Name: Gouri Sadananda
Camp Name: “Snuggles, but I go by Snugs.”
Year: Senior
Major: Biomedical Engineering, Minor in Linguistics
Hometown: Westbury, NY
Describe your position at Camp Kesem at Stony Brook.
Gouri: “I started off as a general body member and this past year I was a community outreach coordinator. Over the summer I was a program counselor at the camp itself running the arts and crafts program, but this year I am a camp director so I oversee our members.”
Why is your role important?
Gouri: “As a community outreach coordinator, I was the middle ground between campers, families, and communities, so my co-coordinator and I worked to ensure a sense of connectivity between them. Camp is a fantastic experience, but it’s just one week and a lot of those campers don’t see each other again until next year! Last year I had to keep them connected because our goal is to establish a family. We do programs, such as collecting trinkets and reunions, where we keep connections alive.
This year I have a more administrative role in terms of running the overall aspects: programming, fundraising, public relations, and marketing. Every aspect of the camp is overseen through my help. I have coordinators because they are experts in their respective fields. My job is to make sure everyone collaborates and is supportive of one another.”
When did you first get involved with Camp Kesem at Stony Brook?
Gouri: “I first got involved my sophomore year. My roommate at the time was a coordinator so I began going to general body meetings and I became part of the community outreach program. The woman in charge had so much energy and nothing but smiles! I don’t think I ever went to a meeting and felt down!”
What made you decide to apply to be a Camp Counselor?
Gouri: “The first year I missed the deadline for applications and I kicked myself! The second year, after hearing stories from friends and from different chapters on transformations that took place during camp, I knew that this was something I wanted to see and contribute to. I was not disappointed!”
What’s the most difficult thing you went through as a counselor?
Gouri: “My role was in arts and crafts programming, so I worked with the same unit everyday and I wasn’t able to establish the bonds that a cabin counselor was able to establish. However, there were still interactions that I found very valuable.”
What’s the most difficult thing you go through as a director?
Gouri: “Definitely bringing together 16 completely different people and taking over this organization because Camp Kesem is not just a club, we are a non-profit organization that seeks to bring a little magic to the lives of children who are dealing with a parent’s cancer. Although we are part of a larger umbrella organization, for the most part, the responsibility falls on us and the most difficult thing I think is balancing being a student and managing a non-profit organization.”
How do you overcome this challenge?
Gouri: “Leaning on my coordinators and co-director. Knowing how to delegate has also helped me run a smooth organization. My co-coordinator and I give coordinators the chance to make their own deadlines because we want to be as reasonable as possible and then we enforce those deadlines. It’s still being firm, but being flexible in terms of taking their lives into account. We know how much we can assign and how much work we can redistribute.”
Has this experience taught you anything about yourself?
Gouri: “Yes, a lot of things. I learned a lot about my leadership style. Being a director has been the biggest growing experience in terms of professionalism and it really put my values into perspective.”
What is your advice to aspiring camp counselors?
Gouri: “To definitely be open minded! Like I said, you have a team of 16 hugely different personalities and you won’t get along with them all the time. They’re fantastic, but things pop up and you aren’t always going to agree. Being unafraid to speak up is big. We are all peers but in one setting I might be a leader and in another setting someone else might be above me. Make your opinion known! Be able to take note and take constructive criticism. Be able to praise people for the work they are doing and also notice what they are doing wrong. People are always looking to improve themselves and that is a huge part of being a leader.”