My Summer Working at a Boy Scout Camp

by Cari A., Panther Blogger

This summer was one I will never be able to forget.  I met more amazing people than I expected to meet during my time at Boy Scout Camp. That's right - I worked at Boy Scout Camp this summer!  I know most of you are thinking:  a girl? at Boy Scout Camp?  That is exactly the response I got from everyone when I told them my plans for the summer. I even thought the same thing at times leading up to my departure.  This was my first time getting a job all by myself without using family ties or connections to get my foot in the door.  I got one of those dreaded campus emails about locals needing job help for the summer, and Camp Ottari was on that list of places. I was drawn in with the hopes of being able to use my ropes experience from Ferrum Outdoors to work at their 850-foot zip line!

Upon applying, however, the zip line wasn't where I was needed this summer. Having experience as an EMT, the Camp Director thought I would be a great addition to the Waterfront staff.  I cannot say I was excited about that, but I was soon very glad that is where I ended up.  When I was told I would be working at the Waterfront, I figured I would just be a lifeguard and watch kids swim all day long. Relaxing in the sun, tanning and hammocking in my spare time.  Boy was I wrong!  I soon found out that the Waterfront staff had one of the longest days of all the other Camp Program areas.  Most work days lasted from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. with meal breaks.  I wasn't just a lifeguard, I thought.  I was indeed a swimming instructor:  in Boy Scouts, the scouts go to camp to earn their Merit Badges and swimming is a really important one for them to achieve.  I definitely wasn't excited about having to teach 3 classes with 20 scouts each everyday for two months of my summer.  Though there were times I wanted to pull my hair out and throw the occasional troublemaker in the lake, I soon became quite fond of my job.

Camp Ottari is in the beautiful mountains near Radford, VA, where the beauty is like no other and cell service is nonexistent!  Although I still don't full understand why or who decided to put a camp in the middle of a mountain, it definitely made the experience unlike anything I've ever done.

I know some of you are still thinking:  why would you go to a Boy Scout camp where you are barely being paid, you work all day, have to walk up and down the mountain a million times a day, have to wear a Boy Scout uniform everyday, have to see hundreds of scouts day in and day out for 8 weeks, and be happy about it??  I am not sure why I decided to do it because it was definitely out of my comfort zone to go away from home and not know anyone. I had walked into a world where most of the staff were guys who had been in Boy Scouts their whole lives and already had their own group of friends.  Being one of only 8 girls on staff with 40-50 guys on staff, I was in for an adventure.  I almost had to prove to them that I wasn't just there to be surrounded by guys all summer and to get their attention because those were definitely not my intentions at all.  I had to show the guys that I was serious about the job I was given. I believe that I truly made them aware of that within the first week or so.

Being in a group where there are only a handful of girls among so many guys can be weird, but I was part of the family in no time and I met some of my best friends that I will have the rest of my life.  I worked with some of the most dedicated and caring people I could have asked for.  They all had a special place in their hearts for children, and an even bigger place in their hearts for Scout-making.

There are so many things to share about the summer, but I wouldn't be able to put them all into words that would make much sense to someone who wasn't there - many inside jokes, crazy times, and so many times that we made everyone cry and come together.

We all came from different walks of life and had different skills and beliefs, but one of the times where all of that disappeared and we all meshed together was during our campfires.  Every Sunday when we would get new campers, we would have to put on a crazy show to get them so excited to be at Camp Ottari.  No matter how many times we did the skits, we had to be doing them with as much energy as we did the first week of camp.  That was a hard task for some, but for me, I was always really excited for a fresh group of scouts!  On every Friday evening, we would have a similar campfire to close out a great week. These campfires either made or broke the week. It was the tone-setter for the week for sure.  Another special time was when we competed against neighboring camps in what we called the "Reservation Olympics."  Camp Ottari hadn't won this tradition in a long time, but we came together as a team and family, and in the end, we CLAIMED THE VICTORY!!  That was a moment most of us will never forget!

This experience was one of those that make you think.  I learned a lot about myself this summer and couldn't have imagined a better place to spend a summer. I would recommend it to anyone who is willing to go outside their comfort zone and spend 2 months working to make some young scouts' summer dreams come true!

Here's to a great semester back at Ferrum!

- Cari

Ferrum's First Scholarship Day

by Cari A., Panther Blogger

On February 18, myself, faculty/staff and several other students, such as Brett, Paige, and Caleb, were asked to participate in Ferrum's first Scholarship Day.  This event is brand new to Ferrum and is an opportunity for prospective students who have been awarded a scholarship to attend Ferrum to come and kind-of "spend a day at Ferrum."  Our part in this event was to eat with these students and discuss things such as life at Ferrum, Freshman Scholars, and other Ferrum-based topics.

As a discussion leader and table host, each of us would spend about 15 to 20 minutes with each table, which generally consisted of 2 different families with prospective students. Being so "fresh" as one lady called me, it was an experience that definitely took me out of my comfort zone. To those of you who know me, this may be a shock, but I get rather unnerved in crowds of people I don't know in which I am somewhat the center of their attention. The first rotation was a little rough, and to be honest, kind-of awkward on both my part and the families I talked to. Maybe it was simply because the ice hadn't been broken yet.  I received questions like "why did you choose Ferrum?", "What dorm is the best?", and "What is your major?" Even though these questions are seemingly easy to answer, especially because I do in fact know the answers to them, answering them in the setting of the Scholarship Day luncheon was rather different and difficult at times. However, through repetition, the answering of questions and starting topics of conversation at the tables eventually became much easier for both myself and for the families as the luncheon progressed.

Being a part of the event was a treat in many ways, but for example, the food served was absolutely amazing. I would like to thank Dining Services for their continued success in making a good first impression to these (hopefully) future Ferrum families.  One difficult part for me and the other discussion leaders, which could also have been a good thing, was that it was difficult to really enjoy the food due to switching tables periodically. This challenge for me, however, meant that both the students and parents were really taking advantage of the purpose we were trying to accomplish in this new event. I am very thankful that I was asked to participate in Scholarship Day because it not only showed the families what Ferrum is like, but it showed me that challenging myself by stepping out of my comfort zone will only help me in the long run.

If you get an opportunity to participate in an event such as this, or even talk to prospective students between now and next semester, I strongly encourage you to make the best out of it. Not just for them, but for yourself as well. Thanks to all who made this special day occur.

Cari

My Work-Study with Ferrum Outdoors!

by Cari A., Panther Blogger

For those of you who read my blog regularly, you may have noticed that I mention the Freshman Scholars Program quite often. This is another one of those times where that program set in motion a lot of things I have now.  One that I am very proud and honored to have is my work-study position with Ferrum Outdoors. I was first introduced to the program when Aaron Conover and Dan Caston brought our Scholars group together to form a family.

During our time with Aaron and Dan, we were challenged to perform tasks that could ONLY be performed with every single member of our team. We as a team worked with balance, communication, problem-solving, and - my personal favorite - trust. We had all just met 11 new and different people, and this exercise not only tested our individual willpower to overcome our own limits, it also forced each of us out of our comfort zones to meet and connect with the 11 other people with whom we would be spending 2 full weeks. This event not only formed several friendships with people I still call friends now, but it showed me that this was something I wanted to do during my four years here at Ferrum.

Since this past summer, I have been hired with Ferrum Outdoors as a recreational leader and have been leading events such as caving, scuba diving rock climbing, kayaking, and most recently, skiing and snowboarding. These trips are all things that appeal to me in different ways. Being a pre-med major, most of my time is spent in a lab studying chemistry or biology, so to get the opportunity to step back from that and go completely out of my major is absolutely keeping me sane!  Through working with Ferrum Outdoors, I have met a whole different part of the campus population here because this activity is so far out of my element. I am very glad that I found Ferrum Outdoors because it has been a major component in keeping me involved at Ferrum and enjoying every minute of being a student here!  Taking the time to relax and take a break from the class work is exactly what every student needs.

- Cari

Time for Finals!

by Cari A., Panther Blogger

As the week of finals approached, the mad dash to learn all the material we probably should have learned began.  With the smell of energy drinks and coffee in the air of the library, the stress of the upcoming week had everyone flustered.  This being my first finals week of my college career, I was not exactly sure what to expect. I have been nervous, and now being in the middle of it, I'm ready for it to be over.  Ferrum became a very busy place last week and continues to grow busier as this week of finals goes on. My only advice for surviving your first Ferrum finals week is:  eat, sleep, study, and most importantly, take time to relax and get away from the schoolwork for a little while. Even if you only step away for a few minutes, you can't imagine how refreshed you will feel when you return to work.

Until January, stay strong and survive finals!!

- Cari

Returning "Home" to Ferrum

by Cari A., Panther Blogger

While on Thanksgiving break a couple of weeks ago, I had fun with my family and enjoyed being home with other friends I hadn't seen in awhile. Despite being home surrounded by my family and friends, I sincerely missed my home here at Ferrum -- a life that I created for myself, a place that I call home, and a family I am luck to have around me.

I have come to realize just how blessed I am to be in a dorm building surrounded by a great group of girls. Though I only know a select group of them, it's great to know that just outside my little corner room of Bassett, I have someone to hang out with or go grab dinner with. I don't want to brag, but I have the best RAs on campus I could have ever asked for!  For all of those who know how I am and know how much I love to have fun, it may come as a big surprise that I have not been written up yet despite all the bets against me in the beginning of the year.

Even though my home in Salem is my physical address and a place I will always return to in the end, God has graced me for the past 100 days to call this place my home and safe haven. Just to know that people are constantly around campus that I haven't met yet inspires me to continue to branch out and meet more of my Ferrum community.

My Unofficial Second Major: Time Management!

by Cari A., Panther Blogger


Something people always say about college is that it's all a struggle to manage your time effectively. Managing the limited amount of time that we have -- to figure out what to do with it and how to spend it -- is basically a major in itself.  My biggest struggle with being in college here at Ferrum is this very thing. I can't seem to say "no" to things like hanging out with friends, picking up an extra shift for someone, or taking the "classic Wal-Mart expedition."  I have felt the pressure on myself in consequence to this difficult lesson as I try to scramble to finish school work the night before, or oftentimes, just hours before it is due.

 

Over the past few days, I have really felt the weight on my shoulders. I was putting things I had committed to on the back burner of my life -- things that during my time here have made me happy and that give me an outlet to take my mind off of school. One of those things is writing these blogs; writing them just seems to melt away the stress of a busy week. It is a stress reliever that isn't graded, and I am my own judge and teacher.  I would like to thank those who made it possible for me to have this opportunity.  Thanks!

Cari

Home Away from Home

by Cari A., Panther Blogger

Finally, after being here at Ferrum for a month and some change, I think I got my dorm room right. I have never had to share a room with anyone before, and I can’t say that it was an easy transition. Most college students have the homesickness soon after moving in; for me, I was ready to go home the Saturday after arriving on campus. It wasn’t that I hated it here, it was just that I hadn’t gotten my “space” just right yet.

After a night of wanting to get in my car and drive home, I realized the potential for me here. I will be offered unique opportunities here that some of my other college friends will not have the chance to take part in. Part of the reason for that is because of Ferrum’s location and size. Being out in the middle of nowhere (well, sort of) isn’t where most “city folk” see themselves, but because we are in the woods, the activities seem to be endless. From trips to Rocky Mount for Sheetz or Wal-Mart runs to going to a cave in Blacksburg – the list goes on and on.

Being here for a month has given me a new perspective on how I see things; for example, I never thought about the effect we humans had on water quality and marine life, especially not such a small college campus like Ferrum. One very special opportunity I have taken part in this semester is a SCUBA certification class. Even though the wetsuits didn’t always dry and the water wasn’t always warm, it is an experience I can mark down in the story of my life. I met people that I may not have otherwise met outside of the course, and we all blended as a group really well. Bonds were formed that shall definitely last a lifetime.


Also this past August, through research with Dr. Dave Johnson, I have been able to see the true value of what we have out here. The relationships I have formed in just these few short weeks have turned out to be the absolute highlight of my life. I have met an amazing friend who understands me and my crazy road trip CDs, as well as a guy best friend who knows the jokes before they come out of my mouth. I haven’t just gained knowledge while here at Ferrum; I have gained a separated-at-birth twin and indescribably amazing friends.

I recently went to Salem to see my new niece Elise, who was born almost 3 weeks ago. When I was saying my goodbyes to my brother and my mom, she said the normal mom saying: “make sure you let me know when you get back,” and I followed with “I promise I will text you as soon as I get home.” Hearing myself utter those words, especially to the woman who gave me life, caught me off guard. Ferrum life and the family aspect of this campus give its students the feeling of home away from home.

Proud to be a Panther

See you around,

Cari A.

Greetings from Ferrum College Student Blogger, Cari!

by Cari A., Panther Blogger

 

My name is Cari. I am freshman here at Ferrum, and I am from Salem, Virginia. I have big goals in life: I plan to complete my undergraduate studies, attend medical school, and become a doctor. I am not exactly sure what kind of doctor just yet, but I know it’s what I want to do.

Being pretty local, I knew about Ferrum College but never thought to apply until my high school guidance teacher suggested it. I would look at pictures of the campus and some of the activities, and I knew that Ferrum's location was drawing me in. I was born in the city, but my whole family is from Oklahoma, so I am a country girl deep down. I also saw and read about some of the things that go on in the community and activities that students do for their community to help out. I have always been inclined to help others as if it were a second nature. I am a Virginia-certified Emergency Medical Technician, and I love every minute of it.

I love Ferrum's small campus and class sizes; after only a few weeks of school, I feel like my professors already know my name and are getting keyed into my habits. Unlike Virginia Tech or University of Virginia where there are 300 plus students in a class, having only 20 or 30 in a class is less overwhelming and you can feel more comfortable with asking questions and getting engaged in the discussion. I can already tell that the level of education that I will have obtained after my four years here at Ferrum are going to help me immensely in my studies to become a doctor.

This past August, I was selected to be a Freshman Scholar, and that is where I really found my passion for the outdoors and when my eyes were really opened to my potential work-study job. Because of my time as a Freshman Scholar, I am now an employee for Ferrum Outdoors. I am also on the Rock Climbing Team here. You may say… we have a rock climbing team? Well the answer is YES! Yes, we do! It’s brand new and we are ready to represent Ferrum College. I am also a part of the Rec club and the Minds-n-Medicine club. I am currently taking a SCUBA diving class, so if you see a girl in a wetsuit walking around campus, it’s probably me! I haven’t been at Ferrum very long, but by far, my favorite memories are from the Scholars program. The opportunity to work with 11 other students and 9 professors for 2 weeks really leaves you with a lot of lifetime memories and friends.

Going from 12 to 1

(Cari worked on the Water Quality: Point and Nonpoint Sources of Pollution project with faculty mentor Dr. David Johnson during the inaugural Freshman Scholars Program in summer 2012.) 

by Cari A., Freshman Scholar and Guest Blogger

Before the Freshman Scholars Program, I was so nervous about being away from home for such a long time. I figured that all of the other scholars would be so introverted and kind of keep to themselves, but thankfully, I was wrong. Though I enjoyed all of my time at Ferrum College, I enjoyed meeting and getting close with the 11 other scholars the most. Each and every one of us came from completely different backgrounds and had gone through different experiences. Despite where we had come from, we went from being 12 complete strangers to being one crazy group of friends.  I enjoyed seeing each of the scholars interact with each other in different ways and form lasting relationships. It was also truly a blessing to get to experience spending two weeks with a group of faculty that have a heart for the educational advancement of young people.

As cliché as it may seem, my parents have already said that "the friends you make for life will be the ones who you meet the first week." After only a few days together, it was easy to see that we were working together and helping one another face our individual fears. The Ferrum Outdoors ropes course was my absolute favorite day of the program. When Professor Caston challenged us to work together to achieve a common goal but to do it in silence, we could have moved mountains with the amount of trust we put into each other. We played into each other's strengths to help fight our weaknesses and fears of others, and by doing so, we were able to accomplish so much more than the challenges we were given.

When the time for the high ropes rolled around, each one of us was challenged in some way; even some of the professors felt a sense of fulfillment. I know for me personally, I was challenged when I volunteered to go up with Professor Caston's eight-year-old daughter Mallory. Though she had been up on the course numerous times, she still wasn't tall enough to operate her lobster claws to make her own transfers from obstacle to obstacle. As her partner, I was able to assist her; essentially, I became her lifeline. She had to trust a complete stranger to safely transfer her to different obstacles, and she seemed to trust me with ease. Through my experience with Mallory, I also learned a lot about myself.

A second event on the ropes day that proved to me how our connections were growing so quickly was watching Jessa encourage Dr. Laura Grochowski as she faced several of her fears and enabled her to complete the whole course. Soon after Jessa helped Dr. G., she climbed up the tower to go down the zip line with me. Even though Jessa did not complete the whole course, just climbing up that pole to the zip line was a major accomplishment. As we prepped to jump off the tower, the uncertainty in Jessa's eyes was obvious. I was able to talk her through what we were going to do next; we were going to sit down and scoot off the tower. She looked at me and said, "You are going to have to hold me like a baby." She wrapped herself around me and held on as I scooted us off the platform and we went flying. Jessa had conquered her fear and a bond was formed between us. There are so many more examples of how each of us was challenged to face a fear that we didn't necessarily think we could.

The "unit"

I believe that without the support and the connections that each of the scholars and the faculty have made, we wouldn't have been able to test our own limits. I think that if you were to ask each of the scholars to name a fear they faced during the two-week program, each would be able to give an answer no matter how minuscule it may seem. The Freshman Scholars Program changed the lives of 12 scholars and of nine faculty members and possibly many other people that we don't even realize. The connections we made through this program will be with us all of our years at Ferrum College, and most likely, throughout our lives. I thank all those who put this program together and who will continue to hold it together in the years to come!

- Cari A.