Tori Kalman

CAMP COUNSELOR

04/2017 – 05/2017, 04/2019 - 05/2019

I worked as a camp counselor for Camp Tecumseh in Brookston, Indiana. At Camp Tecumseh, I lead rotating groups of 7th graders in various educational outdoor activities including rock climbing, canoeing, hiking, and orienteering; these activities were paired with educational lessons that I helped to develop and teach.

COMMUNITY EVENT ORGANIZER

 06/2020 – Present Day 

I regularly schedule, host, and lead team-based events, both online and in person, that require involved team communication, creative problem solving, and strict time management.

CHILD CARE ASSISTANT 

08/2015 – 03/2020 

I worked bi-weekly at Northview Church with 4-year-old children. My tasks included supervising the children, leading story-time, arts and crafts, snack time, as well as check-in and check-out.

SEASONAL CONSTRUCTION VOLUNTEER  

07/2015 – 07/2018

Every summer from 2015 to 2018, I spent a week in Memphis, Tennessee working with an organization called Service Over Self. Service Over Self works in impoverished neighborhoods all over Memphis helping to re-roof houses that have fallen into disrepair. As a volunteer, I re-roofed or performed in-house repair jobs for 8-9 hours. After the workday, teams of volunteers would return to the base of operations to help facilitate small food drives and other similar services.

This program impacted me more than any other volunteer experience. Because of the socioeconomic makeup of Memphis, and the religious nature of the organization, I learned a lot about working with underserved communities. It was my second trip that taught me that just how much these small communities within the city looked out for each other, and that we could learn from the people we were helping. They had just as much to offer us as we had to offer them, just in different ways. I try to take this attitude of community, empathy, and open-mindedness to every one of my endeavors.