LEADING THE WAY
Aspiring nurse says summer camp counsellors were strong role models who helped shape her future,
At 5 years old, Shantasia Weatherall — the eldest of three kids being raised by a single mother juggling two jobs — was sent to a summer camp next door to her younger brothers’ daycare. It allowed her mother to continue working while school was out.
But for Weatherall, the camp became a second home — one she says helped lead her on a path to success thanks to its diverse and encouraging counsellors.
“Eastview’s like a family,” said Weatherall, 21, now a counsellor herself at the camp. “It helped me become the person that I am.” Eastview Neighbourhood Community Centre runs summer programs called Camp Mambo, at 86 Blake St., for youth aged 5 to 13. It offers sporting activities, swimming, creative arts, and cultural outings at Toronto museums and movie theatres.
Weatherall said diverse counsellors, particularly Black women, gave her female role models outside the home who she could relate to.
She said one of her most memorable counsellors also worked as a substitute teacher and airport employee.
“Seeing a lot of people that were working hard made me want to do the exact same thing,” Weatherall said. “She really pushed me to go to school, get good grades.”
Weatherall credits the camp for helping her academically, and keeping her on track when personal affairs made starting university a hurdle.
“With school, it hasn’t been an easy road,” she said. Staff worked with Weatherall to help her submit transcripts and a successful application to Ryerson University’s nursing program.
Now, she’s the go-to person for first-aid at the camp.
Though shy at first, Weatherall said her summers at camp help shape her personality into that of a leader.
“I want to make sure that all the kids know no matter what age you are, that no matter where you grow up or who your parents are, you can become successful,” she said.
Volunteer co-ordinator and fundraising manager Fiona Devine said it’s staff like Weatherall that sets Eastview apart.
“We’ve got a really excellent group of kids doing the counselling here this year. As a parent, as well as a staff member, I’m just so impressed with the calibre of staff,” Devine said.
The camp’s diverse programming has attracted thousands of underserved youth in the community over the last four decades, but funding cutbacks are making it more challenging for the camp to offer affordable options to families in need.
At Eastview, $250 covers a full week of camp costs for one child.
The Toronto Star’s Fresh Air Fund aims to raise $650,000 to send 25,000 kids to camp this summer.