The themes were Around the World in 5 Days and Space Pirates & Shooting Stars, both for students 5-9 years of age.
Encore: What is your most memorable camp moment?
Ryely: Being able to work as a camp aide was such a memorable moment in itself. I had so much fun and there are so many moments and memories I made at camp that I hold so near and dear to my heart. If I had to choose, I think the most memorable moments I had during camp would be when I got to play games and make crafts with my campers. It was such an amazing experience, I am so thankful I had the opportunity to work with so many amazing kids, and was able to connect with them through something as powerful as theatre. Just being able to see the excitement on the campers faces was something that made me look forward to camp each day, and it is also what really made this experience so special to me.
Encore: What have you learned through working at Encore summer camps?
Ryely: I have learned to have more patience as well as responsibility and problem-solving skills. Through working as a camp aide, I learned that things don’t always go your way, and that’s okay. Not everything is going to work out perfectly how you planned and that’s okay too. Just go with the flow and take on the challenges that life throws at you one at a time. I had a lot of expectations before I began working at summer camp, and as it turns out my experiences were so much different than I could have ever imagined. I had so much fun being able to face challenges when they presented themselves and being able to learn and grow from them.
Encore: Please describe working at Encore camps in five words or less.
Ryely: Fun, exciting, creative, memorable, and challenging.
Encore: Anything else you’d like to share?
Ryely: I had such an amazing experience working as a camp aide this summer and I had so much fun. I am so glad that I was able to work with and learn from all of my campers. I hope I made even half the impact on the campers as they made on me, because they have definitely had a great impact on me, and they taught me so much I didn’t know before. This was a great learning opportunity and I could not have spent my summer any better than I did at camp!
With camps for ages 3-18, there is a place for every student at Encore this summer, whether it’s onstage, backstage, or on the teaching staff! The priority application deadline is March 1st, so get to work on your application today!
Photos by Shannon McCarthy, and Cindy Kane Photography.
Blog contribution by Shannon McCarthy.