You’ll be working where this summer? The Hole in the What? Are you working with kids who were in gangs? Oh, oh – do you get free Newman’s Own food all summer long?
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..These are some of my favorite questions I’ve had asked of me when discussing summer plans.

Shortly after exams end, I’ll be joining The Hole in The Wall Gang Camp staff as an Adventure Leader and Cabin Counselor. Quick refresher: Paul Newman started the summer camp for kids with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses in 1987 with profits from his food line, Newman’s Own.

At The Hole in The Wall Gang Camp, campers can finally just be a kid, without worrying about being the sick one, or having people around who just don’t understand what they’ve been through.

The Camp sits in the middle of a 300-acre forest complete with theater, gymnasium, general store, library, medical clinic, arts and crafts building, gardens, tennis and basketball courts, a softball diamond, outdoor camping sites, swimming pool, boathouse, gazebo, stables, nature center and animal farm, and 15 log cabins.

So why, as an undergraduate at an institution with such strong ties to investment banks, consulting firms and Fortune 500 companies, did I decide to spend my last summer teaching kids how to rock climb and the proper way to build a paper airplane? Short answer: There’s no way I couldn’t.

But of course, there is a long answer counterpart to the question. I would feel as though I were selling myself short by not giving back to the community, working with children who have gone through mind-blowingly challenging experiences. I’d feel like I was being selfish; working solely for myself and not making a conscious effort to reach out to those in need.

Reality check: I – and most likely, you – already attend a prestigious university that offers ridiculous advantages and connections. Here, it’s easy to lose sight of benevolence and social responsibility. It’s not hard to get caught up in certain modes of thinking and to allow your perspective to shift while at Harvard. The amount of money, the outrageous associations, the high-profile connections - it’s what I adore and abhor about our school. The privilege comes with a price, and I didn’t want to sacrifice my last summer as an undergraduate to something that didn’t reach out beyond this pretty Ivory Tower.

This is not to say that banking and venture capital and consulting et al aren’t impressive positions to score while an undergrad. They are. And this isn’t to say that some people who get such jobs are all materialistic and vapid and insincere. That’s not the case. It’s more nuanced than that, and I understand that, dear reader. But frankly, I’m sick of people trying to fit a square into a circle – seeing how many people who frenetically pursue a job in such industries, because it’s what they feel pressured to do. Because it makes for (supposedly) impressive cocktail party conversation. Because there’s already a train from Harvard to Manhattan, regenerated with a boatload of dewy-eyed eager summer interns each year.

But I realized, such is not the case for me. I’d feel self-absorbed if I went to work plugging away in a cubicle, spending much of my time under the flourescent lights working on a few tasks and worrying whether an offer was around the bend at the end of August. I wouldn’t enjoy it, and I’m sure I’d regret not pushing beyond the default hot summer job. That’s what’s called measuring yourself by other people’s standards, and I don’t – can’t – buy into that.

And so I realized that I needed to step away from the land of stress test interviews, business casual informational luncheons, and polite office conversation for awhile. I might try to interview for such a position in the future; your guess is as good as mine.

But what I do know is that I needed to take a summer job that would enrich my soul as well as my resume; an experience that would satiate my desire to give back to those who are less fortunate as well as surround me with people who are genuine. Let me remind you that I’m not trying to paint a black and white scenario here: I’m sure that amazing, quality people are scattered throughout every industry under the sun. It is, however, highly unlikely that an undergrad with an inflated ego would ever seek out a position whose rewards are not given in terms of business cards collected or an impressive paycheck week to week; but in smiles shared and hearts touched.

The business world will chug along efficiently, with or without my participation in the summer of 2008. But the kids I’ll be living and working with, guiding and supporting? That’s an entirely different story. And it makes all the difference in the world to me.