On the Leadership Pathway: From Grasshopper to Director

Jane MillerBlog

What’s it like to take part in Mini-Yo-We’s leadership pathway? A whole lot of fun, according to Jane Miller (Omnia)! We asked her to share about returning to Camp year after year and moving from being a camper to serving on summer staff. 


My Favourite Place

Mini-Yo-We has been my favourite place for most of my life. While I don’t remember much about my time in Grasshoppers—Camp’s program for the preschool children of volunteers—my parents tell me that I loved it. 🙂 Being a camper and later serving on staff not only connected me with an incredible group of people, it’s also been the foundation for my leadership and spiritual development. Here’s a look at my experience at Camp and why I still love it so much!

First Stop: Junior Camp 

I first went to Junior Camp when I was five years old. My favourite part was the themes. In the “Pirates” week one year, I remember chasing down a Program team member who was dressed as Captain Hook along with a horde of my fellow campers, pillows in hand. I also loved my first-ever cabin leader, Oreo, and looked up to other staff members like Jovi and Tuxedo (whose real names I still don’t know). 

The staff put so much effort into making sure everything was engaging and fun; by the end of each week, I was always already excited for the next summer. I loved Junior Camp so much that I was pretty skeptical Girls Camp could be as good. But once I got to the Mini section, it turned out I could love Mini-Yo-We even more!

Moving Up: Girls Camp

Girls Camp, for ages ten to fifteen, was initially intimidating to me because of how high energy it was. There are cheers for everything, dance parties after most meals, and a huge amount of spirit coming from the staff. However, even as a shy kid, I was able to find my voice and love every minute of it with the help of my caring cabin leaders and the friends I made. 

My favourite parts of Girls Camp were campfires when the leaders would put on funny skits and songs, activities like sailing and wilderness adventure, and wide games related to the weekly theme like the Amazing Race. I will always look back happily on my afternoons spent on Mary Lake or roasting s’mores at the Tree House. 

As I got older, I enjoyed the daily Bible studies, having free time to spend with friends during Beach Day and Fun in the Sun, and the efforts my cabin leaders put into making sure our experience was the best, like coming up with cabin traditions or holding glowstick parties on the last night of the week. I also remember appreciating my section heads, Flora and Moringa, who intentionally went out of their way to be welcoming and friendly. 

After five years of Girls Camp, one thing was clear to me: being a cabin leader at Mini-Yo-We seemed like the best job ever and I knew I wanted to be one when I was old enough!

Enterprise & Activity Leading

Enterprise is Mini-Yo-We’s leadership program for campers aged fifteen. It was my introduction to what serving at Camp is like. I met many of the friends who I’d be on staff with a couple of summers later and began to understand how much behind-the-scenes work goes into making everything run smoothly. Enterprise was particularly impactful as it provided me with dedicated leaders who were interested and equipped to answer my questions about faith.

After Enterprise, I was extremely excited to take part in the Leaders in Training (LIT) program. Unfortunately, COVID-19 interrupted those plans. I was grateful to be back at Mini-Yo-We as a water activity leader during Family Camps the next year. 

Cabin Leading is the Best!

Cabin leading was one of the best summers I’ve ever had. After years of loving Mini-Yo-We as a camper, I was able to show the same enthusiasm and excitement I’d experienced to the next generation of kids. One fond memory I have is bonding with my campers by coming up with a cabin nickname on the first night. Years later, some of those same campers continue to return to Mini-Yo-We. It’s been so special watching them grow up and move on to Enterprise and LIT themselves. 

This role also helped me find my voice as a leader. I grew in confidence, public speaking skills, and problem solving. I especially appreciated the Girls Camp directors at the time, Lauren Sweeney (Enteka) and Hannah Hanson (Haggis), who were both so encouraging and supportive during challenging situations. 

Serving on Spring Crew

Spring Crew helps prepare the whole site for the summer, which includes painting cabins, putting in docks, mowing lawns and more. It’s all essential for making sure Mini-Yo-We is ready for campers, volunteers and staff. What I loved about Spring Crew was forming a small community: after a day of working hard alongside your friends, you’re free to enjoy the whole property. This led to all sorts of fun memories, including a six-hour canoe paddle to Boston Pizza in Huntsville. 

Leading LITs 

I’ve been blessed to work on the LIT team as a small group leader for the past two years. This position works with two sessions of sixteen-year-old campers each summer. Throughout the program, the LITs take part in Bible study and discipleship discussions, go on a four-day canoe trip in Algonquin Park, gain practical experience leading, and make lasting friendships with their peers. Our LIT directors, Avery Malloch (Cabela) and Hunter Birch (Argo), were amazing role models. They poured so much love into the program to ensure the LITs left Camp with a lasting impact on their leadership skills and faith. 

I am so proud of the growth and leadership I’ve seen in the LITs and look forward to seeing them put their knowledge into practice by serving on the staff team this summer! 

Can’t Wait for Summer 2025!

This year, I will be the Girls Camp Director of Camper Care & Parent Relations, co-leading with Avery McFarlane (Cicada), the Director of Program & Administration. I am so honoured to be in this role! An incredible team is already hired, from our all-important cabin and activity leaders to a variety of lead staff roles. We all share the same passion for creating an unforgettable experience for campers. Preparations have begun and we are so excited for another great year at Mini-Yo-We. 

I hope to see you at Camp this summer!

Join Jane at MYW

We still have spots available for campers; however, some popular programs like Enterprise and LIT are already sold out or will sell out soon, so register right away. Our summer staff team is also filling up fast! Visit the Summer Staff page to learn more about working at Mini-Yo-We and to find the online application form.