by Lisa D. Mickey
Marine Discovery Center’s summer camp program has been a big part of the Starkey family’s summer schedule for the last 12 years.
Brothers Carter and Holden Starkey both got started in summer camp early, with Holden enrolling at age 3 in the Sea Squirts program, followed by summer camp at age 5. Holden spent 12 years in MDC’s popular summer program. Carter was a camper for nine years.
Two years ago, the brothers began working as summer camp co-counselors. This summer, after being a camper for nine years, their sister Harper joined her brothers as a camp co-counselor — a role for non-staff counselors.
And more Starkey kids are in the pipeline as their younger siblings — ages 7, 10 and 12 – are now summer campers and likely will follow the lead of their older brothers and sister in the coming years.
“I’m used to being around young kids with my little siblings,” said Holden, 16. “I thought [being a counselor] would be fun, a good learning experience and a chance to be outdoors.”
“It’s a summer job and it’s something that interests me,” added Harper, 15. “I’ve wanted to do it ever since I was a camper, especially because I enjoy taking care of kids being around them with so many siblings.”
And while he acknowledges that working as a camp co-counselor “requires a lot of responsibility, and there’s a lot of work involved with it,” Carter, the eldest Starkey, feels like he’s “kind of a bigger camper.” He still gets to hike, visit spoil islands on the Discovery boat, visit Florida’s natural springs and go kayaking with the younger campers.
“I really love a lot of the activities,” added Carter, 18. “If we look at plankton with the microscopes, I usually get to help the kids with that and I really enjoy it.”
Carter decided he wanted to be a co-counselor at age 12 when he was still a camper. He talked to his camp counselors to learn more about the responsibilities.
“That’s when I figured out that being a counselor pretty much means you are a camper, but you have to help carry stuff,” he added. “You also have to look out for everyone, make sure everything’s okay, set up activities and help clean. As a camper, I didn’t have to rinse the kayaks, but as a counselor, I have to help wash down the boats after we use them.”
Just as her brothers spoke to camp counselors while they were campers, Harper not only asked her brothers questions, but found her own path to her new role.
“I think Harper was already moving toward becoming a co-counselor as a camper,” said Carley Metcalf, Marine Discovery Center Education Coordinator. “There were so many times in the last few years where Harper has taken other campers under her wing and has been such a big helping hand.”
“We had another camper in SCUBA camp who was feeling really anxious and Harper buddied up and made them feel really comfortable and safe,” Metcalf added.
“I think we probably learn to really care for others and to pay more attention to both the children and to the environment,” said Harper. “Our mom is pretty environmentally conscious and pays attention to that kind of stuff. I think that’s why she signed us up for camps, plus we always liked being outside.”
“They’re always thinking of different ways to improve camp and MDC,” said Metcalf of the Starkey siblings. “And they always think of others.”
Holden noted that MDC’s summer camps give him “access to the ecosystem” through kayaking and the Discovery boat.
And in spite of high summer temperatures, Carter said he’s “not afraid of the heat.”
“Sometimes my family complains that it’s hot and I’m like, ‘Oh, my God, you’re telling me it’s hot after I have been outdoors all day?’” he said. “I really don’t mind the heat, but I don’t like thunderstorms.”
The Starkey kids also are involved with their family’s automotive parts business, VMP Performance. Carter helps with part sales. Harper engages with customers at car shows. Holden and his father work in the pit crew while their mother races cars in motorsports events at Orlando Speed World and on tracks around Florida and Georgia.
“VMP Performance originally stood for Velocity Mustang Performance, but we do a lot of different vehicles now,” said Carter. “Our family spends a lot of time around cars.”
An engineering intern, Holden plans to study automotive engineering in college. He helps the family business operate its dynamometer (a.k.a. Dyno), a machine that measures vehicle power, torque and performance.
“A lot of people want to know how fast their car is,” said Harper.
But this summer, when the Starkey siblings weren’t talking about cars, all six of them have ridden home together after camp, discussing each day’s highlights at Marine Discovery Center. They have compared their experiences with the different age groups of campers and described their favorite activities.
And the older siblings have always been there to guide their younger brothers and sisters in the MDC camp experience, answering questions and even keeping an eye on each other during the day.
“We’re trying to train them right,” said Carter. “The younger ones will probably be co-counselors, too.”
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