Stanford Sierra Camp

Waterski and Wakeboard Instructor

June - September 2018 • South Lake Tahoe, CA

What I liked

The culture of the workplace is one that promotes healthy growth via hands-on experience. It is a very action oriented job, where each shift expects you to be a master of that shift by the end of the 13-week job. I believe that the employee and applicant pool draw in very adventurous, willing, and competent people and as such make working on this 60–person peer-based staff very exciting. It is also incredible how easily accessible the wilderness areas are.

What I wish was different

In all honesty, the amount of work deserves a higher pay. With that being said, you are living on essentially a private lake, with food and housing covered by Stanford Sierra Programs.

Advice

I would advise anyone looking for a job at Sierra Camp to go into with an open mind. This job will push your boundaries and allow you to grow in facets of customer service, food service, and many other areas. You will get out of this job, what you put in.

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Camp Counselor

June - September 2018 • South Lake Tahoe, CA

What I liked

I loved the opportunity to make alumni connections, work with kids, and spend so much time being silly with other Stanford students. It was one of the craziest and most fun summers I can imagine having, and I learned a lot.

What I wish was different

I wish I had more seriously considered how exhausting the job can be - I was told by former staffers that it would be tiring, but didn’t really find out until I got there. It’s a lot of body- and brain-wrecking labor and sleeplessness.

Advice

Use the connections you make, both on campus and off. Sierra Camp is like real-world, luxurious LinkedIn for Stanford people. You will form tight relationships with a diversity of other students, and meet countless well-connected alumni families. I think it is vital to use that privilege to make good happen in the world.

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