Prepared for Uncertainty
If there is one thing Katelee McCormic has learned at Springfield College, it’s how to deal with uncertainty. A native of Guam, she traveled to the other side of the world to attend college, not knowing what to expect.
When she arrived at Springfield College, her journey began with Pre-Camp and she soon discovered that East Campus was exactly what she was looking for.
As a health education major, the staff and resources at East Campus have allowed Katelee to grow personally and professionally. She took Outdoor Pursuits, worked as a counselor at Camp Massasoit, completed challenge course facilitation, and now works as the challenge course program director at Camp Massasoit in addition to working as a facilitator during the school year.
Katelee also works as a peer educator, teaching health programs to students in the local community:
“I can take everything I’ve learned through challenge course facilitation and peer education into the classroom and have my students learn a lot and also enjoy it while they’re doing it,” she said.
Her experiences as a facilitator at East Campus have also prepared her for uncertainty.
“I can make this whole plan up and the group that comes in might be 30 minutes late. That plan goes out the window. Learning how to work on the fly with a lot of things has helped me be calmer,” she said.
Katelee has also learned that uncertainty can provide clarity. When the pandemic began and students had to switch to remote learning, she wanted nothing more than to be able to go back to East Campus.
“It was just a really telling sign of ‘This is what I want to do.’ Not having this place to go, not having these classes to take, the ability to facilitate and work with other people, made me realize that” she said.
Katelee hopes to one day work in outdoor education and combines her love of experiential learning with her love of health and wellness.
“I really want to be able to work with these kids and give them everything that this east campus journey has given to me. Being able to learn, develop, and grow,” she said. “East Campus is the best resource that Springfield College has to offer in all honesty. There is no better place to be.”
