Guest Kate Kelly had grown up thinking about herself as an athlete. But she also was someone who sought out joy in all aspects of her life. She liked being around kids, so figured she would be an educator. But something whispered to her that educating kids wasn’t all about being in the classroom. She started working in admissions and coaching at an independent school in Massachusetts but wished she could make a longer relationship with the students.

Working in residential life, she was on the academic calendar, so her summers were free and she reached out to some summer camps. She first landed at Camp Danbee, where she was in charge of 250 girls, ages six to 12. Undaunted, she realized this was what she was looking for: the intersection of experiential learning and community building and relationships. She was in love.

At the same time, her co-worker and Dartmouth classmate Briarly Kessler kept hounding her to meet Cole Kelly, a friend who lived in Georgia but just seemed perfect for Kate. Like the immediate sense of “this is it” when she got to camp, connecting with Cole had the same certainty. He brought the perfect combination of fun and care for the same things that Kate loved. Shortly after meeting, summer camp came up and Cole, who was just finishing his MBA and looking for something to go run, was all in. Along the couple’s nearly twenty year camp journey, they’ve developed and refined the values that make everything work, in both their personal life and camp life.

In this episode, find out from Kate how operationalizing your values can lead to optimized joy…on ROADS TAKEN...with Leslie Jennings Rowley.

About This Episode's Guest

For almost twenty years, Kate Kelly, with husband Cole, has run Camp Weequahic, a three- or six-week sleep-away camp for girls and boys located in northeastern Pennsylvania. When not on site each summer, the couple lives with their three boys in Athens, Georgia.

Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings Rowley

Music: Brian Burrows

Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com

Email the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com

Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com

Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings Rowley

Music: Brian Burrows

Email the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com

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Roads Taken