By Chad Hershberger 

July 19, 1981, was the first day I ever set foot at Camp Mount Luther. My Sunday School teacher encouraged me to come to camp, I signed up and arrived that Sunday afternoon. My first week was incredible—I met new friends, grew in my faith, appreciated the staff and the community they built for us, and enjoyed being in God’s great creation.

Before the week was out, I knew I wanted to be a counselor at Camp Mount Luther. I set my sights on that dream. When I was a junior in high school, I got a call from a camp staff friend of mine who told me to reach out to the camp administrator. They were desperate for counselors and maybe he would hire me, even though I did not meet the normal age requirement. I did, he did interview me, but later offered me work on maintenance or in the kitchen. I didn’t want to do that so I declined, determined to apply the following year.

Which I did and I got a job as a counselor. I graduated from high school on a Wednesday night and early Thursday morning I drove to camp and began my first year on staff. It was First Aid/CPR training day when I arrived, so I bonded with staff over bandages and chest compressions on mannequins.

Following staff training, I got my first group of campers. I was tested. I was challenged. I had the most challenging camper to come through the system in quite a long time. He had some behavioral issues and it took us about half a week to get him in a routine that he started to thrive more as a camper. We had to put a lot of work into him. At the end of the week, it was all worth it when I heard him say to his mom, “See. I made it.” She had told him he wouldn’t make it a week at camp and that we would have to call her to get him early.

The same things I appreciated as a camper I loved even more as a counselor. Getting to be outside, doing the camp activities, and building community each week were highlights. The biggest highlight for me, and still is to this day, was the opportunity to have deep relationships with my fellow staff. They turned out to be some of my best friends in this whole world and when we get together, albeit more infrequently now, we pick right up where we left off. I learned so much from them, laughed, cried, and did silly things. I loved it so much that I was on summer staff for five years while in college and I loved almost every minute of it.

I say that because it is challenging work. The days are long. Campers can be challenging. You get tired and hungry, and don’t know how you are going to make it. But as I say to the staff, “A bad day at camp is better than a good day most other places!” It is such rewarding work where you see how you’ve made the difference in someone’s life.

We are currently recruiting for Summer Staff 2025. We are looking to hire program staff, cabin leaders, and support help for our season which will run from June 1 to August 1. If you are reading this and you are a college student, prayerfully consider if you might like to give this work a try. If you are someone who knows a college student who might benefit from a summer working at camp, share this blog post and encourage them to apply. If it was not for that Sunday School teacher who encouraged me to give camp a try 44 years ago, I would not be where I am today!

Are YOU ready to make a difference this summer? Our Staff applications for Summer 2025 are open! And, if you know a young adult looking for work, send them this information in a text message:

Camp Mount Luther is hiring young adults who want to have their BEST. SUMMER. EVER. and I think you’d be PERFECT for that job. Apply now for a summer camp staff position at campmountluther.org/jobs!