From Camper to Counselor to Leader
“Letting go of your inhibitions and embracing the Settoga identity comes with a genuine happiness and freedom that leaves you feeling like a camper again.”
—Leila Clavijo
May 18, 2023
Being a camper at the Marlene Meyerson JCC summer camps sets you up for success throughout life—from learning how to make new friends to tackling new hobbies, and developing leadership and creative thinking skills. Being a camper can also open your eyes to new career sights. For more than five summers as a child, Leila Clavijo mastered her role as a star camper at the JCC, which inspired her to become a camp counselor when she was older. And now, many years later and after working for seven seasons as a JCC camp counselor, Leila has taken on a new leadership role on the camp staff.
Leila became a counselor in 2015 at the Day Camp @ The JCC, and quickly grew into a leadership position at Camp Settoga. Her role heading into this summer is assistant director of the Care Team. “Camp Settoga has developed a Care Team to oversee and support the mental, emotional, and social health of all campers and staff,” she says. Her responsibilities will include overseeing and leading Camp Settoga’s staff council, advocating for staff needs and concerns, and developing Counselor in Training (CIT) programs to bridge the gap from camper to staff member—a track Leila is very familiar with—among other tasks.
Her journey encompasses both of the JCC’s day camp experiences for children. Day Camp @ The JCC, for children ages 3–5, launched 20-plus summers ago at the JCC headquarters on the Upper West Side. Camp Settoga, just outside the city in Pomona, New York, launched in 2016 to serve children ages 4–12. Camp Settoga is nestled on 21 acres of open space with features including an Olympic-size pool, a multicourt athletic complex, a 16-element challenge course, exceptional culinary and art centers, and more.
Both camps provide daily energy-filled and engaging activities that will build lasting friendships and foster a sense of community in a warm and safe environment. And both camps delve into eight core values: community, curiosity, patience, gratitude, self-confidence, responsibility, creativity, and leadership.
Genna Singer, deputy director of Children + Families at the JCC, shares that this summer Camp Settoga will offer parkour, new elements on the challenge course, as well as week-long electives for the oldest campers; and Day Camp @ the JCC will bring exciting new electives as well.
Top-of-the-line facilities and unique features brought Leila back summer after summer as a camper when she was a child, but her interest in returning as a counselor “was primarily because I looked up to my counselors so much when I was a camper that I absolutely could not wait to wear the shirt with the word ‘staff’ on the back.”
And now, she gets to wear that staff shirt every day throughout the summer. Her favorite part of her new leadership role is being able to advocate for the needs of the staff, whether it be for treats/thank yous or bigger-picture dealings. “Seeing as how I was a counselor somewhat recently, I know the ups and the downs that come with the role. I employ that previous counselor experience as part of my empathic approach when working through situations with counselors. I’m then able to advocate on their behalf.”
Leila is also excited about her work in encouraging former campers to transition into counselor roles, just like she did, and she is eager to welcome new counselors into the JCC network. Her advice? “Fully lean into being in the camp environment. It can be a bit daunting—or even scary and embarrassing—to jump into song and dance, cheers, etc. Letting go of your inhibitions and embracing the Settoga identity comes with a genuine happiness and freedom that leaves you feeling like a camper again.”
When not at camp, Leila has spent the last few years working towards her master’s degree in social work (MSW) at the NYU Silver School of Social Work, where she graduated this past week. She was inspired to pursue an MSW because of "camp solidifying my passion for advocating for children and their needs, allowing me to stretch my wings, practice my skills, and acknowledge my hard work."
“Camp is an amazing place where people can try new things, test the waters, form new relationships,” shares Genna Singer. “This is true for campers and staff. A wonderful community forms among the staff as they get to know each other, support each other and grow together. Counselors practice a great many skills throughout the summer—problem solving, creative thinking, responsibility, developing leadership, and so much more.”
Interested in developing your own leadership skills and being part of the community as a JCC camp counselor? Applications to be a summer camp counselor are now being accepted.
To register as a camper for Day Camp @ The JCC, visit jccmanhattandaycamp.org; and to register as a camper at Camp Settoga, visit campsettoga.org.
Written by Lauren Magy. Lauren is the Director of Public Relations + Community Engagement at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan. She has worked at theater and cultural institutions in DC and NY for the past decade.