Dylan

Howdy! I’m Dylan, and this is my first summer at Camp Augusta!! If you are an incoming camper, I am SO excited to meet you. Before I get a chance to learn about you, here’s a little bit about me.

Who am I?
I am 20 years old, born and raised in San Jose, California. I have an older brother and sister; we get along really well! When I was in high school, I spent my time running cross country, playing soccer, and speaking on the debate team. I currently attend Rice University in Houston, Texas, where I study political science. I plan to research the effectiveness of public policy, and am especially passionate about U.S. election reform (ask me about voting systems if you want to get me distracted)!
Fun fact: when I was a kid, I wanted to be a horse. When I realized that might be difficult, I decided I wanted to be a pizza delivery man for Little Caesars. When my parents told me to dream a little bigger, I said “fine, I’ll be a pizza CHEF at Little Caesars” (I really liked pizza). Alas, some dreams were not meant come true, so I decided to pursue my other (more fun) dream: to be a summer camp counselor. Working at Camp Augusta merges two of the most fulfilling aspects of my life thus far — kids and the outdoors.

A person sits outdoors on a chair, wearing shiny gold leggings, a black blazer, gray socks, and black sandals. They have sunglasses on their head and rest their chin on their hand, looking thoughtful. Trees are in the background.

Two high school soccer players jump to head the ball during a night game on an outdoor field, while other players watch and the bleachers in the background are sparsely filled.

Two young men stand side by side, one wearing a sombrero and a red lei, the other in a backward cap and glasses. Both wear T-shirts printed with the same image of themselves in the same outfits and poses.

A student in a graduation gown is lifted by a man while a woman in a red dress, with arms outstretched, joyfully leans on them. They are outdoors, surrounded by trees and people.

Kids, they’re neat!

I spent the summers of middle and high school helping lead summer programs at my Church and serving others in low-income communities with weeklong kids clubs programs. Taking that experience, I spent my summer after high school leading a group of 4^th and 5^th graders in a summer day camp, full of field games, field trips, science projects, and epic cardboard fort battles. In college, I have continued to work with kids by teaching online speech and debate classes to students aged 9-16. I love the energy and creativity that kids bring to any activity, and it has been a great privilege to have been able to help young people confidently express themselves and have fun while doing it.

A young adult helps two boys sitting on a wooden bench with coloring activities outdoors. One boy colors in a picture while the other watches, surrounded by crayons and coloring sheets. Other children are in the background.

Two women hold up a green cloth while three colorful puppets perform in front of a soccer goalpost on a dirt field, with trees and buildings visible in the background.

The Outdoors, I love it!

I had my first camp experience in the 5^th grade, and more than the friends and wild games, I remember the trees. It was the first time I had spent a significant amount of time in nature, and once I got a taste of the outdoors, I wanted more! My camp experiences ignited a passion for the outdoors that I love to continue to explore through hikes and backpacking trips. After a year spent mostly indoors looking at a screen, I can think of no job more gratifying than one where I get to spend every day in nature passing onto others the incredible camp experiences I had as a kid.

A dense forest of tall, straight trees with thick trunks and lush green undergrowth. Moss-covered logs and ferns cover the forest floor under a canopy of towering trees reaching toward the sky.

A person sits on a rope swing over a shallow creek, surrounded by lush green plants and trees, smiling broadly with arms outstretched.

A lone tree stands in a grassy field under a partly cloudy blue sky, with a dirt path curving into the distance on the left side of the image.

Some things I like:

Dark chocolate
Movies (my favorite is Inception)
American history
Playing board games, cards, DND with friends
juggling
Hiking/backpacking
Soccer (my favorite team is Bayern Munich)
Photography, videography
Frisbee, disc golf
Classical music
The office supply aisle at Target
Impromptu rap battles
Tortilla Chips

A person in gold leggings and dark clothes sits cross-legged on a chair in a store aisle, holding snacks and cards. A large backpack, frisbee, juggling balls, and shelves of office and cleaning supplies are visible around them.

Some things I don’t like:

Corn nuts
When the sink faucet is really short, so you have to mush your hands against the back of the sink bowl when you wash them
Spoons (I think they’re overrated, #teamfork)
…that’s it!

I Can’t wait to meet you!

A young man with short brown hair smiles at the camera. The background features a red and yellow radial pattern.