Alex
Kowal
Hometown
Ossining, NY
Connection to Camp
7 Years • Cody Camper

I come back every year to see the people I’ve grown up with and enjoyed Camp Cody with. I like camp because it’s my escape from that boredom of my hometown and it’s a great way to stay active. To me, Cody means an escape from reality, a mixture of so many different people and a conglomerate of amazing memories. My favorite memories are all of the cabin stories with my friends that were made and shared throughout our time here, and all the inside jokes we have together.
The Summer of 2017 was my last year as a senior camper. When I came back from our overnight white water rafting trip, I met a new camper named Liam. For him, this was his first and last year at Cody as a senior camper. He was quiet and not very interested in all of the activities, but he was very nice and I wanted to make him love this place like I do. Everyday he was here, he opened up more and more as we included him in our activities and spent time with him. He ended up loving his time here, and we continue to keep in touch regularly. He even said that our cabin made it the best summer ever for him! THis was a great moment for me because I was able to share my love for camp with someone new, and our cabin worked together to make it an unforgettable summer experience.
During Mini Color War, I found my strength as a leader when a group of junior boys had a tough time in their cabin and with their counselors. I was able to connect with the boys in the cabin and talk to them about working together to make the cabin a fun and safe place for everyone, and I shared my own experiences from when I was a junior boy. After our conversation, they were actively listening to their counselor and they all got along. I stayed with their cabin for the rest of the day and we all had a really fun time during color war!
One thing that I learned as a CIT is that it doesn’t matter what you say, it matters how you say it. Tone and attitude mean everything, especially talking with campers and counselors. It’s so important to understand how someone is feeling when you talk to them, and I’ve learned a lot about asking the right questions and being empathetic and caring to the people that I talk to.