Water week

This young entrepreneur built a babysitting business into a wildly popular family-run summer camp

Mark Heger is not a professional wakeboarder, but wakeboarding is his profession, he explains gleefully. The 26-year-old Lakewood resident started waterskiing at age 5, wakeboarding at 10 and turned it all into a summer camp business by 15.

As kids, Mark and his older sister Lauren babysat for extra money. “We figured we could make more money with more kids,” he says, so they began mass-sitting, starting with “mom’s-week-outs” at their parents’ White Rock area home.

Once the sit-ees were a bit older, the Hegers moved the party to the family’s Cedar Creek Lake house.

“The first summer at the lake house we had 22 or 23 campers. These days we get about 200 kids.”

Mark says summer camp is an important hallmark of childhood.

“I am a firm believer in summer camp. Kids remember their time at camp their whole lives — the stories, the songs, the activities — and I love sharing that with people.”

He especially loves teaching them how to stand on skis, and twist, turn and flip on the water, he says. Kids and parents rave about the family-run camp. One mom told Heger her daughter claimed to be “lake sick” upon returning from the week-long camp.

“I think that’s like homesick, meaning she wished she was still there,” he says.

The Heger Water Camp Facebook photo album showcases kids of varying ages jetand water-skiing, flying and flipping over the water, wakeboarding and smiling. A whole lot of smiling.

The Hegers’ lake house hosts 18 students at a time, with two-camper bunk rooms and four-camper bathrooms, plus a pool table, ping pong and other activities for down time or rainy days. Heger’s mom, Marcia, serves as camp mom. She supervises safety, cooking and communicating with parents about how the week is going.

“She’s the ever-present Mother Goose,” Heger says.

The worst time of year is when it’s not summer, Heger says, explaining that he doesn’t particularly care for administrative

Mark tasks. Off-season isn’t all dull paperwork, though. He teaches lessons year round, even in the winter for those hardcore water athletes. Plus, he adds, “The summer makes the administrative work worthwhile.”

In 2004, Heger was a finalist for the Texas Youth Entrepreneur of the Year Award for his vision in creating the camp.

“I feel like I have learned almost all my life lessons from doing camp,” Heger says. “Starting a business when I was 12 and watching it grow into something that I could never have imagined has been the most incredible journey ever. Camp has taught me moral lessons like patience, kindness and persistence. It has taught me practical business lessons like entrepreneurship, building and maintaining relationships, and treating your employees well. It revealed to me what my true passions are. I consider myself incredibly blessed to have been able to turn a passion into a career.”

—Christina Hughes Babb and Carol Toler HEGER WATER CAMP SESSIONS start in June, but space is limited and they are filling fast. Learn all you want to know and register for camp or classes at hegercamp.com.

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Enrolling for Summer and Fall Call for a Tour

Highland Park Presbyterian Day School

3821 University Blvd. Dallas / 214.525.6500 / www.hppds.org We are proud of our rich heritage as a fully accredited co-educational Christian school serving children 3 years old through 5th grade. Small classes allow for emphasis to be placed on the academic, spiritual, emotional, creative, social, and physical needs of the young child through a developmentally appropriate approach to learning. For a scheduled tour or more information, please contact the admissions director.

Janie

School Of Dance

9090 Skillman, Ste. 299A Dallas 75243 / 214.343.7472 / janiechristydance.com

This is Janie Christy’s 19th year teaching children to dance in Lake Highlands!

She’s pointing in a new direction and will make a leap over to the Dallas Ballet Center (on Abrams Rd.) in August for fall classes. “Come Dance With Me and ALL my students at DBC! “ See the website for details: www.janiechristydance.com

Lakehill Preparatory School

Leading to Success. 2720 Hillside Dr., Dallas 75214 / 214.826.2931, lakehillprep.org Kindergarten through Grade 12 - Lakehill Preparatory School takes the word preparatory in its name very seriously. Throughout a student’s academic career, Lakehill builds an educational program that achieves its goal of enabling graduates to attend the finest, most rigorous universities of choice. Lakehill combines a robust, collegepreparatory curriculum with opportunities for personal growth, individual enrichment, and community involvement. From kindergarten through high school, every Lakehill student is encouraged to strive, challenged to succeed, and inspired to excel.

Scofield Christian School

3K through Grade 6 / 214.349.6843 / scofieldchristian.org 50th ROUND-UP! Calling all alumni, parents, friends and family of SCS. Please join us for our 50th Anniversary event as we come together to celebrate God’s faithfulness over these past 50 years. There will plenty of food, fun and fellowship. SATURDAY, APRIL 14th at 6:30p.m. at Park Lane Ranch. Go to scofieldchristian.org for more details, to request an invitation or to reserve your tickets today! There will also be a special worship service and pot luck lunch on Sunday, April 15th beginning at 10:40 am.

Spanish House

5740 Prospect Ave. Dallas / 214.826.4410 / DallasSpanishHouse.com Spanish House is a Spanish immersion preschool for children ages 2 – 5. We offer half-day and full-day programs with extended day care available from 7:30am – 6:00pm. We offer a traditional preschool curriculum delivered 100% in Spanish. Prior exposure to Spanish is not necessary. Our teachers are experienced, degreed, native-Spanish speakers. We also offer after-school and Saturday classes for PK and elementary-aged students, both onand off-site. Additionally, we have an adult Spanish program for beginning, intermediate and advanced students.

ST. CHRISTOPHER’S MONTESSORI SCHOOL

7900 Lovers Ln. / 214.363.9391 stchristophersmontessori.com St. Christopher’s Montessori School has been serving families in the DFW area for over a quarter of a century. We are affiliated with the American Montessori Society and our teachers are certified Montessori instructors. Additionally our staff has obtained other complimentary educational degrees and certifications, including having a registered nurse on staff. Our bright and attractive environment, and highly qualified staff, ensures your child will grow and develop in an educationally sound, AMS certified loving program. Now Enrolling.

ST. JOHN’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

848 Harter Rd., Dallas 75218 / 214.328.9131 / stjohnsschool.org Founded in 1953, St. John’s is an independent, co-educational day school for Pre-K through Grade 8. With a tradition for academic excellence, St. John’s programs include a challenging curriculum in a Christian environment along with instruction in the visual and performing arts, Spanish, German, French, and opportunities for athletics and community service. St. John’s goal for its students is to develop a love for learning, service to others, and leadership grounded in love, humility, and wisdom. Accredited by ISAS, SAES, and the Texas Education Agency.

White Rock North School

9727 White Rock Trail Dallas / 214.348.7410. 2 Years through 5th Grade. 45 years of successful students! Our accelerated curriculum provides opportunity for intellectual and physical development in a loving and nurturing environment. Character-building and civic responsibility are stressed. Facilities include indoor swimming pool, skating rink, updated playground, and state-of-the-art technology lab. Kids Club on the Corner provides meaningful after-school experiences. Summer Camp offers field trips, swimming, and a balance of indoor and outdoor activities designed around fun-filled themes. Accredited by SACS. Call for a tour of the campus. www. WhiteRockNorthSchool.com.

Zion Lutheran School

6121 E. Lovers Ln. Dallas / 214.363.1630 / ziondallas. org Toddler care thru 8th Grade. Serving Dallas for over 58 years offering a quality education in a Christ-centered learning environment. Degreed educators minister to the academic, physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs of students and their families. Before and after school programs, Extended Care, Parents Day Out, athletics, fine arts, integrated technology, Spanish, outdoor education, Accelerated Reader, advanced math placement, and student government. Accredited by National Lutheran School & Texas District Accreditation Commissions and TANS. Contact Principal Jeff Thorman.

Community

East Dallas Cub Scouts in the Tejas Caddo District of Circle Ten Council of the Boy Scouts of America held their annual Pinewood Derby in March. Elementary-aged boys raced their handcrafted, 5-ounce pinewood cars for the top award. Pack 46 member Jonathan Farner of White Rock Montessori School won third place. Pack 54 member Drew Stabenow of Lakewood Elementary won second place. Pack 862 member Cooper Clem of Hexter Elementary won first place.

White Rock Boat Club, a sailing and kayaking club near White Rock Lake, announced its 2012 officers at the annual meeting last February. They are: commodore Miles Zitmore, vice commodore Paul McDonald, treasurer Jon Fuhrman, and secretary Joan Bond. Goals for the club this year include adding more sailing and boating classes, and fun activities for members.

Education

Peak Preparatory in East Dallas is one of three high schools in the country to receive the prestigious National Excellence in Urban Education Award. Peak is part of Uplift Education, a nonprofit organization that operates 20 tuition-free public charter schools in North Texas from which 100 percent of graduates gain acceptance to college.

Nine Woodrow Wilson High School seniors are among 37 Dallas ISD students who received $5,000 scholarships from the State Fair of Texas April 30 during a program at the Music Hall at Fair Park. Keynote speaker for the event was Sarah Saldana, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, and Fox 4-TV anchor Clarice Tinsley presented the seniors with the Pete Schenkel Scholarship Awards. Among the Woodrow winners are Alexander Alfonso, Jenna Bailey, Samantha Braun, Elizabeth Canelakes, Samuel Castillo, Hayley Heiner, Dayna Martin, August Miller and Stephen Slaughter.

People

Angela Hunt, East Dallas councilwoman for District 14, gave birth to her second daughter in March. Hunt is taking a few weeks off to care for her new baby and says she will then jump right back into her council duties.

Volunteer

Maggie’s House, a nonprofit in the White Rock Lake area, helps women overcome alcohol and substance abuse addictions and offers volunteer opportunities. Attend a foundation meeting the first Sunday of each month to learn more about the program and ways to help. For information, call 214.324.9261 or visit magdalenhouse.org.

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