No. 3 - Trent University

From Trent alumnus to Sports Camp
Alumnus-in-Residence
14 • TRENT MAGAZINE
Coming back to the Trent
Summer Sports Camp (TSSC)
each year, even for a brief visit, is
something that TSSC and Trent
alumnus Justin Kerr ’96 always
looks forward to. This summer,
Justin, who held the position of
TSSC counsellor for three seasons,
had something even more
significant to look forward to. He
marked his annual camp visit by
taking on the new, prestigious title
of the TSSC’s inaugural alumnusin-residence.
The TSSC alumni-in-residence
program was created by camp
director Bruce Emmerton ’97 as
a means of reintroducing former
staff to the camp program and celebrating
and honouring their past
work and their ongoing commitments
to the camp. “We have quite
a few alumni that come back for
a couple of hours each summer,”
Bruce says. “This (program) is an
opportunity for them to come back
for a bit of a vacation and stay for
a couple of days. It is also our way
of giving back to them.”
To be the first alumnus-in-residence,
according to Bruce, Justin
Kerr was the natural choice. Justin
worked as a counsellor with the
TSSC from 1999 to 2001; since
that time, he has returned to
the camp at least once a season.
Justin is also a graduate of Trent
University, having completed a
degree in international development
studies and Canadian studies
in 2000. His dedication and connection
to Trent don’t stop there
—he was also a liaison officer with
the University from 2000 to 2001.
As for the decision to accept
the role of alumnus-in-residence,
Justin says it was “a no-brainer
for me.” In fact, he describes the
honour as the perfect opportunity
to take a couple of days off from
his job as an International Student
Advisor at Queen’s University and
Justin Kerr ‘96 was Trent sports camp’s alumnus-in-residence this past summer
get reacquainted with the camp.
“The time I spent at camp represents
some of the most formative
years for me, as were all of
my years involved at Trent,” says
Justin, otherwise known as Loco
to campers and camp staff. Justin
adopts his camp name, given to
him by other counsellors during
his first year, each time he returns
to the camp.
Assigning code names to each
staff member and having the
staff truly involved and committed
to the camp is just one aspect
that makes the TSSC a top choice
among kids and their families.
According to Justin, the camp is
so popular for other reasons, too,
including the diversity of activities
and the natural environment
of Trent. “The camp has only
improved itself year after year,”
says Mr. Kerr. ”It is a great environment—extremely
well organized
and appreciated by all the campers
and their families. It serves a
great purpose; it assures there is a
positive relationship between the
University and the community.”
As alumnus-in-residence, Justin
spent two days in July participating
in various TSSC activities. During
his stay, he lived in the guest suite
at Traill College and put his talents
as an amateur photographer to use,
taking photos of campers enjoying
various activities. Under Bruce’s
lead, Justin also took specific photos
of one camper as he participated
in a day’s worth of activities.
These photos will be used to create
a Flash presentation called “A Day
in the Life of a Camper,” which
will appear as an online promotional
tool for the TSSC.
The Trent Summer Sports Camp
has just completed its fourteenth
season, during which over 700 kids
participated, marking another year
that the camp has operated at full
capacity. The TSSC is a unique daycamp
experience for campers ranging
from five to 15 years of age.
Camp programs are a great mixture
of instructional and recreational
activities designed to be both fun
and challenging. According to
Bruce Emmerton the camp is not
only beneficial to the campers but
to the staff members as well: “It
has always been my belief that this
camp is as much for the staff as it
is for the campers. It gives everyone
the opportunity to grow.”
The TSSC’s first alumnus-in-residence,
Justin Kerr, would definitely
agree.