Jesseca Kusher

I am forever grateful for the lessons I have learned at camp over the years, but one in particular has stuck with me this week.

“The very basic core of a man’s living spirit is his passion for adventure.” –Jon Krakauer, Into the Wild

My very first experience at a sleep away summer camp was around the age of 11. While I failed to get the Hogwarts letter I so craved, summer camp gave me something equally magical. I found myself in an intentional community of similarly passionate people who all wanted to love and explore the woods together.

Close to a decade later I joined a staff group of primarily college-aged millennial hippies; some of whom had already figured out how to “adult” — or at least fake it pretty well. Truth be told, we were all just big kids. We were decent at our jobs leading campers through the woods, jumping across little streams, and spinning under the stars because we shared that similar excitement for the natural world.

That summer, like the summers that followed, began with various training periods for new staff to learn camp policy and the like. On one of the last days of our all-staff orientation a teacher and friend introduced us to a principle outlined by William Glasser in the 1920s. Essentially, Glasser says that we are driven by five basic needs: survival, love and belonging, power, freedom, and fun.

“Essentially, Glasser says that we are driven by five basic needs: survival, love and belonging, power, freedom, and fun.”

While I learned this lesson years ago, the truth of it stays with me. At camp I used Glasser’s principle to understand the discomfort of a camper, or to re-engage a group of rambunctious tweens; and for then, that was all I needed it for. Since then, the lesson has grown to help me understand that while the five basic needs are important tools for giving students agency, they also provide insight into differing perspectives.

I have realized, as I have developed greater skills as a teacher and guide that my needs have shifted over the years. Initially I recognized that I had a high power need, perhaps stemming from some insecurities I held in regards to my skills in the field. I thought I could overcome my insecurities and fears by taking on additional leadership roles and responsibilities. It has taken the sweet distance of time to realize that I was capable all along; and to appreciate that I have matured enough to step back and share responsibilities with others.

We should surround ourselves with friends, employees, and teachers who actively support one another and ensure that all share a sense of belonging. Without a sense of belonging, how can we give those in our care the feeling of safety they need to be engaged? Additionally, without offering a sense of belonging to the greater community of our co-workers and friends, how can we properly function as a team?

After many years of being guided by others, I feel like a more realized leader and guide. I know that I have the skills and perspective it takes to develop an intentional community just as my summer camp counselors once did for me.