A message from Ryan, Assistant Director

Hey there everyone! This is my first post on the blog and I want to tell you a bit about my Kanata story...

I started coming to camp in 1995. I was a camper in cabin 10 which was a Spartan cabin back then. One of my favorite memories is lying on my back on the picnic table with my head hanging off the edge so I could look at the world upside down. Just goes to show that it's the little moments spent laughing with friends that last a lifetime.

I kept coming back and eventually ended up in the Staff Trainee Program as a CILT and then as a CIT. Those were some of the best and hardest years as I learned that Camp wasn't about me having fun anymore--it was all about the campers having fun! I think I had the most fun serving food in the dining hall and doing the other chores around camp. It felt good to know I was making a difference even if no one noticed.

In 2001 I started on staff in the Ranger unit and the real learning began! Being a counselor was a lot of fun but no one prepared me for how exhausted I would be at the end of every day. It was good going to bed knowing I'd really done something during the day. Ropes was my favorite class to teach and eventually I ran the ropes course for a summer in 2004. In 2005 I joined the administrative team as the head male counselor. In 2006 I was the summer assistant director and then started full-time in the fall.

Now I'm the full-time Assistant Director and I'm in charge of hiring all the staff for the summer--a big job but a fun one--and I make sure Day Camp is safe, fun and exciting for campers and counselors alike.

People always ask if I love my job and I'm always surprised by the question. Of course I love my job! You don't stay at a place for 15 years without some amount of love. I love the people I work with and I love that I can give back to campers what was given to me when I was 11 years old.

I'm looking forward to a great summer and I hope you are too.

Ryan Eves
Assistant Director
ryan.eves@campkanata.org