Alex Gogel Email and Phone Number

Horizon Day Camp (part of the Sunrise Association) is a daily summer camp that is free for children with cancer and their siblings. I originally applied for a counselor position and volunteered to become a certified lifeguard, but because of my long history of camp-work, I was brought on as an upper-level staff position – unit head. The camp is broken up into units by age-groups, and I was tasked with heading the "Stormers" unit, broken up into two bunks of children aged 7-10. As a unit head, I was responsible for guiding, assisting, and instructing the 6 counselors on my staff, as well as ensuring the happiness, safety, and social development of my roughly 30 campers. It was my job to create and foster a positive and productive camp environment for every single camper, making me responsible resolving interpersonal conflicts, the phone calls made to parents about behavioral or safety issues, and the constant modeling of positive communication and practices. I was also the only person on the entire staff who received their lifeguard certification, which meant for one hour every day, I would swap out with another member of upper-staff, and be guarding at the pool.