Sharing Her Love
After a pandemic-induced closure during the summer of 2020, Camp Massasoit resumed activities during summer 2021, much to the enjoyment of the campers. No one knows this joy better than Cassidy Thompson, Class of 2024.
Thompson, an applied exercise science major with a minor in outdoor education, had been a Camp Massasoit camper since she was 9 years old, and this summer was her first as a counselor.
“I got to share my love of East Campus with everyone else, and it was probably one of the best summers I’ve ever had,” she said.
Thompson enjoys being able to develop her leadership skills as a counselor while watching the campers build their confidence as they learn new activities, whether it’s shooting arrows in archery or navigating the high ropes elements.
Beyond observing their individual development, Thompson noticed a renewed social interaction among the older campers, some of whom were seeing their long-time friends for the first time in two summers.
“I think they realized that they really took it for granted when they didn’t have camp last year. They were so excited to come back and see their friends again,” she said.
For Thompson, the experience of working at East Campus is about more than sharing her love of Camp Massasoit with the next generation of campers. She hopes to find a profession that combines her love of the outdoors with her love of strength and conditioning.
Those two passions merged when Thompson helped develop the new strength and conditioning circuit at East Campus. Under the supervision of Assistant Professor of Strength and Conditioning Mary Kate Feit, G’09, PhD’20, the project involved creating a fun way for members of the Springfield College community to train in an outdoor setting.
“A lot of the exercises use logs that you can find in nature. You can get a good workout in without having to go to a gym or having the best equipment,” she said.
Having the resources and opportunity to design the circuit reassured Thompson that she is exactly where she wants to be.
East Campus has already provided her with career development and leadership opportunities, but it’s also been a respite from the hustle and bustle of campus life.
“I’m a resident assistant, and I tell every single one of my residents to go out to East Campus because everyone who steps foot on East Campus seems to love it. There’s something for everybody, even if it’s just sitting outside,” she said.
Watch this video to learn how faculty from the strength and conditioning program collaborated with East Campus staff to create a unique outdoor space for students to train.
