WYPW Adventures 312 Jericho Rd, Hillsborough, NC 27278  email phone: (919) 732-2274 cell: (919) 724 9449

My name is Dakota Thompson and I returned to Walk Your Path Well as a junior counselor the summer of 2011.  I have been going to Walk Your Path Well for many years first as a camper, then as a volunteer, and now as a junior counselor.  I enjoyed Walk Your Path Well as a camper so much I wished to bring my creativity and energy to the camp to help ensure that the new campers would love the camp as much as I do and more.  While volunteering at Walk Your Path Well I really got to see how much the kids were enjoying this camp and I wanted to remain a part of it because seeing the kids  having such a great time  was infectious and made me have a great time too.  Now I am working here at Walk Your Path Well and still loving every bit of it.

When I am not at Walk Your Path Well I attend Jordan High School in the fall and spring, and a ski academy in the winter, Waterville Valley Academy, New Hampshire.  At this Academy I go to school for half the day and the other half I spend Alpine ski racing and training in hopes of making the US ski team or a college ski team.  I have been the #1 USSA skier in North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia for two years and am in the top 10% of all New England skiers.  I have been invited to compete in the Easter Junior Olympics twice and have done quite well there.  The experiences I have had from skiing have taught me how to be independent, determined, and to never give up.  These are great lessons that I hope to share with the Walk Your Path Well campers.

Jeremy Fox, a student at East Chapel Hill High School, has been involved with the Walk Your Path Well Adventures program for more than five years, first as a camper, then as a CIT, and now as a Jr. counselor. Through the camp, Jeremy has gained a love of the outdoors, as well as a love of working with children. “Walk Your Path Well has inspired me,” says Jeremy. “When I first came to the camp, I was scared of getting lost in the woods, and now, I backpack on the Appalachian Trail during long weekends.” He has been one of the pioneers of the new Walk Your Path Well, introducing new elements into the camp games, along with providing ideas for new activities and programs. Jeremy is very interested in wilderness survival, studying many survival aspects such as shelter building and plant identification, and most importantly, elements of fire making.

Jeremy is very involved outside of the Walk Your Path Well community. In addition to his backpacking adventures, Jeremy studies Tae Kwon Do at Neill’s Tae Kwon Do and Fitness, where he teaches martial arts, along with participating as an active member of the Demo/Competition team. At school, Jeremy is a member of a number of community service clubs, such as Habitat for Humanity, along with writing as a staff-journalist for the student run newspaper, the East Chapel Hill Observer. In his spare time, Jeremy can be found playing his guitar, freerunning with his friends, or spending time with his loving family.

The Walk Your Path Well program has been energized by the talents of many enthusiastic staff members. Along with our director, our camps are led by two adult counselors who have experience with outdoor adventure activities and experience in working with kids. Counselors are typically college students or graduates who have worked for Walk Your Path Well or area camps in the past. Our camps are assisted by counselors-in-training who have been participants in the Walk Your Path Well program. 

Counselors and assistants are personally interviewed by the director. Staff participate in training programs and receive certifications in CPR and First Aid or Wilderness First Aid. Many of our counselors are great athletes, musicians, and artists. Some of our counselors in the past have been world travelers, dynamic storytellers, experts in animal life, or leaders in programs like Outward Bound.

A great camp experience begins with having great staff who are able to help kids connect to the outdoors. Counselors enhance the camp experience by leading storytelling and games. Our guides are great motivators who work to help all adventurers gain experience and confidence in the outdoors.

Megan Smith is from the state of Montana and grew up spending the majority of her time outdoors exploring the Big Sky Country.  She is a strong believer of getting kids outside to discover, enjoy, and learn about their surroundings. She wants them to both appreciate and enjoy nature as she does.

 

 While working one summer at Glacier National Park located in Montana,  she spent her off time hiking in a landscape of glaciers and grizzly bears. It was there that she realized her passion for the outdoors and took that direction in her studies at the University of Montana.  Megan is excited to graduate this December with a degree in Natural Resource Management. 

 

 In her spare time, Megan volunteers for Big Brothers and Big Sisters, as well as for the Watershed Education Network, a program that educates children on the importance of river health. Her hobbies include hiking, biking, picnics, improving her cooking skills, and discovering new teas. Megan has a deep love for traveling and experiencing new cultures. She recently traveled to the UK and Spain and is planning her next big adventure to New Zealand.