Thomas Graber

Thomas, a Michigan native and lifelong athlete, was pursuing his college degree in Sport and Rec, hoping to become a Sports Director one day.

Along the way, Thomas’ pursuits shifted. He was first introduced to the “camp life” when his college professor posted an email from a local camp in the area that needed summer help.

“I didn’t know what it was about, but I knew I needed experience and a job. It turned out to be a Summer Camp Counselor position and I fell in love it.”

That summer experience changed Thomas’ course and he began working in outdoor education and summer camps.

“I wanted to have a unique impact on kids’ lives. I wanted to be a youth mentor, but I didn’t want to be a teacher that had to force kids to learn – I wanted to teach them about stuff THEY were interested in.”

Thomas ran outdoor education programs for surrounding school groups for a year, but it wasn’t until he worked as the Boys Village Director and Waterfront Director at Camp Nissokone, that he truly understood the impact camp can have on a child’s life.