Smiles @ The Farm: Devin McCullough | Tears and Laughter
“Sometimes, I just felt like crying! But managing the camps kicks you into high gear and that’s something I really enjoyed.“
Introducing Devin McCullough, a seemingly ordinary volunteer who ended up spearheading our school camps this season. An energetic and happy gem, she was a huge help to everyone. While laughing a lot and crying a little, she always made sure to give children the chance to grow and thrive. she found her own place here at The Farm in which she herself could learn, grow and excel.
Originally from Vancouver, Canada, where she studied Human Geography and Teaching, the 27-year-old left her home after graduation to work as a primary school relief teacher in Australia. After a year in Oz, Devin moved to New Zealand where she lived and worked in Wellington, Hawkes Bay and Christchurch for the next two years.
Following that, she decided it was time to take a term off - to travel, to hike and to explore New Zealand. Just as she was planning her trip, she saw a Facebook post from The Farm looking for volunteers to help with school camps.
“My goal always was to one day open a school camp or outdoor activity centre on my own. And I knew The Farm would be a great opportunity to dip my toes into that world, to find out if I am still passionate about it,” she says.
Devin loves working with children and she made it her main mission to support the young and give them opportunities to thrive in life. Teaching has been one way for her to put this into practice, but her dream has always been to incorporate the outdoors into her work as well.
Kids with mental health struggles have a particularly special place in her heart.
“When we were younger, a very close friend of mine had really bad anxiety and depression. The only time they felt normal was when we went hiking. So, I want to give that chance to other kids,” Devin explains.
By practicing outdoor education, she wants to give children that may not fit into the traditional education system the opportunity to flourish outside of school, to find their strengths and passions.
When she got to The Farm, she helped out with the first camp as a volunteer and very quickly fell in love with the work, the place and the community.
“I don’t get that sense of community in my everyday life when I am working in different schools each day. It is nice to get that feeling here,” Devin says.
So instead of continuing her travels in New Zealand, she decided to stay until the end of the camp season. But she also knew she needed something else.
Being a camp leader was a great experience for her, but as a school teacher with the intrinsic desire to lead, organise and educate, Devin was looking for something more.
“I am a teacher. I want to plan things, I want to organise things. That’s what’s most fulfilling for me,“ she says.
Alas, her wishes would be heard. After the first camp, The Farm co-owner Ellen Bennett was looking for someone to take on some more responsibility and help with the organisation for school camps. It goes without saying that Devin was the perfect fit for the role.
From then onwards, she became the manager for three more school camps, which was an intense and sometimes chaotic experience for her. The Farm can be quite an overwhelming place, especially with over a hundred children running around, teachers and parents asking questions, and a team of camp leaders to coordinate.
When it came to juggling the chaos, Devin jokes that she did it “with tears and laughter!“ Sometimes it was a struggle for her to adapt to a different structure and style than what she was used to.
“But it did teach me quite a bit about going with the flow. Just relaxing and trusting, not over-planning things. Usually, I over-plan literally everything! But at The Farm, I had to give up on that. And it was a good lesson to see that everything still works out. It taught me to relax and not freak out when things aren’t going perfect,” Devin recalls.
Even if things did not work out perfectly, she found enjoyment in the thrill of uncertainty.
“It kicks you into high gear and that was something I really liked. For example, I didn’t mind getting up super early in the morning to deliver breakfast,” she says.
At the end of each camp – as stressful and tiring as it might have been – Devin was full of energy, motivation and dedication for the next one.
“Originally, I wasn’t going to stay for the last one. But then I was like – no, I am staying. I am determined to make the next one better,” she recollects her conviction.
Today, Devin is living and working as a relief teacher in Christchurch again. However, she would love to come back for the next camp season at The Farm.
“Working with camps is more aligned with my interest, passion and values about the education system than relief teaching. Doing school camps incorporates the things I like to do in my personal life with my work life,” she explains.
Devin was highly inspired by the place, community, and spirit that husband and wife duo Ellen and Mike Bennett have created at The Farm.
“Just the way they open their doors to people, that they trusted me enough to manage the camps. I don’t think I would have gotten this opportunity elsewhere. They give people the freedom to try new things, to build their skills and excel. They give you the space to grow and follow your path, while also giving you a safe community to be in. The Farm really is a great place to grow and thrive,” she describes.
As her parting words, Devin comments: “I really want to thank everyone else; all the camp leaders. Everyone that helped with camps made it a lot easier and a lot more fun for me as well. I didn’t feel like I was in charge and had to boss people around. It felt like doing it with my friends.”
The Farm team wants to thank Devin for all her hard work and wishes her all the best. We hope to see her back up north for the next camp season!
Written by Sandra Niederloehner