From Leading at Camp to Leading in Industry: Doug Rolando’s Story

As a freshman at Texas A&M in 2006, Doug Rolando had many opportunities when it came to his summer plans. Being a Mechanical Engineering Major, the push for choosing an internship in lieu of working at camp was a pressure he felt. However, he knew that the “real world” was always going to be there, but the opportunity to serve at camp and have fun while making a difference wouldn’t be. He chose to work at Camp Cho-Yeh for 3 summers and his life changed as a result.

By spending his summers at Cho-Yeh, Doug was able to serve and live in community with so many like-minded staff members who all had a common purpose, sharing the love of Christ with their campers. The memories of his time at camp are still things he carries with him; watching kids conquer fears on the high ropes course, man-night with the oldest boy cabins, and 6:00am ultimate frisbee games with staff before the campers woke up.

The most tangible change he experienced was meeting his wife, Maddie, but so many things he learned at Cho-Yeh have shaped who he has become. The sun up to sun down hours instilled a hard work ethic in Doug that carries over into his work today in the Oil and Gas industry. Working at camp forced him out of his comfort zone which has opened the door for new opportunities and personal growth. He learned to take initiative and to lead those around him while working at camp. Most importantly, the selfless attitude of service that camp requires has molded Doug into the servant-hearted leader he is today.

Doug’s time at Cho-Yeh gave him a passion for discipling youth, which he still does in his free time. He serves as a youth leader at his church and continually looks for opportunities to give back to his community. According to him, “Working at camp was a great jump start and laid the foundation for me to consistently seek out opportunities in my life to pour into those younger than me, be it the youth at my church or my peers at work.” Giving of himself during his college years made him realize that fulfillment in the Lord happens by pouring out ourselves in service to Christ.

Today, Doug is a pipeline project manager for Buckeye Partners and lives in the Heights with his wife, Maddie, and their one-year old daughter, Hadley.

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