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A Healthy Dose of GRP

By Ruby Compton on March 04, 2015

It is an exciting week at GRP because our first summer staff member has arrived. I am pleased to introduce to you Gavin Jacquin, one of our Program Interns for the summer. Gavin has spent his first week learning his way around the office, working on accreditation materials, and even got to visit the Spire and the Hemlock Field. I asked Gavin why he came to work at camp and the following is what he shared.

Being a 27 year old, soon to be senior at Ohio State University, double majoring in finance and economics, most of my days were spent glued to a computer screen. Because of this, making time to be outside in nature was, and still very much is, a NECESSITY!

In getting closer and closer to graduation, and possibly starting graduate school, more and more of my time was spent questioning myself and the decisions I’ve made: do I want to live in Ohio for the rest of my life; am I choosing the right major for school or even the right school in the first place (I sometimes think too far ahead and can tend to be a tad dramatic)? With how overwhelming these decisions were for me and can be for a lot of college students, I decided to take some time away from everything to reassess not only what I truly wanted out of my life, but also what it was that I wanted to contribute to others.

In talking with my best friend Michael Woogerd (a former mentor at camp) and his wife Sara Woogerd (a former nurse at camp) the name Green River Preserve kept coming up. When I asked what GRP was, words like gorgeous, freeing, and magical were quickly thrown into the mix. In trying to grasp the concept of words such as magical and breathtaking and see how I could relate them to my current situation, I realized that overall camp is, for a lot of people, and could be for me, a much-needed break from the stresses in our day-to-day lives.

“I can’t wait to lose myself in the woods this year at camp,” Mike would say. So for the next few weeks I spent hours talking about camp with their family and read any and everything I possibly could on their website until I came across their videos. Needless to say, 2 seconds into the trailer for camp I was hooked and had finally made up my mind that GRP was just the medicine I needed, except unlike Mike I wouldn’t be going to GRP to “lose” myself in the woods, but to, in a way, “find” myself in the woods!

Ruby Compton
Ruby Compton

Former all star Mentor and Program Director 2012 - 2016

Ruby began her career in camping at YMCA Camp Widjiwagan in her hometown of Nashville, TN. At Camp Widjiwagan, she was a counselor who progressed over the years to camp administration. Prior to moving to Western North Carolina, Ruby taught experiential education at Nature’s Classroom Atop Lookout Mountain in Mentone, AL. Ruby found Green River Preserve to be a perfect blend of everything she loves: teaching environmental education, being curious about nature, calling contra-dances, singing about Itty Bitty Frogs, and learning from other outdoor educators. She is active within the American Camp Association, giving presentations at conferences and working as a faculty member of their e-Institute. Ruby is also an avid geocacher, runner, and Rubik’s-cube solver.