Camp Experiences Make College Essays a Breeze
By Rosie Paulik
For many Ogichi Daa Kwe LDACs and CITs, the near future involves a four-year college. They’ve most likely been prepping their whole high school careers to apply for their dream school, which usually involves SAT or ACT preparation, a comprehensive list of extracurricular activities and a captivating college admissions essay. Nowadays, over 1,000 colleges and universities accept the “Common App”—including all eight Ivy League schools—which allows students to use a single application multiple times.
High school seniors who choose to use the Common App are given seven essay prompts to choose from, including lessons learned through personal obstacles, reflection on gratitude, or personal growth. It isn’t surprising that many Ogichi high school seniors choose to reflect on their time at camp in their essay. Most recently, both Helen Vandenbark and Margaret Sullivan, two Ogichi campers who are returning as CITs this year, used their canoe trip experience to write compelling essays for admissions.
Helen Vandenbark, from Hudson, Wisconsin, who has been coming to camp since 2015, chose to focus her essay on her learned skill of mindfulness, a skill found and exorbitantly used in the Canadian wilderness.
She writes, “At 10 years old, I took my very first canoe trip at Camp Ogichi Daa Kwe, and that was the beginning of a new and burning passion for the wilderness. Overwhelmed by both anxiety and excitement, I loved the feeling of being surrounded by the pines, paddling fiercely among the lakes nestled between them. This past summer, however, I sat quietly during a sunrise paddle. I was able to appreciate the solitude of the moment without the temptation of starting a conversation with my bowman. Over the course of many wilderness trips with countless moments of both uncomfortability and challenge, I have grown from being an unsure girl to a young woman possessing a strong sense of self and an excitement for life, wherever I am.”
Margaret Sullivan, local to Northfield, Illinois, who first came to Ogichi in 2021, chose to focus her essay on headwinds. Through those canoe trip days filled with adversity, Margaret learns the destination makes the journey worth it.
She writes, “Paddle hard. A strong paddle must be consistent and powerful. When a boat partner begins to lose this stroke, it can lead to conflict, frustration, and most of all, danger. In a day of extreme wind and waves, a strong paddle requires all your strength and willpower. As I saw the fear in my partner’s eyes, it was clear her paddles would soon weaken. Despite my own exhaustion and concern, I gathered all the strength within me to continue. As my arms ached and tears streamed down my face, I briefly considered quitting. However, I felt our boat begin to move and I knew we would be okay. After paddling over 20 kilometers each day, it becomes muscle memory; however, in moments of adversity, it can seem impossible.”
We’ve always known Ogichi Daa Kwe is more than just a summer camp, and the more years we spend on Rainy Lake, the more it becomes our way of life. Lessons learned on a canoe trip are invaluable, and alumni who are now long past college and far from worried about their ACT scores, reading this piece in Songs of the Paddle, would also attest to this.
Congratulations to Helen Vandenbark who will be attending Montana State University, and Margaret Sullivan who will be attending Kansas University, both in the fall of 2023.