Camden embarked on a huge project this summer by having a nation-wide intern program. Twenty-four ambitious young people spent the last few months learning all about Camden, our communities, and our culture. In Houston, we had six interns – three onsite at our communities and three in our corporate office. To cap off the end of their time with us we held an Intern Dessert Bake Off. The two teams presented their homemade desserts to the panel of judges, including Dessert Gallery CEO, Sara Brook. In the end only one team could win, but it’s not just about winning or losing – it’s about what they learned. Camden believes strongly that teambuilding and competition is a great learning experience for all our employees. So, what did our interns think about it?

The bake-off was judged on five things: taste, creativity, theme, originality, and plating. Now let’s be honest – there was no way we could have possibly beaten these girls in taste! Rudy, Taylor and I collaborated through a series of meetings to decide how we would creatively present our dishes in a way that the judges would be more focused on the presentation than on the taste. By working together, bouncing our ideas off of each other and being open to different opinions, we were able to pull through with a victory. The bake-off was a great way for us to work together and have some fun, and I hope to see this new Camden tradition continue to grow!” Bryan Wesley

“Everyone is so different, but when working in a team you have to find a way to mix everyone together and become one. Overall it was a great experience and a fun way to learn about working in a group!” Abir Dadabhoy

“The Camden Intern Bake-Off was a wonderful experience that truly embodied all the ideals of such a great organization. There were several lessons that I took away from the competitive cooking challenge.  The first of which was teamwork, my team had to unite for a common goal of presenting great food in a creative manner.  We all had our own unique views initially, but we compromised and listened to ultimately create a very unique theme and presentation.  The second lesson was organization skills in synchronizing the various tasks needed to form our presentation.  Though we all work in the corporate office, our team rarely saw each other since we were working in different divisions.  Using meetings coupled with mobile technology, we were able to make sure everyone was ready for the big day.  The final lesson learned was to just have fun in whatever you are doing.  Camden has an organization full of vibrant personalities and it great to be able to have fun while completing the task at hand.  I will always cherish the memories that I have made during this intern event.” Rudolph Pierson Thank you so much to Sara and Dessert Gallery for taking part in our Dessert Bake Off and for providing some yummy treats for the event as well!