Gabrielle Sanderson, CONECT volunteer

Camp CONECT, staffed by community members like 2011 Wayzata High School graduate Gabrielle Sanderson, offers participants a chance to grow and learn from each other.

Sanderson began volunteering for IOCP through her church, St. Barnabas Lutheran Church, by delivering community dinners to Regency Pointe. She also worked in IOCP’s Homework Club. This is her third year as a camp counselor.

“I always loved camp when I was a kid,” Sanderson said. “Camp CONECT has a really good purpose. Kids learn to respect each other.”

Sanderson has known some of the kids since she began volunteering at homework club, and those relationships have been one of the most rewarding aspects of volunteering.

Through her volunteer experience at IOCP, Sanderson has made a surprising discovery. The incoming math and physics student at St. Olaf is considering going into secondary education to teach math. Before, Sanderson had never thought of education as a career choice.

“I fell in love with the kids’ reactions to learning,” Sanderson said. “I love math, and I love the connections they make in math, so being able to help other kids find out tricks to solve problems is cool.”

Sanderson is eager to see where her new-found passion in teaching will lead. In the mean time, she’s enjoying her time with the kids and seeing the connections they’re making with each other.