Azlin Armstrong is a junior ADPR, broadcasting and English major who, after spending time studying at Koç University in Istanbul and Atatürk University in Erzurum, Turkey, decided to return to Turkey as a counselor at an English immersion summer camp.
Robert College in Istanbul is a boarding school for high school aged students that also offers the "RC Summer" program, where students aged 7-14 can spend all summer developing their English skills. Azlin found out about the opportunity to be a counselor through some of the friends she made during her previous summer abroad, and after about five minutes looking at the school's website, she knew that was where she wanted to spend her summer.
Probably the best camp counselor ever.
Azlin worked with campers aged 7-9 (the youngest age group) who could barely speak any English. She lead swimming, rock climbing and rope courses, helped kids with passion projects and worked on a camp newspaper and other creative projects. The kids only stayed from morning until late afternoon on weekdays, so counselors had evenings and weekends free to explore Istanbul.
On one such free night, Azlin and friends were out celebrating another counselor's birthday at a fancy bar. Near the end of their night, someone received a text with a picture of military men with guns and tanks taking over the bridge. As they realized a military coup was happening, they tried to find out if any of their friends were on the Asian side of the city, from where they might not have been able to get home.
They spent their night in a cab attempting to get home, along with a variety of other Turkish people attempting the same.
"Everything was back to normal within a few days, but it was scary, and it's too easy for me to think of it in this dreamy, 'did-this-even-happen' kind of way," she said. "The violence that night is just so dissonant from the Turkey that I know: colorful, hospitable and welcoming."
Despite the stress of the military coup during her summer at Robert College, Azlin is returning to work there for a second summer, and has even recruited a few friends to join her.
After spending a summer there, Istanbul truly felt like home: she had a favorite gelato shop, a favorite tea shop and even a favorite bench to read on.
"Staying longer term in a less-touristy city meant that I could have this kind of authentic, personal connection to Istanbul," Azlin said. "I hope everyone can have an experience that brings them this much joy."
