Two years ago I made the decision to "change careers" as it may be. I graduated from college in 2009 and before I even donned my cap and gown, I was already on my way to Florida with dreams of sunshine and a career with the Walt Disney Company. I had waited all year to return for my second internship at Walt Disney World, and now that graduation was around the corner, I was going to live my Disney dream.

With the help of the recruiter for my school, I was placed in a hotel where I got to facilitate children's activities all day. Disney has great programming for its hotel guests and as an intern, I was able to facilitate, plan, and create new activities in the resorts I worked in. Every day was a new adventure and I quickly found my stride and my place, but I wanted more! When my internship finished, I applied for a transfer to work at a resort front desk.

It wasn't long before I received a call for an interview with Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa. I was astounded to have the opportunity! I interviewed with the resorts' manager of concierge and was invited to come join the Grand Floridian Concierge team.

I was with Disney for 3 years before I made the decision to move to Houston, TX to be closer to family. I thought of the move as an opportunity to change career paths, and I was interested in returning to my childhood interest in summer camps. I had never worked at a summer camp, however, and I wasn't able to find the right position to transition into the camp community immediately. I went to work for JW Marriott Houston and decided to look again in a few months when it got closer to summer.

In February of 2013 I stumbled across a job posting for an Office Administrative position with Camp Champions. I still vividly remember sending it to my family in the middle of the night and telling them that I had found a summer camp in Texas that was offering the perfect job for me!  I sent my resume to Leah Ma'am and began learning about a new place that I would soon fall in love with.

So why camp over Disney? (Disney is a magical place, after all.) I think it comes down to the people. Camp Champions is all about relationships and I have a front row seat to the relationships our counselors have with each other and with our campers. Once someone left my desk at Disney, it was very rare that they would come back and share their experiences with me. At camp, our families love sharing their triumphs and invite us to celebrate with them. Relationships are a powerful thing, and I'm grateful for the ones that Camp Champions has brought into my life and feel blessed to be a part of such a wonderful camp family.

Want more like this? See also: Falling in Love with Camp (by the Camp Mom)