FROM CAMPER TO MENTOR: A FULL CIRCLE JOURNEY

FROM CAMPER TO MENTOR: A FULL CIRCLE JOURNEY

Stella Hagen’s love for theatre began during a 2017 school field trip when her fourth-grade class attended a student matinee of GREAT Theatre’s performance James and the Giant Peach at the Paramount Center for the Arts. That performance planted a seed in her heart – she watched the actors on stage in awe. Somebody from GREAT told the students attending about GREAT’s summer theatre camps and Stella was sold. “I NEED to be in one of these camps!”

She got her wish.

That summer, Stella signed up for GREAT’s summer theatre camps, and from then on, it became a part of her life every summer until she was 16. Stella attributes theatre camps to making her a better actor and a better friend. In fact, theatre has led to some of her most cherished friendships! 

This year, after graduating from Royalton High School, Stella came full circle. She was hired as one of our teaching artists for summer camps, where she helped 177(!) campers build confidence, make new friends, and enjoy a summer packed with creativity, play, learning, and fun.

When we saw Stella with the kids this summer, it was clear she has a special gift for connecting with them and making them comfortable. Her voice exudes kindness. She sees her campers as “These bright humans, who see the good side in life and are looking to have fun and smile and enjoy life…people who just really know how to feel their emotions.” 

Her time as a camper and as a teaching artist with the four and five-year-olds this summer sparked something in Stella – it has inspired her to pursue a career in teaching. As camp came to a close this summer, Stella has her sights set on Winona State University, where she plans to major in elementary education. Her goal? To teach kindergarten or first grade and eventually become an elementary school principal. 

It’s amazing to think that a single matinee field trip could lead to such a journey—from camper to teaching artist, to future college student, teacher, and perhaps someday a principal!

Stella’s learning from camp didn’t end with her time as a camper. She credits her time as a teaching artist with additional learning, pointing out that her teaching partner, Olivia, has helped Stella see situations from different perspectives. And the friendships? They’ve only grown. Time as a teaching artist has led to even more phenomenal friendships for Stella. The other dozen (or so) teaching artists are in Stella’s words, “some of the greatest people I will ever meet in my entire life.”

At GREAT, we approach everything we do with an educational mindset, meaning team members embrace an openness to both teaching and learning. We look for possibility and potential – both in others and in ourselves – recognizing we each have value to contribute and opportunity for personal growth. We value the process as much as the product and understand there is more than one right way to learn, to teach, and to grow. 

Stella’s journey is a perfect example of our educational mindset in action—bearing fruit…

A peach, perhaps.