Welcome “back” to our new Head Counselors!

Alex is a life long camper, both of traditional summer camps as well as an outdoor enthusiast in her personal time.  She has spent many summers and much of her free time exploring and conquering peaks throughout the Adirondack region as well as out west.  Alex officially began her time at FLC in 2012 as a general counselor and member of our growing wilderness team.  We are so pleased to welcome Alex back this summer (and many more to come!) as one of our Girls’ Camp head counselors.

“After losing my father at a young age, I distinctly remember camp as the first time I was filled with joy after his passing. I remember the spirit that was displayed at camp and how I felt when it filled my soul. From that moment at age nine, I was hooked on camp. I look forward to the summer months because of that same spirit that I connected with during my first summer as a camper. Camp has and will always hold the utmost importance in my life.

I have always had a passion for working with children. Throughout college, I volunteered in several local classrooms and worked at three different summer camps. I am committed to a future in education; after graduating from St. Lawrence University in May 2013, I relocated to beautiful Boulder, CO where I am pursuing my Masters in Educational Psychology while teaching in the second grade classroom while still finding time to explore the nature that surrounds me. I thrive off of the energy and heart that children have and look forward to my future working with them.”

Why do I return to FLC?

My connection to FLC started long before my first day as a counselor in 2012; my uncle was a camper in the early 80’s and my cousin was a camper and LIT in the early 2000’s. When I was offered a general counselor position at FLC in 2012, I jumped at the opportunity. After taking last summer off to pursue another job, I found myself longing for the FLC community; I was yearning for the bond with my peers, the connections with my campers, and the love and respect that surround the camp. While camp is in its own culture, I love being able to meet and become close with people from other cultures. I am so looking forward to returning to FLC to once again survive off the love, energy, and spirit that is FLC.

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Eugene, otherwise known as Eug from his earlier camping days, has been apart of the FLC family since 1976 when he was a very young camper.  Eug returned summer after summer, extending his sessions until his CIT summer, and then as an employee as a junior counselor and counselor.  Eug worked in what was then Junior Boys Camp (now Girls Camp) for 3 years until 1985.

“While earning my accounting degree I pursued business interests for employment which lead me to a career in brokerage and electronic trading systems.  Teaching employees and clients was a major role and I really enjoyed this particular aspect as I found it mutually rewarding.  After 20 years in the industry, the opportunities I had within my workplace to teach, led me to pursue a new career.  I am now close to completing my masters degree in special education grades 1 through 6.

The profoundly positive impact the camp has had on my life is evident to me all the time.  I am a Staten Island resident (yes NYC), and my home is next to a forest called the Greenbelt, as well as close to the ocean.  Both of these resources allow me to use my mountain bike, snowshoes, kayak and so on, often bringing back memories of my time as a young camper staff member.  I am looking forward to an awesome summer in sharing adventures and stories at Forest Lake Camp with our campers and staff.

I’m returning to FLC for my 11th summer because the experience has remained the same throughout the decades. I feel fortunate to be able to return to FLC and to continue to share what I have gained from this wonderful place and all the people that make up the FLC family.  I had cousins who also attended FLC in the 70’s so it truly has taken on the feeling of family.  I have visited FLC at events such as the 80^th reunion and during Adirondack vacations since my initial 10 years, and the idea of returning as one of the Boys’ Camp head counselors and becoming once again a constant around camp is a thrill!