UBC Personal Profile. Explain the role you played and what you learned in the process.

Tell us more about ONE or TWO activities listed above that are most important to you. Please explain the role you played and what you learned in the process. You will be asked for a reference who can speak to your response.(maximum 350 words

My Most Important Activities

My most memorable experience has been spending half of my summer volunteering at the SFU Summer Camps.

Due to the variety of camps, I was pre assigned to work at a new camp each week. I worked with different instructors, different age groups of campers, and a different type of camp. I quickly learned how important it was for me to be able to adapt to the changes each week brought. For example, with the ESL camps, whenever I was explaining, I knew that a verbal explanation wouldn't suffice like it did with non ESL Camps, I would have to focus more on visually explaining it with lots of demonstrations.

A typical camp would consist of 3 instructors and 2-3 volunteers. One of the key things to make sure a camp ran successful and smoothly was communication, between all of us. I made sure to ask the instructors what they had planned out for that day, so I wouldn't be confused and miss my opportunity to lead something. Or whenever I had to co lead activities with my volunteer peers, discussing what the activities will be, who's going to speak and how will we explain it to them was essential in order to not waste valuable time.

I had to learn to find a balance where I bonded with the campers, so I would be seen as more of a friend then just another volunteer and at the same time be seen as an authority figure. When dealing with younger children I learned how to be patient, and calm especially during meltdowns. A specific example I can give is one time our camp was heading for lunch, and I was instructed to be at the back of the line. While everyone had gone inside, the camper in front of me stubbornly refused to go, and I was left alone to deal with him. I could not let my frustration show, I had to be patient, and quickly use tactics that might make him listen.

Overall I learned a lot about leadership, and gained more confidence than what I began with.

Note:
In the previous question that said to list 5 activities (which I will make a separate thread for), I listed SFU Camp as one where I explained my roles and responsibilities. Do I have the repeat it again for this question, or can I leave it?

To be more specific
It was this:
I volunteered at the SFU Summer Camps. My responsibilities were to assist the instructors by leading games or activities, ensuring safety, and helping instructors deal with misbehaving children. In by doing so I formed bonds with these children, increased my leadership and communication skills.

Hi, the essay is concise and to the point as well as meeting the word count limit. However, there are a few sentences which you could phrase it better like

I made sure to ask the instructors the plan of the day in advance, so I wouldn't be confused or miss out any opportunity like co-leading activities or discussing the flow or the schedule of the activity.

A specific example I can give = A specific example I recall is when our camp.....

Your concluding paragraph can have a couple of more sentences in order to get our ideas forward.

Warisha, you should try to avoid duplicating information that you have already stated in a previous response to a prompt. What you did here was merely expand upon that explanation without presenting any new data that would make this activity something of true note to the reviewer. What the reviewer wants to learn about has to do more with the possible accomplishments, trait development, or recognition that you might have received as a participant in this summer camp. As you have just repeated information in an expanded form, this does not really entice the reviewer to learn more about your time as a volunteer camp counselor. Try to think of a time during the summer camp when you accomplished something of note. An activity or participation that you had which made the camp counselor(s) take notice of you and who you are. Did this result in more responsibilities and trust given to you? What did you learn about yourself because of what you did and the result of those actions? Those are the information that will push this essay over the top and actually inform the reviewer about new information regarding your time as a volunteer camp counselor. This essay is asking you what made you stand out during your chosen activity? How did this prepare you for future challenges? Information like that helps to make the essay interesting, relevant, and memorable to the reviewer. This essay is just so-so in presentation, there is nothing memorable about your time as a camp counselor as far as this is concerned. You functioned just line any other counselor at this or some other camp. If it were up to me, I would change the essay to something more juicy, relevant, and memorable.