Originally from Roanoke, Virginia and a rising senior at Longwood University pursuing a degree in Mathematics, Samantha brings 14 years of Carysbrook experience to her roles, including positions as Assistant Head of the Dock, Head of Synchro, Assistant Head Counselor, and Office Manager, as well as a longtime camper, CIT, and WIT herself. With professional lifeguarding experience at camp and beyond, Samantha is committed to establishing a strong foundation of risk management so that our campers can focus on the fun at Lake Katherine. Aware, patient, and determined, she is energized by helping campers and staff identify their strengths so that they can fulfill their own unique potential. An open-minded creative problem-solver, our own Sammy Samantha brings her contagious positive attitude, sense of fun, and excellent communication skills to our camp community. She is sure to continue growing her impact at the dock and on cabin row, and we can’t wait to see her mentor our WITs to learn, grow, and experience firsthand the many rewards of facilitating #outcomes as first-time staff members this #summer2remember!

--

“I‘m so happy to be returning to camp this summer! Camp has been such a big part of my life for many years, and I’m so thankful for all the friendships and memories it‘s given me. Last summer, I grew so much personally and professionally, and I hope to gain more experience in leadership this summer as well as pass it on to others. I’m looking forward to building confidence in campers during swim lessons as well as maintaining a safe environment during free swim. I’m also super excited to be working with the WITs, and to help them have a fun and rewarding first summer as counselors!”

Originially from Preston, England, Jitske is passionate about service and learning about other cultures, and is currently planning her next remote travel adventure to build on her 2019 experience in rural Nepal, where she worked with girls on sanitation and hygiene education. Returning for her second summer as Head of CAP, Jitske brings extensive risk management and technical expertise to her role, including certification by the British Climbing Association, as well as emergency training. With the climbing and caving coaching experience she established at Carysbrook last summer, Jitske has already been brainstorming new ways to make CAP even more fun, challenging, and rewarding. Driven, empathetic, and aware, Jitske is a fun-loving problem solver, and she is dedicated to empowering her fellow cabin counselors to support our middle-school campers in learning and growing while having the time of their lives at camp. We can’t wait to see Jitske share her sense of adventure and grow her impact throughout our community this #summer2remember! #hail

--

“After coming home from my first summer at camp, I couldn‘t help but constantly talk about how amazing all of the people and experiences were, and I realised I had to return for another summer. I’m so excited to bring new daring challenges and ideas to all of the aspects of CAP to create lasting memories. I also can’t wait to spread my love for in-camp trips that I developed last year, and their ability to ignite a love of the natural world. As AHC I hope to build on the excitement and crazy fun on cabin row with all of our intermediate campers and councillors. Within the staff team, I hope that I can share my love of adventure and new challenges to create another amazing summer.”

Meg Saunderson is originally from Cambridgeshire, England and this will be her first summer on staff at Camp Carysbrook. An avid world traveler and artist currently working in the service industry while planning her next big adventure, Meg brings a wealth of outdoor and youth development experience to her role, including 6 years in Girl Guides. With expertise in all aspects of overnight camping, including tent-pitching, firebuilding, hiking, orienteering, and outdoor cooking, she also enjoys rock climbing as a hobby. Having worked as a ski and snowboard instructor in Vancouver, Canada, primarily working with elementary and middle school-age kids, Meg understands firsthand the importance of maintaining safety in high-risk environments, and she is passionate about the empowering outcomes that result from giving girls the opportunity to experience adventure and stretch their comfort zones in the great outdoors. An energetic and enthusiastic team player who works well under pressure, Meg is a forward-thinking problem-solver and lifelong learner who thrives with new challenges and loves meeting new people. We can’t wait to see her bring next-level adventure to the upcoming #summer2remember, on trips, on cabin row, and beyond! Welcome to the Purple Team, Meg!

--

"I want to work for Camp Carysbrook because I love what this camp stands for, and I want to help provide a really great experience for the girls that come to spend their summer here! I‘m most excited to see the girls come out of their shells and become stronger and more confident in themselves! I’m looking to bring positive vibes and lots of laughs to the team this year. Having never been to summer camp as a kid, I’m most excited to just learn about everything to do with camp! Traditions, activities, games, everything!"

Originally from Ontario, Canada, Ron is currently studying law at the University of Windsor. Ron brings three years of experience at Carysbrook to her role, including Head of Arts & Crafts, Head of the Rifle Range, and Assistant Head Counselor for senior cabin row. Compassionate, patient, and always eager to share new ideas and problem-solve challenges, Ron is passionate about creating a physically and emotionally safe environment so that all campers and staff can discover their unique strengths at Carysbrook, in keeping with our mission and philosophy. With a deep appreciation for the environment and our natural surroundings, Ron is already chock full of fun ideas for taking our Nature program to the next level in 2020. With her excellent collaboration and communication skills, Ranger Ron is sure to make an enormous impact at camp this summer, and we can’t wait to see her thrive on cabin row, at the Hut, and beyond this #summer2remember! #hail

--

“Every summer I’ve spent at camp I have left with so much more than I arrived with — new experiences, lifelong friends, and having learned so much — and I cannot wait to have the opportunity to do so again. I cannot wait to be a resource for everyone at camp to be able to achieve their own outcomes, and I am most excited to watch that happen. I want to see bravery, boldness, introspection, inquisitiveness, and inspiration raining down all over camp. And I can’t wait to get the Nature activity goers in some real rain as well — the earth is so neat! Camp is the place that taught me that vulnerability is never a sign of weakness, but one of incredible strength. Although I am still learning my way through this, being able to bring my heart into all the challenges I normally would solve with my head has really changed the game for me. Being comfortable trying something new, making mistakes, and asking for help is what I am most excited to bring with me this summer. Being able to work in an environment that is absolutely overflowing with female empowerment, strength, and wisdom is perhaps one of my favorite parts of being a staff member at Carysbrook and I am over the moon excited every summer I return to be able to learn as much as I can from everyone that makes up our unstoppable team. It’s hard to pick any one thing, I plan to learn much more than that.”

Welcome Victoria Bowen of Radford, Virginia to the #staff2020 team as the Head of Outdoor Living Skills (OLS)! A rising senior at Radford University majoring in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism, Victoria is an avid outdoor enthusiast with extensive youth development experience, including various day camps and after-school programs. As a licensed and certified EMT who has served on two volunteer rescue squads, including Riner, she is skilled at staying calm under pressure and problem-solving in order to face any unexpected situation. With her solid foundation in risk management, alongside experience organizing various activities and events for kids of all ages, Victoria is already brainstorming fun new ways to share her passion for the great outdoors with our campers, including some fresh ideas for out-of-camp hikes, to facilitate outcomes such as awareness, problem-solving, collaboration, persistence, and confidence. Growth-oriented, adventurous, driven, and a strong team player, she is sure to make it a #summer2remember at the Backpack Shack, on cabin row, and beyond! Welcome to the #PurpleTeam, Victoria!

--

“I want to serve as a mentor and role model to girls so that they may find empowerment through nature in the same way I have. Being a part of women’s hiking and backpacking trips has taught me that I am strong and I am capable of anything that I set my mind to and I hope this translates through my work while teaching outdoor living skills. I am excited about helping girls create friendships while they are at camp. I feel like my motivation and creativity will be a wonderful aspect to bring to the team. Overall I am excited to learn alongside my fellow staff members and learn new methods of teaching.”

Bron is originally from New Zealand and currently pursuing a postgraduate degree in psychology at Massey University while working and adventuring in Banff, Canada. Bron brings two years of experience at camp as the Head of Riding, senior cabin counselor, and WIT Counselor to her role. Empathetic, aware, optimistic, and the first to step up and lend a helping hand, Bron has consistently demonstrated her ability to and passion for pursuing holistic health, balancing fitness and nutrition with other essential wellness ingredients like time management, goal-setting, introspection, and problem-solving to live her best life at camp and outside its gates, and we are so excited to see her bring more intention to the wellness practices of our broader camp community. With both a creative and a competitive streak, as well as firsthand experience in team sport, she is also sure to bring our 2020 Rec. Sports program to the next level. We are so excited to see her learn and grow even more as a mentor to maximize her impact as a trusted resource and role model throughout camp this #summer2remember! #hail

--

“For me working at Carysbrook is extremely rewarding and I’m grateful to be able to work alongside such inspiring, kind, and supportive women in such a grounding environment. I am absolutely thrilled to take on my new role as Camp Wellness Coordinator! Holistic health is something I value highly and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to utilise this knowledge and passion at camp to make a positive and lasting difference for the wellness of both campers and staff! I also can’t wait to continue to build on camper outcomes with our lovely senior campers as AHC! I am also so very excited about taking on Rec Sports this summer and to bring a fresh perspective to the activity! I’m looking forward to bringing a helping hand, an open mind and an optimistic outlook to this year’s staff and I can’t wait to further develop my leadership skills in these new roles!”

Originally from Afton, Virginia, Lena is a rising university freshman. Lena brings 12 years of Carysbrook experience as a camper, Counselor in Training, and Worker in Training to her roles on staff. Having established a solid foundation of attention to detail, drive and initiative, and excellent communication skills as a staff member last summer, Lena is reprising her role in the office and building out her leadership to support our senior camper GoToGirl mentors and upper elementary cabin staff in creating a strong community where all campers feel like they belong. A certified EMT and 2019 riflery instructor, Lena understands firsthand the critical importance of risk management to create an environment that is both physically and emotionally safe, in which our campers can thrive. Proactive, patient, and empathetic, Lena brings her curiosity, creativity, and contagious sense of humor to the LRR, and she already has an array of fun-filled activities for our camp newspaper in the works. With her steadfast dedication to our mission and philosophy, problem-solving and growth-oriented outlook, and knack for turning ordinary moments into fun-filled memories, we can’t wait to see Lena forge lasting connections with campers and staff alike to make it a #summer2remember for all in 2020! #hail

--

“I am so excited to come back to Carysbrook this summer to spend time with the new and returning campers and staff as well as continuing my positive impact on the camp community! Every summer I have spent at camp has been amazing but each one is different and I can’t wait to have some new experiences. My main goal is to make the campers feel a sense of belonging at camp just as the staff did for me when I was a camper because to me that is the foundation of Carysbrook. As a staff member I am excited to work with a bunch of different people as a team and get to know everybody!”

Yami is originally from Tlaxcala, Mexico and has been on staff at Camp Carysbrook for five years. An English teacher with five years of experience developing her leadership at Carysbrook, Yami will continue to build on her experience optimizing sustainability through minimizing waste while providing delicious meals and desserts—her specialty!—for all of our campers and staff. Compassionate, aware, and dedicated to our camp philosophy and organizational goals, Yami brings excellent organization and communication skills to her role in the kitchen. We can’t wait to see her return for another incredible, fun-filled, and delicious #summer2remember, making a lasting impact on our camp community at the dining hall, on cabin row, and beyond!

--

“I want to return to Camp Carysbrook because it‘s a magical place where you can learn a lot of things and find yourself. After 5 years this wonderful place is my home 🏡. I’m so excited to come back to the kitchen, bringing fun, working with the compost, and making happy campers with the delicious food. Also, I want to meet the new staff, new campers and learn more from one another. Team work is one of the most important skills that we are going to learn at the kitchen, where everyone feels comfortable at their job and enjoys it.”

Hannah Egl is from Afton, VA and a current second year at the University of Virginia. Pursuing a degree in Global Studies with a concentration in Justice and Security, Hannah brings 13 years of experience as a camper, Counselor in Training, Worker in Training, and Staff member to her leadership roles this summer. An avid camping enthusiast with 3 years of experience at Carysbrook as a Riding Instructor, including her role last summer as Assistant Head of the Barn, Hannah understands firsthand the critical importance of safety and risk management as a foundation for fun and meaningful experiences in the great outdoors. With a commitment to recognizing and growing the unique talents of all those around her, Hannah is a driven and organized team player who thrives when she collaborates with others to come up with creative new ideas, and she is already hard at work brainstorming just how to take our activity programming to the next level in 2020. As a former CIT herself, Hannah understands the power of this transformative program, and as GoToGirl program coordinator for the past two summers, she brings her experience working with senior camper mentors to develop their unique leadership styles in the service of our broader camp community to the role of CIT Counselor. Compassionate, fun-loving, enthusiastic, and slightly obsessed with #outcomes, Hannah is dedicated to embodying the Carysbrook philosophy, both at camp and beyond its gates. We are so excited to see her shine in these new roles as she continues to steadily grow her impact on our camp community this #summer2remember! #hail #PurpleTeam

--

"I am extremely excited to come back to camp and keep sharing what I can with a community that is so important to me, this summer in a new role. I can‘t wait to get creative with all our staff in designing this summer’s activities to give campers the best possible experience. I hope to use my role with activities to foster creativity, curiosity and confidence within campers as they explore all the possibilities and interests we have here. I am also incredibly excited to work with the 2020 CITs, especially because of how much I learned and grew during my own CIT summer. I want to help these girls to become more reflective, confident, and excited about the possibilities of camp beyond camper life! I‘m looking forward to learning about each individual CIT, really getting to know them, and helping them grow into their new leadership roles, as well as gaining more experience with the management side of camp through coordinating the activities. This summer I’m excited to put my passion for camp and all of its opportunities, along with experience from my previous roles, into practice to best support all the activity staff and CITs for another amazing summer!"