ANDOVER, Mass. (AP) - For the Berry kids, sibling rivalry isn’t an issue - unless they’re asked the question which of the four siblings is the favorite summer camp counselor among the kids at Recreation Park.
Jackson, Tessa, Sydney and Ella not only live together, but spend their summers working together at the popular camp, and they said they love it.
“The kids love it too,” said 14-year-old Ella. “It’s really fun to see their reactions when we say we’re all siblings.”
Every morning, 20-year-old Jackson drives the clan to work with a systematic stop at Dunkin’ on the way, where 18-year-old Tessa grabs the order that the employees have come to memorize. Then they head to Recreation Park, where they all agreed one of the best parts of their day happens: They are greeted by the kids with wide-eyes and big smiles.
Jackson has worked at the camp for five years, followed by Tessa, who has worked there for three. This is 17-year-old Sydney’s first summer working as a counselor, and Ella is a counselor in training.
Though they said they rarely ever fight with one another, they did all admit to having competitive sides and fessed up to the occasional bicker. For the most part, however, they are a tight-knit group who spend time together outside of work as well.
“Whenever we bicker, we just start laughing because we can’t take each other seriously when we’re mad over small things,” Jackson said.
Outside of camp, they said they always have fun when they spend time together, whether it be watching a movie or hanging out with friends.
“It’s nice when Jackson comes back from college and we’re all together again,” Sydney said.
Getting to watch the same kids return to camp each summer - slightly taller and more grown - is Jackson’s favorite part of the job. He said it wasn’t until a year or two of working at the camp when he realized how much he enjoyed working with them.
Tessa was in agreement with her brother about the kids being her favorite part of the job. She said she loved playing games with them and letting her competitive side show when it comes to facing off with the older kids and other counselors.
Her favorite game to play is knockout, which she said is a daily event for an hour and a half each morning.
Seeing the faces on the kids as the siblings arrive at the sandy beach at 8 a.m. each day is Sydney’s favorite part of work.
“Walking in and seeing the kids, and them being so excited to see us everyday. It’s a really nice feeling,” she said.
Growing up the youngest in a rather large family, Ella often looked up to her three older siblings as mentors and role models. Even though she is a counselor in training, she said it is a great feeling to have the younger children look up to her, like she does to her brother and sisters. She also said it is fun to watch the kids grow year after year.
Who’s the favorite counselor? Well, that depends who you ask.
Sydney noted she was recently recognized as counselor of the week, but Tessa and Jackson will say they have been there longer. Knowing she is a couple steps behind the gang as a counselor in training, Ella said she stays out of it.
“I think they all kind of like us equally,” Tessa said. “We all do different things.”
Though he is the sole boy, Jackson said he doesn’t mind it. He’s able to rely on his sisters for honest advice, especially when it comes to fashion, and the girls are always on the lookout for clothes he might like, too.
“Every fashion question I ever have, I’ll FaceTime them or send them pictures,” he said.
Ella and Sydney are both students at Andover High School. Tessa will be heading into her freshman year at Franklin Pierce University this fall, and Jackson will be a junior at Wheaton College.
For the remainder of the summer, you can find the clan at Recreation Park, where they will be shooting hoops and playing board games as they secretly vie for the title of favorite camp counselor.
Online: https://bit.ly/2K4Cq3C
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Information from: Eagle Tribune (North Andover, Mass.), http://www.eagletribune.com
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