“This is truly where God wants me to be,” says Megan Shackelford, a fifth-grade math and science teacher in Florida. “I cannot imagine myself anywhere else.”
Megan has always wanted to be a teacher, but her experiences on staff at Lutherock were foundational for her journey to being an educator. “It takes a lot to get in front of 10-year-olds every day and have them listen to you,” Megan says. “I gained that kind of confidence at camp.”
Megan grew up going to summer camp at Lutherock and Lutheridge. Becoming a counselor was a childhood dream come true, but it was also challenging. “I tended to be very soft spoken and hesitant to try new things when I arrived for my first summer, so I was nervous about everything,” Megan says. That summer, Megan benefitted from the mentorship of experienced counselors. “They helped me see that being your best, quirky self is exactly what God put you on earth to be,” Megan shares. “By the end of the summer, I realized ‘I’ve got this!’ Camp really helped me become a more confident and stronger version of myself.”
It was also important to Megan to be the kind of supportive and nurturing counselor that she had when she was a camper. “I remembered what it was like for me when I went to camp,” Megan recalls. “As a camper, being in an environment where it was okay to ask questions was valuable to me. Camp was a place where I learned to appreciate God in the little moments and really be more aware of God’s presence. That made me more aware of God in the everyday moments of my life. As a counselor, I wanted to provide a safe space for others to experience that like I had.”
As a teacher, Megan still relies on many of the skills and lessons she learned as a Lutherock counselor. “At camp, I got to see kids of all ages interact with each other out of the classroom,” she says. “Getting to be around children all summer helped me understand what motivates them and how they like to have fun. I constantly use camp games and activities in the classroom, especially when we are stuck inside for recess.”
Megan considers her work as a teacher to be a calling, a place where she can live out her faith. “Every day I get to show God’s love to my students. They have all kinds of needs and it’s really amazing to get to be God’s presence in their lives.”
Your gifts to NovusWay give young adults opportunities to grow in faith, gain confidence, and use the skills they learn at camp in a variety of vocations. Thank you for helping raise up the leaders our world needs.
