For Kiersten, working with kids has always felt like where she was supposed to be.
“I’ve always aspired to being a teacher,” she says.
But her path wasn’t exactly what she imagined. Growing up in Pittsburgh’s Carrick neighborhood, Kiersten eventually made her way to Baldwin-Whitehall, where her husband grew up. With family throughout the South Hills and two children of her own, the area quickly became home.
Her desire to stay close to her children also helped lead her toward a career working with local kids. After years in retail, Kiersten began working for the school district, eventually becoming a noon-time aide at Lutz Elementary School. The schedule gave her the balance she needed as a mom: she could get her own kids on the bus in the morning and be home when they returned.
In addition, she loved being around the students.
At Lutz, Kiersten oversees lunch and recess, whether that means opening food packages, keeping an eye on the playground or joining a game of four square or kickball. Through that role, she connected with students and teachers from SHIM, and when she found herself looking for something to do during the summer, she decided to give SHIM’s Summer Camp a try.
Kiersten joined the SHIM team as a counselor in June 2025. But before long, her summer job turned into much more.
Finding a community at SHIM
Kiersten already knew some of the kids at SHIM from her work at Lutz, which made her transition to summer camp feel natural. But it wasn’t just the kids who made her feel welcome.
“Everyone who works there already feels like family, so it was easy to connect,” she says. “It’s a good community. Everybody knows everybody.”
After her first summer, Kiersten wanted to stay involved with SHIM during the school year and became an aide with our After School program.
The smaller group setting gave her an opportunity to connect with students in a different way. At recess, she might be playing alongside them. At SHIM, she can sit beside them, help with homework, introduce them to new things, and learn what makes each child unique.
“Since SHIM’s after school classrooms are such small groups, I’m able to really connect with the kids,” she says.
That sense of connection is particularly meaningful to Kiersten because of the diversity she sees at both SHIM and Baldwin Whitehall School District.
Growing up, she didn’t have many opportunities to experience different cultures. She was excited to raise her own children somewhere they could learn from classmates with different backgrounds and traditions, and she loves getting to experience that herself.
Kiersten especially enjoys hearing kids talk about the holidays they celebrate, trying different foods and watching students share traditions with one another.
“People shouldn’t be shy about educating themselves and being open to experiencing different holidays, cultures, foods—everything,” she says. “It’s really inspiring.”
Bringing summer camp to life
After serving as a counselor and then an After School aide, Kiersten decided to take another step: becoming SHIM’s Summer Camp director.
During her first summer, she served as assistant to the camp director and spent much of her time accompanying kids on field trips. She loved getting to experience all the fun alongside them, but it also made her curious about everything happening behind the scenes.
As someone who loves to plan, Kiersten embraced the challenge of overseeing 300+ kids at camp. She coordinated activities and field trips, led a team of counselors, and, most importantly, listened to the kids themselves.
Their requests could be ambitious—Disney and Hersheypark naturally made the list—but their input also helped Kiersten understand what made camp exciting for them.
When an activity wasn’t connecting, the kids let her know. When they wanted more hands-on science experiments instead of sitting and listening, Kiersten adjusted. She searched Google and Pinterest for inspiration and found ways to create activities that could appeal to everyone from first through eighth grade.
“They really had a hand in telling me what they wanted to do, so we made it come to life,” she says.
That feedback is something Kiersten plans to keep using as the program grows.
Her goal for the summer was simple: make sure the kids stayed safe and had a great time.
“The smiles ended up being really big,” she says. “It made me happy to see they had a really good time.”
A place where kids can be themselves
Some of Kiersten’s favorite moments came when the kids had opportunities to simply be together. The camp talent show was one highlight. Students performed dances and shared talents that staff might not otherwise have had a chance to see.
For her, those moments capture what SHIM’s Youth Programs are all about: creating a place where kids can spend time with friends, explore their interests, and feel comfortable being themselves.
“Seeing what they like to do and how they are with their friends, being their own person in their own groups,” she says. “That’s what summer’s all about.”
And behind every activity is a group of counselors Kiersten has come to admire.
“They’re a great team. They work together so well,” she says.
That includes counselors who were once SHIM participants themselves. This year, Kiersten watched former students return to set up games, lead activities and become role models for younger kids. The same cycle continues during the school year, with former participants joining the After School team as high school helpers.
“It’s cool to watch them be the counselors instead of the kids now,” she says.
Always learning
Leading camp for the first time came with plenty of uncertainty. Kiersten admits she put a lot of pressure on herself, especially at the beginning.
But she learned to listen- to colleagues who helped guide her, to counselors who knew the program well and especially to the kids. She learned what worked and what didn’t. She learned to adapt activities for a wide range of ages. And she learned just how important flexibility can be when working with kids, especially during a summer when the weather didn’t always cooperate.
On the final day of camp, a downpour could have derailed everything. Instead, Kiersten watched her team adjust without missing a beat.
“They handled everything so gracefully,” she says. “They handled it like it was nothing.”
That willingness to adapt is one of the things she loves most about her SHIM colleagues.
“It’s a community, a family. It’s just good people to be around,” she says. “Their work ethic is amazing. They’re down to help whenever you need it.”
Now, Kiersten is turning her attention back to After School and another year of building relationships with students. She’s excited about the program’s move into its new space at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and the welcoming community the team has already found there.
And before too long, she’ll start thinking about summer again. By January, planning will begin: reconnecting with partners, exploring field trips, looking at which campers will return, and perhaps discovering which longtime participants are ready to become counselors themselves.
Kiersten knows every year will bring something different. That’s part of what keeps her excited.
“It’s forever a new adventure,” she says. “We’ll keep continuing to be better and help the kids have fun.”
Learn more about how we help kids on our Youth Programs page.
