Candace Mulherin

Years as a Camper: 5 as a camper, 1 as a CILT

Years as a Staff Member/Positions held: 3 years on Powerboating Staff, 1 year as Head Counselor of Camp 3

Current Profession and Title/Years in role: Assistant Director of Student Activities at Davidson College – 3 years

Can you provide a brief overview of your job responsibilities?

Working in higher education means that no two days look the same. My job allows me to work closely with student organizations and help them plan on-campus events that provide a variety of opportunities each week for their peers. I also get to facilitate trainings and create programs for student leaders that equip them with the tools they need to run the organizations they are a part of. I love working closely with students and I often say that my job sometimes feels like working at a summer camp!

Do you have any career advice for members of our Camp community?

Don’t be afraid to ask questions! It is okay to not know everything, and some of the best learning opportunities can come from reaching out and asking for help from a colleague.

What do you believe have been some of your greatest personal and professional accomplishments? Is there a goal toward which you are currently working?

When I began working at Davidson, we were at the height of the pandemic and the landscape of higher education looked very different. My office had to be innovative when it came to creating a sense of belonging for students despite the virtual nature of classes and activities that made it really easy for them to feel isolated. Over the past three years, I’ve been able to see the impact of people-centered changes on programming and workplace collaboration. It has been a lot of fun to add my own ideas to things as we have gradually shifted out of the “COVID Era” and help students regain confidence and familiarity within their campus environment.

How do the values or skills you learned at Camp show up in your everyday work and/or personal life?

So much of what I learned at Camp shows up in my life every day. When you are part of the Camp community, you are encouraged to try your best and be confident in your abilities each step of the way. While working at Camp, I learned how to problem solve and be creative on the fly and this is a skillset that I continue to lean into for my job at Davidson. On a college campus, things are always popping up or changing and it is important to stay positive while adapting to the situation at hand. Camp also taught me how to collaborate within a team and to rely on those around me to assist in areas that may not be my strong suit. It is really cool to see the ways in which everyone brings their strengths to the table, and I’ve seen this in the communities that I’m a part of outside of Camp.

Is there a person or a situation that had a huge influence on you while you were at Camp? How and why did they/it impact you?

I always think of Lexi McBride when asked this question because she is the person who helped me to fall in love with the Neuse. My first two years as a camper I was TERRIFIED to go in the river because I did not want to be stung by jellyfish. I would sit and count the number of jellyfish from the pier and go “nope, not doing it.” When I was in Cabin 35 and Lexi was my Assistant Head Counselor, she took me sailing almost every day after instructional swim and helped me to conquer my fear throughout that session. It was because of her that I grew to love being in the Neuse and wanted to be on Sea Staff as a counselor.

What advice would you give your younger self?

You are enough! Sometimes it might feel like you don’t know what you are doing (hello imposter syndrome) but you are far more capable than you know. God provides the strength you need to conquer each day, so go forward with confidence!

Favorite Camp meal: Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup

Favorite mess hall entry song: Dancing Queen

All-time favorite skit memory: Anything involving the Big Kahuna. She knew how to enter the mess hall in style.

Favorite special event at Camp: Ski show! The themes were always so creative and who doesn’t love eating watermelon on the pier?

Devotion you best remember from Camp: The one where everyone uses one finger to lift the devo table as a group. It always amazed me as a young camper.