Baylor Summer: Sharing Love and Joy with Future Bears

When class is dismissed for the last time in May, students eagerly apply themselves to pursuits that amplify their academic studies. After all, Baylor’s college education is not contained in just the classroom. A Baylor education involves learning in ways that reveal new passions, investing in students’ interests and competencies and expanding the limits of what students thought they could do and where they would go.

There are some expected pathways for students to stay engaged with their academic goals, including taking summer classes and studying abroad. Baylor offers students a chance to catch up or advance their studies with online and in-person classes through Summer of Discovery, and students can travel all over the world with their choice of dozens of study abroad opportunities. Summer classes and study abroad are hallmarks of the undergraduate learning experiences at which Baylor excels, but the possibilities begin — not end — there.  

For sophomore Austin Emery, working at summer camp is a highlight of the year, and the joy of the summer spills into the rest of the year. The past two summers, he has been a camp counselor with Pine Cove City, and he is ready to join the team for a third time. 

“My sister was the one who got me interested in working with Pine Cove, and I had the privilege of working with her for my first two summers. I grew up a military kid, so I traveled around often and never had the chance to go to camp as a kid. I wanted something to do for the summer to keep me busy. It sounded like a great opportunity to serve some kids and just have a lot of fun.”

While Pine Cove operates with the traditional summer camp model in which the kids go to camp to stay for a portion of the summer, Pine Cove City brings camp to the kids. Emery is a counselor with Team Edge, and they travel to nine different churches throughout the summer to set up camp for a week in each location for kids aged first grade through sixth grade.

“A big reason for wanting to be a camp counselor was that I could work with kids. I have four siblings and three of them are younger, so I’ve worked with younger children my entire life, which is something I’ve loved doing,” Emery shared. “Another reason is I wanted to do something that was personally meaningful. Pine Cove is a Christian summer camp, so it’s a great way to share my faith and grow as a leader.”

Emery’s experiences at camp have even shaped how he approaches his major at Baylor. 

“I never really thought about going into ministry much at all growing up, but working at camp opened my eyes to a lot of different opportunities for me that I could possibly pursue.”

Rather than thinking about ministry as a separate calling, Emery is now considering how he can use his business major to serve ministries or churches. 

“Camp has changed my desires and what I want for myself. I want my life to more align with my faith as well. It’s brought both those worlds together.”

Every May, Baylor hosts a camp counselor commissioning ceremony for students like Emery who will spend their summers investing in younger generations. For Emery, the event is evidence of the quick bonds that camp forges. 

“It’s a really awesome experience to meet people that work at other camps. People who have worked at camp before can share experiences between camps. It’s a great time of community that Baylor provides us with.”

Camp has woven together Emery’s approach to school, his connection to peers and service in his church, but the biggest outcome is getting to share love and joy with the kids year after year. 

“It’s awesome to see the kids love to live with each other, go through life together and even comfort each other in some circumstances. It’s just awesome to see that childlike joy and that childlike faith.”