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Former CHMK Campers Teach Lessons as Counselors

Wouldn’t it be fun to be a summer camper forever? Hiking through the cool canopy of woods, canoeing along the banks of a quiet lake or singing silly songs around a campfire? Though that might not be a reality for most people, for several former Camp Ho Mita Koda campers, returning to the camp as counselors is the perfect way to spend their summers and re-live their great camp days. For most of the counselors at the Newbury, Ohio camp, the special pull of wonderful camp memories and the desire to be role models for children and teenagers coping with diabetes leads these young adults back to Camp Ho Mita Koda’s beautiful setting.

Camp Ho Mita Koda was a significant part of counselor Kelly Richardson’s childhood, and each year she couldn’t wait to return. A resident of Lakewood, Kelly was a camper for nine years and has been on the counseling staff for three years. “I always wanted to be a camp counselor because I never wanted to stop going to camp!” she says.

Kelly has many great memories of her days as a camper including playing “capture the flag,” taking canoe trips, going roller-skating and going on “yeti” hunts. “My favorite part of being a camp counselor is giving the kids the great experiences and the lasting memories that I got when I was a camper.”

Learning about diabetes management also was an important part of her camp experiences. Kelly first saw insulin pumps on fellow campers when she was a pre-teenager at camp which led to her getting her own pump not long after. Besides making sure the campers are having fun, Kelly enjoys teaching them what she knows about diabetes and how to cope with the disease. “I tell campers to always stay on top of their diabetes--even if they are sick of it and have other things they would rather be doing, don’t put things off,” she advises. “I tell them to test their blood sugar often, and don’t let things get out control. The more they take care of their [blood] sugars, the better they will feel!”

Kelly will be graduating from Purdue University in May and will be enrolled this fall at the University of Louisville where she will pursue her Master’s Degree in Public Health. She hopes to be a returning once again to Camp Ho Mita Koda this summer.

As a small child, counselor Katie Maggiore spent one summer as a camper at Camp Ho Mita Koda. She decided to become a counselor this past summer because she loves working with kids. “These kids have so much energy and are so full of life!” she says. “I also thought working with kids with diabetes would not only be beneficial to them but to me as well.”

The Brecksville resident has been a swimmer since she was nine and leads a lot of the water activities for campers at the camp’s pool and six-acre lake. Katie’s synchronized water routines are a popular addition to the camp’s activities.

Katie sees herself as a positive role model for the campers at Camp Ho Mita Koda. “I have done so many things throughout my life that might seem extremely difficult to do while having diabetes,” she says, “but if you put your mind to it, you can do it!” She tells campers to never be afraid to shoot for their dreams. “Just because you are a little different from other kids doesn’t mean you can’t achieve your goals.”

Another part of camp Katie loves is the relationships she has made with other staff members. “I have kept in touch with many of my fellow staff members during the year and can’t wait to get back to see everyone again this summer.”

Katie is a finishing up her sophomore year at The Ohio State University. She is majoring in Human Development and Family Science and plans to pursue her Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education.

Not all of Camp Ho Mita Koda’s counselors are former campers. For Josh Wynn of Hudson, working at CHMK was a win-win situation. Josh has type 1 diabetes and working with campers in the same situation seemed like a good fit for him when he was looking for a summer job. He’s been a counselor for five years and has too much fun each summer to even consider working anywhere else.

Josh considers himself to be “just a big kid” and enjoys being outside all summer. He enjoys taking campers on hikes in the woods—an activity that campers seem to really enjoy--and developing fun activities with the other counselors to make each session memorable for the campers.

As a role model for campers with diabetes, Josh has learned that you can’t be upset if your blood glucose numbers aren’t always perfect. He advises his campers to just do their best and take care of themselves. “Diabetes only limits you if you let it.” A recent college graduate of Bowling Green State University, Josh is hoping to begin his career as a teacher this fall.

Micah Momient of Cleveland spent the past several summers at Camp Ho Mita Koda. He was a camper for four years and hopes to begin his fourth year as a counselor this summer. Micah is a senior at Central State University where he’s studying to be a music teacher. “I love kids,” he says. “Being a counselor is a lot of work, but I feel it’s important to be a mentor to the kids while making sure they’re having fun.

Micah stresses to campers the importance of building long-lasting relationships in their lives and gaining support from friends. He met one of his best friends at Camp Ho Mita Koda. “Before I ever went to camp, I felt so isolated and alone with my diabetes,” he says. “I was happy to learn there were other kids my age in the same situation and that helped me accept my diabetes.” Micah also tells campers to stay on top of their diet and medications and not to let what others who don’t understand diabetes stand in their way. “It doesn’t matter what anyone says to you because in the end, it’s your life. You have to do what you can to live as normal a life as possible.”

For more than 80 years, Camp Ho Mita Koda has been the summer retreat for thousands of children seeking a fun break from the regular routine of managing their diabetes. For these former campers and many others, their return to camp as counselors has given them the opportunity to pass along their love of camp to another generation of campers and to serve as positive role models to children and teenagers living with diabetes.