2024 Group Counselors
Pre-K through 4th Grade (Unit 1)
Sam Anderson
Unit 1 Leader (Pre-K – 4th Grade), 9th Year Staff Member
University of Colorado Boulder – Journalism major
CalState TEACH -Multiple Subjects Teaching Credential (In Progress)
Sam returns for his 9th year at Roughing It Day Camp. He was a Boys 1st & 2nd-grade counselor for 2 summers and a Unit Leader for 2 previous summers. Sam grew up in Orinda, graduated from the University of Colorado, and has worked year-round at Roughing It for two years where he does our marketing media content and videos. Sam is known around Camp for his ready smile, clear problem-solving, and kind way of helping campers and staff find the best in themselves. We are so excited to welcome Sam back as a Unit Leader this summer!
Abby Mansell
KP Group Counselor, 1st Year Staff Member
Chico State – Child Development major, Minor in Psychology
Abby is joining us for the first time this summer! She lives in Clayton and just finished up her first year at Chico State. Abby has lots of camp experience, from other summer camps in the area and as a Girl Scout! Abby was also a competitive dancer, with experience in several other sports as well. We are excited to welcome her to the staff this summer!
Nora Dolan
KP Group Counselor, 2nd Year Staff Member
University of Oregon – Development Psychology major
Nora is from Pinole and is a second-time counselor at Roughing It. She just finished her first year at University of Oregon where she is studying Developmental Psychology. She has received the Apex Scholarship for her university. Nora wants to make summer a memorable and enriching experience for all campers!
Tatum Tamura
K Group Counselor, 1st Year Staff Member
UC Davis – Environmental Science major
Tatum is joining us for her first summer here at Roughing It. She currently is attending UC Davis, where she just finished up her second year. Tatum has swim team experience and played four years of basketball in high school! She is thrilled to bring her camping experience and excitement for nature to Roughing It!
Katharine "Kat" Biggar
K Group Counselor, 1st Year Staff Member
Tufts University
Kat is enjoying her first year at Roughing It! She has extensive summer camp experience and enjoys annual backpacking trips with her father. She is currently a rising sophomore at Tufts University and is undeclared but considering Psychology and Political Science. She enjoys creative writing, especially poetry, and is excited to bring her creativity and love for anything outdoors to the reservoir!
Ethan Lerch
B1 Group Counselor, 1st Year Staff Member
Diablo Valley College
This is Ethan’s first year at Roughing It. He has years of experience organizing sport-related games for kids, such as kickball, soccer, wallball and more. He has worked in the Afterschool Program setting for 6 years facilitating a variety of activities and just completed his first year at Diablo Valley College. Ethan is eager to bring excitement and positivity to camp this summer!
Brent Jacinto
B1 Assistant Counselor, 1st Year Staff Member
Syracuse University – Computer Science major
Brent is from Pittsburgh and is getting ready for his first year at Syracuse University. He is an ROTC scholarship recipient and has experience overseeing a JROTC Unit. Brent was a varsity team member of cross country and track and field in high school and is excited to bring his knowledge and experience to camp this summer.
Annie Hammond
G1 Group Counselor, 1st Year Staff Member
UC Berkeley – English major
Annie is joining us at the reservoir this summer for the first time! She lives in Orinda and is preparing for her third year at UC Berkeley. She loves the outdoors and working with kids and has kayaked through many of California’s rivers. Annie volunteers for an outdoor pediatric occupational therapy practice that helps children with special needs. We are so excited to have Annie join us this summer!
Maria Halter
G1 Assistant Counselor, 1st Year Staff Member
Georgetown University – Government, Justice & Peace Studies major
This is Maria’s first summer with us here at Roughing It! She has just finished her first year at Georgetown University, where she has gotten very involved in many clubs and activities. She has plentiful summer camp experience, including a sleepaway camp in Arizona where she is originally from. She is great with kids and has a passion for helping those around her, making her a great member of our team!
Mason Tsang
B2 Group Counselor, 1st Year Staff Member
UC Riverside – Economics major
Mason is a 5-year Roughing It Alumni, having been both a camper and a Junior Counselor! We are so excited to bring Mason back for his first year as a Group Counselor. He has a ton of camp experience, both from Roughing It and camping with his friends. Mason is from San Ramon and is getting ready for his third year at UCR. Welcome back Mason!
Jake Gallagher
B2 Assistant Counselor, 1st Year Staff Member
Cal Poly Pomona – English Major
Jake is in his first year at Roughing It. He recently completed his first year at university as an English major and will be attending Cal Poly in the fall. Jake loves the outdoors and enjoys going to the beach, hiking and biking. He was a student leader on a church house building trip in Mexico where he formed meaningful connections within the community. Jake is eager to bring positivity and excitement to the camp this summer!
Solana "Soli" Gibson
G2 Group Counselor, 2nd Year Staff Member
Sonoma State University — Psychology
Soli was a Roughing It camper for 4 years with the addition of being a junior counselor, and an assistant counselor. She is back this year after such an amazing time last summer! She just finished her first year at Sonoma State University. Soli strives to make camp fun for everyone!
Lilly Quarles
G2 Assistant Counselor, 1st Year Staff Member
University of Washington – Political Science major
Lilly is from San Francisco and attends University of Washington in Seattle. She is majoring in Political Science and minoring in Public Policy. Before starting at University of Washington, she spent many summers at various summer camps, including a sleepaway Girl Scout camp. Lilly is excited to give children in San Francisco a chance to escape the city and learn more about the outdoors!
Henry Flaherman
B3 Group Counselor, 1st Year Staff Member
William & Mary
Although this is his first year as a group counselor, Henry has extensive Roughing It experience! Henry attended as a camper every summer since he was five and spent the last two summers as a junior counselor. Henry is preparing for his first year at William and Mary college, and hails from San Francisco. In his free time, Henry enjoys running cross country and track and field. Henry is excited to bring his extensive camp experience and positive attitude to the reservoir this summer!
Tyler Hunt
B3 Assistant Counselor, 1st Year Staff Member
UC San Diego — Political Science
We are excited to have Tyler join us for his first summer at Roughing It alongside his sister Emma. Tyler is attending UC San Diego. He has experience canoeing and kayaking in the lake of the Sierra. Tyler has volunteered at the Wagner Ranch Nature Area. He also played varsity sports in high school. Tyler is looking forward to being a mentor for campers this summer!
Julia Berg
G3 Group Counselor, 2nd Year Staff Member
University of Miami – Marketing major
Julia is at Roughing It for the second time this summer! She will be starting her second year at University of Miami in the fall where she is on the rowing team and studying marketing. Julia enjoys playing sports such as volleyball, and soccer, and loves arts and crafts. She is looking forward to helping our campers have a fun and safe camp experience that they will always remember.
Sofia Drewicke
G3 Assistant Counselor, 1st Year Staff Member
Diablo Valley College – Ecology major
Sofia is a new counselor here at Roughing It and brings a lot of valuable experience. She just finished her second year at Diablo Valley College and is pursuing Ecology. She loves camps and the outdoors and served as a cabin leader at the Walker Creek Ranch camp. Sofia also enjoys volunteering at nonprofits where she can share her love for the environment, and she is excited to bring this passion to the reservoir.
Luke Morrison
Assistant Counselor, 1st Year Staff Member
University of San Diego — Finance
Luke is joining us for his first summer at Roughing It. He currently attends University of San Diego. Luke has been a cub and boy scout, allowing him to experience various outdoor trips. Luke worked as a camp counselor at a soccer camp the year prior. Luke is excited to create a great experience for campers this summer!
Grace Bell
Assistant Counselor, 1st Year Staff Member
Wesleyan University – Psychology major
Grace is joining us for her first summer on staff! She is an alumni camper that attended for many years, giving her the camper perspective. Grace will be attending Wesleyan University and is studying Psychology. She ran cross country and track in high school, volunteers in her community, and loves outdoor cooking! Last summer, Grace also worked as a teaching assistant for a preschool. We are so glad to have Grace onboard to help create a wonderful experience for campers!
Elias
Junior Counselor, B1 Group & More
High School – Junior Year
Elias has been a Roughing It camper since 2016 and also participated in our CILT program. Elias is currently a junior in high school. He brings not only a great energy and warmth to camp but also his many years of Roughing It camper experience. This includes lots of games to lead and play with a group and his creativity in song writing and bus spirit to help the XS bus. He spent a lot of time with the B1 group this summer but also helped around camp at other groups when needed, and always did a fantastic job wherever he was! We have seen Elias grow so much over the years at Roughing It, it has been fantastic to see him grow into such a great, responsible, and caring counselor.
Sasha
Junior Counselor, KP Group
High School – Junior Year
This is Sasha’s 10th year at Roughing It! She stepped up into the Junior Counselor role and did a great job. She is currently a junior in high school. This summer she worked primarily with our youngest campers, the KP group, and provided a gentle, caring, and fun energy for the group. Sasha has been coming to Roughing It since she herself was a Kindergartener and we are so proud of her growth and accomplishments!
