Interview by: Chloe William
We asked a handful of Muskoka leaders to share their experiences with us. A huge thank you goes out to Melaney, Mya, Steven, and Gabrielle for their responses!
Question 1: What made you sign up to be a leader? Because obviously, you did a great job.
“I wanted to give the new grade nines a great experience. High school can seem intimidating, but once you have fun with new people it gets a whole lot better.” –Gabrielle Dume
“I loved the [Camp Muskoka] trip, and getting to bond with the grade 9s is always fun.”-Steven Koinis
“I wanted to be a leader because I always heard that Muskoka was even more fun when you were [one]…My brother and all his friends were ninth grade participants this year, which meant that I knew even more kids coming to St. A’s. It was such a fun experience to have so many ninth-grade students looking up to me. I overall enjoyed the experience so much…other than the homework I missed and the loss of my voice. Losing my voice was 100% worth it though.” –Mya Cheung
Question 2: What was the best part of the trip?
3 votes = Campfire!
“It was great seeing everyone together with their arms around each other, the leaders jumping in to sing (shoutout to Eliza and Lauren), and just how happy the people were. It was the best way to end the first night…” –Melaney Peter
“Everyone was singing their hearts out without feeling judged. The songs were all ones that everyone knew the lyrics to, which made it 100% better. You got to be there with your friends and with other students, allowing new friendships and relationships to be built along the way.” –Mya Cheung
Question 3: Do you have any stories that you want to share?
“At one point, my activity group ended up going to the wrong activity station. Whoops. We got lost and had to walk across the camp from one side to the other. Needless to say, we definitely got some extra steps in that day.” –Melaney Peter
“The dance turned into a mosh pit real quick. Even during the slow dance, people were jumping up and down.” –Gabrielle Dume
“Every meal, there was a game of Gaga ball being played in the Gaga ball pit. This game was incredibly fun and truly brought out everyone’s competitive side. There were multiple leaders and grade 9s playing, which made the experience even more exciting. We would have new people join and learn the game all the time! Eventually, we had 15+ people all playing at the same time.” –Mya Cheung
Question 4: What do you hope the Grade 9s gained from this experience?
“I hope that they made new friends who they can share their experiences with! :)” –Melaney Peter
“New friendships.” –Steven Koinis
“I hope that the Grade 9s gained friendships that will last all throughout high school, and as well as a feeling of ‘community’ from the leaders. I hope that the grade 9s will not be too scared to talk to me in the hallway or say hello.” –Mya Cheung
Question 5: What advice would you give to future Muskoka leaders?
“Encourage the kids to try something new and step out of their comfort zones.” –Steven Koinis
“Have fun, be responsible, and lead!” -Melaney Peter
“Always try to get the kids who tend to stay alone to get involved with others.” -Gabrielle Dume
And lastly, the question we’ve all been waiting for…
Titan Times 