When Quintin Robin first started working at the Eden Residential Summer Camp in 2014, he wasn’t sure what he signed up for. He had never worked with children before, but by the end of the summer, he already couldn’t wait to come back the following year.
He still fondly remembers his first student, who is now in the Adult Services program. He made a joke to Quintin over breakfast that still makes him laugh to this day. “It was the first time I saw his personality come through. I saw an actual person there, not just someone with a disability,” said Quintin. “Everything clicked. I’m getting to know this kid. He’s starting to trust me. He’s relying on me for certain things, and over the next two weeks, we just had fun together.”
Over a decade later, Quintin is now the Special Programs Manager at the Eden School. He earned his master’s degree and his BCBA certification. He works with the older students, preparing them and their families for their transition to adulthood. And in the summers, he can be found running and overseeing the camp program.
“One of the guiding principles is ‘how do I make this a phenomenal summer for our kids?’ We have kids who are graduating, and this is going to be something they will remember, whether they say it or not. We have kids who go home, and they have their photo albums out, and they go through them and smile. That’s what I want.”
Quintin worked in several different roles throughout his time at Eden, but he always kept coming back to the camp. “I get to see the kids be kids. It’s such a difference from the school,” he said. “At camp, we have expectations, and it’s an environment for learning, but part of learning is playing.”
At camp, he has seen students make amazing progress with their lesson plans, all while enjoying fun summer activities.
“Those little improvements are the most rewarding,” he said. “Those little things that so many people think are just going to happen- they’re huge steps for a lot of our kids. Progress can be slow, and it takes a lot of work to get there, but sometimes one small thing can make everything flow.”
Quintin said vacuuming is a great example. Many students don’t think about unrolling the cord all the way before trying to begin vacuuming. Once they remember to do that small step, the rest of the task comes easily to them. “The first time a student unwinds a chord, it’s like we did it! You want to throw your hands up in the air and celebrate,” he said.
Whether he is at camp or in the classroom, Quintin is proud of the work he does at Eden.
“It’s all worth it. I know it’s not the most glamorous of jobs, but at the end of the day, you’re helping so many kids,” he said. “It’s absolutely worth all the hard days when you see how far your kids can go and how much they can accomplish.”