I Grew Up With iD Tech

iD Tech
May 18, 2017

I grew up with iD Tech (that's me, on the far right!); they’ve been my family since I was fourteen. My mom knew I was not the outdoor camp type, so instead, she sent me to tech camp.

Now keep in mind, I was not and still am not a “techie.” But camp was something new, and that first summer I fell in love with everything about it. I had an amazing instructor, learned a new skill, and made lifelong friendships.

Every summer after that, my new camp friends and I arranged to attend together during the week of the Fourth of July. We loved getting to watch the fireworks at Stanford. There was even a summer where my parents didn’t like how few hours I was working at my summer job and said the only way I could go back to camp was if I got a second job. That’s right, I rocked a bright yellow polo while working at Panda Express just to attend another summer of camp.
 
[video width="720" height="388" mp4="//2018media.idtech.com/legacy/blog/content/2017/05/Eleven.mp4"][/video]

A video I made as a camper in my 2005 session at iD Tech.

How iD Tech Changed My Path

iD Tech Camps made me feel alive. My second summer, I took the film course and fell in love all over again. I soon had my own camera and editing software, had started organizing my siblings and cousins to star in all of my projects, and took a Video Productions class in high school.

I had grown up with a burning passion for becoming a teacher. My parents always said they knew before I was even in kindergarten that I wanted to be a teacher. But for the first time in my life, I was conflicted, because I had found a new love and was even considering becoming a film editor.

In the end, my passion for teaching won. But if it hadn’t been for iD Tech, I never would have known this whole other STEM world existed. I was never taught technology in school, that it was a possible career path, or how it can influence the world around us.

From Camper to Instructor and Beyond

]grew up with id tech, libbie, maker station 

While I was in college working toward becoming a teacher, I started working summers for iD Tech. My first summer as an Instructor I didn’t think it was possible to enjoy camp even more than I did when I was a student, but that first summer proved me wrong—now I was the one getting to influence the lives of campers. I eventually became an Assistant Director and then a Director, working five summers for iD Tech while finishing school and ultimately teaching high school mathematics.

As much as I loved school and being a teacher, I lived for the summers. People may wonder, if you’re a full-time teacher, why would you want to work summer camp during your vacation? Besides the fact that I had bills to pay during the “off” season (we all know teachers never have an “off” season—we work too hard!) working for iD Tech was, simply put, FUN! The kids are so excited to come to camp, many waking their parents up early with their backpacks on, ready to go, so they don’t miss a second of the day. Seeing those smiling faces and knowing that I got to influence those smiles, I got to influence a kid finding their passion in technology, I got to help them form those friendships that I myself experienced, all made my summers the most rewarding part of the year.

Today I am a full-time Regional Manager with iD Tech. Now, every single day, I get to combine my passion for this company with my passion for education. Like I said, I grew up with iD Tech. There is no greater program for a kid to attend and no greater company for someone to work for.

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Meet iD Tech!

Sign up for our emails to learn more about why iD Tech is #1 in STEM education! Be the first to hear about new courses, locations, programs, and partnerships–plus receive exclusive promotions! AI summer camps, coding classes for kids, and more!

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#1 in STEM Education

Meet iD Tech!

Sign up for our emails to learn more about why iD Tech is #1 in STEM education! Be the first to hear about new courses, locations, programs, and partnerships–plus receive exclusive promotions! AI summer camps, coding classes for kids, and more!

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