Who are you and how are you related to camp?
I am Angela Vallier (Van Wyck), and was Waterfront Director in 1994 and 1995 and then for the arts camp one summer later.
I was introduced through Matt Justice. We worked together as lifeguards at the Parkwood YMCA in East Lansing. Some other camp people worked there too: Mark Maxam and Jeff Cornell.
What has camp meant to you?
Camp has meant a lot to me.
In my professional life it has taught me to roll with the punches, to keep things fun, and to remember that kids are kids—and that you can weather anything together.
At camp, a lot of situations happen that are out of your control—weather, kids getting sick, whatever it is—but you have to think on the go all the time. And I think that’s been invaluable to me as a teacher: to accept things as they are, to understand that you’re going to get through it, and make the best of it.
But especially it’s meant that source of fun—enjoying the outdoors, enjoying being with children, and taking things that might be ordinary—like chores or things that need to be done—and making them fun.
I have a lot of really special visual memories of camp too—magical moments.
One night, I think we were doing Capture the Flag, they were painting each other the colors of their team. And then we had a dance party that involved some water balloons. In the morning when I went to tidy up, the whole floor was covered with all kinds of colorful little footprints that were left over in the Rec Area. All these painted footsteps. This is actually my Instagram moniker.
It was the coolest thing.
Give us the bullet points of life since camp.
1995-2006
I worked at a residential home for children in Eaton Rapids for 12 years called VFW National Home for Children.
It started in the 1920s for widows—or people that were mostly women and children that had either lost their spouse in the war. They were on their own.
So they developed this whole village, an independent little town of houses. They had their own grocery store. Over time, that became anyone connected to a veteran could send kids or grandkids.
The kids that came there by themselves stayed until they graduated. The women would come and could stay up to three years. A lot of them went back to school and got a professional degree so they could support their kids and then they moved on.
We helped them set life plans for themselves where they would spiritually, mentally, physically, and educationally improve their lives so they could be independent.
I met Jason in 1996 and we got married in 1997. We had our daughter Julia in 2001 and our daughter Sydney in 2004.
2006-2023
In 2006 Jason took a job in Georgia so we lived in Atlanta for 17 years.
I took a job with Sydney’s preschool because they needed an art teacher. And that’s when I decided to go back to school and get my certificate to teach art. I worked in the public schools for 15 years.
In 2023, I was nominated by my coworkers for Teacher of the Year and went through a series of observations by area principals. (that was scary 😂). Anyway, I won and it was pretty cool! A nice way to end my Georgia career in K-5 art.
2023-present
In 2023 when my mom started getting sick, Jason and I were really concerned. Our kids at that point were both in college, so we said, you know what—let’s sell this home. It’s too big for us anyway. So we moved back to Michigan. It was difficult, but it’s been really good to spend time with her. She’s doing a lot better now.
We had this cabin in Oscoda right on Lake Huron because Jason used to work here before I met him. There was an airbase here—he’s in aviation.
This is a really cool place to be because I see so much out my window. It’s like having your own TV set. The color of the sky and the water changes all day. Right now, we’ve got these big icebergs that the waves are splashing up over and the clouds are kind of pink and purple.
Lately we’ve had the northern lights too, and that’s so cool to go out at night and look over the expanse of ice and snow and see them in the distance. The stars are incredible because there’s no light pollution.
How has camp affected the way you work?
In my current job is at the local public school as a Reading Interventionist and K-2 art teacher. My day is split with half the day in each role.
Just like in Atlanta, whenever I have downtime, I definitely have ideas of how to fill it.
Before the kindergartners leave my art class and travel the hallways to and back to their class, we have to get them in a settled state. So we play The Quiet Game.
We have this stick that looks like a hand that’s pointing. I give it to a quiet kid. They get to hold the stick and prance around and look for the next calmest kid and give it to them. They love it. It’s just a stick, but it has power.
I learned that game from somebody else, but their stick was much cooler—it had sparkles and feathers. Mine’s not that cool. But they don’t know. That’s the coolest stick they know about.
Is there anything else you want to say to the camp people who might read this?
Just enjoy the time you have there. It’s magical and it helps you get through life later because you can reflect back on the lessons learned there and the special memories.
Even as you get old, you still remember that version of yourself that was able to swim across the lake.
And the friendships you make—that’s the most important part.
