Stories #5 & 6: Tammy Tai & Veronica Tai-Pardon
PBHA’s Summer Newsletter
SUP
In the summer of 2023 we were able to run at full scale, we welcomed increased in-person moments with our partners who participated in and witnessed that magic first-hand and brought their spark to the summer. From Senator Ed Markey making a surprise appearance to thank SUP directors during their training week, to SUP visits with our Harvard and community partners, to final shows organized by campers’ family members and a Midsummer Celebration organized by our junior counselors—the foundational magic of partnership ran through our summer camps! Read stories below from the past and present of SUP as we continue to run for another magical summer.
We Are Family, We Are MHSP!
Tammy Tai
Former Mission Hill Senior Counselor & Director
My work with MHSP, both as a senior counselor and then as a director, transformed my life. In Mission Hill I learned that leadership is all about building relationships with others to get work done and that everyone has something to contribute. As I watched my daughter Veronica prepare to direct MHSP, I saw that some things were still the same as 25 years ago. Making sure there were enough breakfast and lunches, getting van certified (my 21 year old is driving a 12 passenger van?!), and continuously motivating senior counselors. Thanks to great student and staff leadership over the last two decades, I was delighted to see how much stronger support and training was for directors.
Beyond the comparisons to 25 years ago, it has been an utter joy to watch Vero join the MHSP legacy and a true culmination of my own transformation that started my first summer back in 1995. I believe deeply in the power of young people to transform the world so to see my own child following that path was breathtaking. Veronica was born a deeply empathetic human being (really - she started hugging other babies while she was still crawling!) so she didn't need much of my guidance getting ready for the summer, but the advice I offered was the same that I learned so many years ago; lean into relationships and believe in others.
Veronica Tai-Pardon
Mission Hill Senior Director (far right)
As a daughter of two Mission Hill directors, I was surrounded by the friendships and relationships that were created. When I was offered the director position of the summer camp that not only brought my parents together but also introduced them to all their friends, it was overwhelming. Carrying on the legacy of my parents amazing work at Mission Hill was both exciting and terrifying. In the beginning, it was difficult to ignore the pressure that is the legacy of amazing work and people that I was told I would accomplish and meet. However, as the summer went on I felt proud to be making my mark on Mission Hill and continuing the work that my parents did 25-30 years ago.
In all the difficulties that came with directing, there were also triumphs, I had an amazing co-director who had the same ideas and passions for the camp as I did. We as a team were able to make space for new and old traditions in the halls of Wentworth, the site we’ve been at since MHSP began.
In our classrooms we kept the mission and traditions alive by practicing Restorative Justice, this allowed us to grow as a community. We found joy in being part of SUP’s traditions like camping at Myles Standish and final trips to Canobie Lake. While directing I have learned many things, but most valuable is the importance of programs like SUP for young people. This summer we gave our campers a chance to explore who they are and what they can become by creating an equitable and inclusive space for them to thrive.
— Aby Hansell
