Especially For Youth

Counselor

May - July 2019 • Provo, UT

What I liked

I LOVED getting to connect with people every single day and be outdoors. I loved teaching and helping others. It is a very wholesome and energetic environment.

What I wish was different

I wish we would have been able to get more sleep throughout the week as counselors

Advice

Be prepared to walk a lot and be outside a lot- it can be a physically taxing job but it is SO worth it.

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Efy counselor

June - August 2019 • Provo, UT

What I liked

Helping youth by sharing the gospel of Jesus christ with them

What I wish was different

Worked longer with them

Advice

One of the best choices you'll ever make

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Especially For Youth Counselor

May 2019 • Provo, UT

What I liked

I love working with the youth and being in a spiritually uplifting environment, as well as having a ton of fun during all of the activities, games, and dances.

What I wish was different

I wish I had worked more weeks throughout the summer.

Advice

Keep a positive attitude the entire time and make it the best experience for the youth. When you focus on the youth, it makes your experience a million times more amazing than it already is and it is the most rewarding experience.

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Especially For Youth Counselor

June - July 2019 • Provo, UT

What I liked

Teaching youth the gospel

What I wish was different

Prepared more to not be so tired all the time

Advice

Have an open heart to your youth and teach and love them like you would your family

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Youth Counselor

May - August 2019 • Provo, UT

What I liked

I loved working with youth and with other people my age in the same life circumstance. It was super awesome to be with a bunch of other young adults with the same standards, all encouraging and helping one another to fulfill our duties. It was a very fun environment and I would recommend it to many--not all, because it is a lot of work that not everyone is willing to put in.

What I wish was different

I wish the time-off schedule had been arranged a bit differently. Some people had to stay up for night-watch and only got minimal time-off on that day, meanwhile other people on that same day had up to 5 hours of time-off.

Advice

Roll with it! Just do your best effort to help youth and counselors in that situation, consult with your co-counselor, and just go for it. There isn't exactly a right solution in every instance, except to communicate communicate communicate. If you are doing that, everything will turn our just fine.

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Summer Camp Counselor

May - August 2019 • Provo, UT

What I liked

I liked having a meaningful experience and the ability to positively affect other people.

What I wish was different

Advice

Be prepared to work long hard hours.

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EFY Health Counselor

June - August 2019 • Provo, UT

What I liked

It was a resume builder.

What I wish was different

Better/ more clear training

Advice

Take quality time off while on breaks to separate the job from your sense of self.

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Building Counselor

May - August 2019 • Provo, UT

What I liked

This job allowed me to develop professional and leadership skills in an enjoyable and challenging context.

What I wish was different

There were a handful of interpersonal problems at the beginning of the summer that we worked out.

Advice

Love everyone that you work with, both youth and counselors!

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Especially For Youth Councilor

May - August 2019 • Provo, UT

What I liked

Being an EFY (FSY) councilor had been an incredible experience. The people you work with are awesome and you forget you are being paid half the time. It’s definitely hard work sometimes, but it is worth it to see the kids grow.

What I wish was different

I wish I had been able to work more weeks. The more weeks you are willing to work the more likely you are to travel to other states.

Advice

If you work the entire summer it will be worth the money.

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Counselor

May - July 2019 • Santa Barbara, CA

What I liked

EFY (Especially For Youth) was like going on another mission. I was able to spend all day, nearly every day of the summer, helping teenagers come closer to Christ. It helped me build my personal testimony and leadership skills more than I would have been able to in three months anywhere else.

What I wish was different

Being a counselor for EFY meant taking the risk of paying for my own flight and missing classes for an interview in Utah, even when I was still at school in Hawaii. Because I felt so prompted that it was the right thing to do, I was willing to take that risk. But after all the costs of flights to get to and from Hawaii for this job, it's clear that I didn't do it for the money! If I hadn't felt such a strong prompting, I don't think I would have gone for the job because of this.

Advice

If you ever have the chance to be a youth counselor for any kind of camp, DO IT! Being a youth counselor helps you grow in ways that will build your leadership skills to help you improve in any career you are taking on in the future. Being an EFY counselor was proof to me that the best way to learn is by teaching.

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Especially For Youth Counselor

May - August 2019 • Provo, UT

What I liked

I loved my coworkers and the youth that I had the opportunity to work with. I loved what the job entailed and the purpose behind this job. I loved the places that I got to travel and the experiences I agained from this job.

What I wish was different

I wish I would have worked even more weekly sessions.

Advice

Focus on the youth you are serving and don’t focus on yourself. Make the most of every situation and enjoy your job. Work hard and you will see the rewards that come from your hard work and effort.

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Counselor

May - July 2019 • Provodnikovskoe, Moscow Oblast

What I liked

I loved the atmosphere. Everyone was doing their best even though we were all tired. Being able to help youth grow in so many ways was very humbling.

What I wish was different

Advice

Be sure to not stress about being unfamiliar with everything, just enjoy every second, and ask when you don't know something.

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Camp Counselor

May - August 2019 • Provo, UT

What I liked

I loved being able to teach and motivate youth to achieve goals and grow closer to Jesus Christ.

What I wish was different

I was exhausted by the end of the summer, weeks were long and hours were long. One thing I wish was that travel to and from location could be paid for.

Advice

It is an incredible experience full of inspiring moments.

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Camp Counselor

May - August 2019 • Provo, UT

What I liked

I loved working with the youth and also getting to work with people my own age with the same values.

What I wish was different

Advice

It will be crazy and hard, but so worth it.

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Youth Camp Counselor

May - August 2019 • Provo, UT

What I liked

Being in an uplifting environment

What I wish was different

More sleep :)

Advice

N/A

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Efy councilor

June - August 2019 • Provo, UT

What I liked

Loved working with youth.

What I wish was different

Went swimming more

Advice

If you have to opportunity to work with youth, do it.

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Camp Counselor

May - August 2019 • Provo, UT

What I liked

I loved the personal experience of working with youth! It was a very rewarding experience to have a direct connection with youth every day, teaching them about different principles for living.

What I wish was different

Communication between the main office and the counselors at the camps was occasionally difficult, but it was a large program with over 600 different people working all over the country. It was understandable.

Advice

If one were to become a counselor at EFY/FSY, I would highly suggest making time for yourself on weekends. Every week is long and difficult, and Saturdays were necessary to prepare for the week ahead. Whether it's catching up on sleep or looking ahead to the next week's priorities, look ahead to the next week.

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Camp Counselor

May - August 2019 • Provo, UT

What I liked

Loved working with the teenagers! They made a difference in my life.

What I wish was different

Later start time

Advice

If you want to make a difference, this is a job for you! Only do it if you are dedicated.

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EFY Counselor

June - August 2019 • Provo, UT

What I liked

The best part of the job was spending time with the youth and seeing them grow every week. It was a fun and uplifting environment and everyone was friendly. I will always treasure my experience with EFY.

What I wish was different

I didn't get much sleep while I worked, but I am not sure that could have changed. Other than that, it was all great.

Advice

This is a job designed to build the character of both the youth and you. Take advantage of the opportunity and treasure the experience while you have it. It will go quickly.

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EFY Counselor

May - August 2019 • Provo, UT

What I liked

I loved being able to work with the youth and have fun, but also learn to work in a team with other adults.

What I wish was different

One thing I wish would be different is the salary. I felt like because it was such a highly coveted job they could get off paying us less. But it was still a worthwhile experience.