Edith Canales

Secured position at Bard College through multiple recommendations.
Engaged with various stakeholders to build professional relationships. I work five days a week, for four hours every day.

I make sure that the house is clean every day for the president. I would have to clean the kitchen, about five bathrooms, three bedrooms, clean the furniture, and then I would vacuum and mop.

Since he is the president, he has a big office, so I would have to make sure all his books are dusted off. Organize all his papers, and clean his desk for him to work from.

I make sure I am out of everyone's way and try to be fast and efficient.

Almost the same years i was a camp councilor i was a counselor for a before and after care program for an elementary school. During the last three years that I was working there, I was a counselor for second graders through fifth graders. These kids had a lot of energy in them, since they just had 6 hours of school. This was a really fun job for me, since there were a lot of activities that were scheduled from 3 o'clock to 6 o'clock. Other than snack and recess time, there were different activities every day throughout the week. On Mondays, we would have an arts and crafts activity; on Tuesdays, it is a S.T.E.M. activity. Then, on Wednesday, there's a cooking activity, Thursdays are sports days, and finally, on Fridays, it is Fun Fridays. We had so many fun activities to keep the kids entertained and intrigued for the whole 3 hours. Such as at the end of every month, we have a whole movie day! The kids and I had a close relationship too; they would try to test their boundaries. But they would know what wrong is and have a distinguished and appropriate discipline. With all these jobs I had with children, I was really prepared for the internships that I had to take for my college classes. It really impressed myself and the teachers with how much knowledge I have with the children.

Working at this camp opened my eyes to a lot of new experiences, such as meeting new people, starting something new for myself, and making me realize how fast children really comprehend things.

When I first started working at the camp, I was entering an environment where I didn't know anyone. I had to learn how to open up to new people, but this made me get out of my own shell. This taught me that meeting new people isn't scary at all; it, in fact, is really fun. On the first day, I was so nervous about not making any counselor friends or being a good counselor. The first year I was a councilor, I had a group of four- and five-year-olds. This group made me realize how smart they really are, considering their age. Such as listening to directions when the expectations are set in stone. In the beginning of every day, we would go over the expectations, so they can remember them. After this year, they switched me to be a counselor for an all-girls group that consisted of 10- and 11-year-olds. This group was really fun, but it had a lot of drama. This taught me a lot of patience, and how to grow and make decisions as a grown-up. For example, giving some discipline when needed. Also, this would make me talk to all the girls one-on-one about the problems they are having. this made me have a strong bonding relationship with all the girls in the group. They knew they could count on me and tell me anything, within the expectations that were given at the beginning of the summer. For example, not talking over someone else, being respectful to other people, and showing that they are strong enough for anything they put their mind to. I was with these girls' counselor for two straight summers. Year after year, we all had a close bond and considered our group and our tent as a safe place. Confiding in me by telling me the problems and issues they are going through that day, or just anything they are feeling.

These years were really great, and I loved being a counselor; it taught me many, many things.