At the end of February, Don, Zoob, and I were fortunate enough to once again head to the UK on a mission to hire some British staff members for the upcoming summer. It was our second time participating in the series of staffing fairs organized by Camp America and, while we knew better what to expect, we were no less excited at the opportunity of hiring cool counselors while abroad!
One of our excitements was the prospect of catching up with various High Rocks staff members from recent years who reside in the UK. After arriving in London with a couple of days to get our bearings, we enjoyed a dinner with three of our staff members in Louis Ashley, Tristan Smith, and Quan Baxendale. Somehow, sharing a meal with camp folks has the same feel whether you are walking up to the Dining Hall from the lake or riding the Tube to a dinner next to Westminster. The same laughs, stories, and warmth can be found and made the start of our trip feel right.
At the busy London fair, Dominic Curry met us for a fun day of interviewing and talking camp with many excited applicants. This will be his fifth summer at camp and it was great to have his knowledge and magnetic people skills pulling people our way.
We are thrilled with the staff we hired and excited for you to meet them this summer.
As soon as we wrapped up the event it was a dash through the Underground to grab a train for Manchester and prep for the fair coming the next day. At this second hiring event, we were met by three more High Rockers! Vincent Purcell, a Mancunian native, Jack Brier from just down the road in Huddersfield, and James Kelleher, who flew in from Ireland. We once again felt like rockstars to have so many cool people taking the time to represent camp. It was great practical help, as well as having friendly guys with familiar accents explain this rather new American summer concept to curious fair-goers.
Once business concluded, we grabbed a bite with our crew and bid them adieu, looking forward to seeing two of them this summer! Then we had yet another treat in store as we had been invited to Vincent’s home to dine with his parents. After a locals-only tour through the canals and Roman ruins of Manchester, we arrived at the Purcell home for a lovely evening of paella, sticky toffee pudding, and more laughter and stories. Hearing the perspective of an international staff member’s parents was a new one for me and again reinforced how lucky we are to work in a place like High Rocks.
Just like that, it was time to cross back over the pond and brace for some winter weather in NC. After that trip, we are even more excited for the new faces and familiar folks we get to see at camp soon!
We still hiring for our last few positions this summer. If you are interested or know of folks who would make great counselors, please reach out! You can email me at staffinfo@highrocks.com. Take a look at our staff website for more details!
– Woody Noland, Camp Director
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