2019 Summer Staff
Unit Leaders / Group Counselors
Samuel "Sam" Anderson
Unit Leader / Unit 2, 4th Year Staff Member
University of Colorado, Boulder – Journalism, Political science minor
Sam is coming back for his fourth summer at Roughing It! He started in 2015 as our Outdoors counselor and did a great job stepping up to the group counselor role when we needed it. The next summer he came back as the B1 group counselor and did an amazing job! In 2017 he joined our Admin staff as the Unit 1 Leader and was a great role model for staff and campers with his high energy and camp spirit. Sam graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder with a degree in Journalism with a minor in Political Science. He’s excited to be back at camp this summer as our Unit Leader again! Welcome back Sam!
Katie Christensen
Unit Leader / Unit 1, 3rd Year Staff Member
Utah State University — Elementary Education
Katie is back for her third summer at Roughing It! She has been an amazing counselor for the KP group for the past two summers and is excited to be coming back! This summer we’re excited to have her join our Admin staff as a Unit Leader! Katie just finished her junior year at Utah State University studying Elementary Education. Over this past school year she was put into an elementary school classroom and gained some great experience in teaching. In the past she has also helped raise guide dogs as well as participated in youth events with her church. Welcome back Katie!
Sam Tuttle
Group Counselor, 3rd Year Staff Member
Michigan State University — Education
Sam is coming back for his third summer at Roughing It! The past two summers, Sam has done an amazing job as the B 5/6 group counselor. Every day he brought a great attitude and camp spirit with him that he spread to campers and other staff as well. His high energy and enthusiasm for bus spirit helped the campers on his bus have an amazing ride to and from camp, and also led to them winning some spirit pom poms! Sam recently graduated from Michigan State University studying Education in pursuit of teaching. When Sam wasn’t studying he loved playing for the Michigan State lacrosse team! Last year Michigan state lacrosse won the 2018 MCLA Division I National Championship title, the first in school history! We’re so excited to have Sam back on staff this summer! Welcome back!
Rose Tuttle
Group Counselor (Assistant Unit Leader), 2nd Year Staff Member
Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo — Business
Rose is coming back for her second summer at Roughing It! She was the G4 group counselor last summer and is so excited to be back! With her past experience in child care and leadership skills through nannying and coaching swimming it came to no surprise she was an amazing counselor. Rose just finished up her 2nd year at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo studying business and made the Dean’s list for her high GPA. She was also recently made VP of Membership Recruitment for the Cal Poly Entrepreneurship Club. She’s happy and excited to be back at Roughing It this summer and we are so happy to have her on staff again!
Ireland Clare Kennedy
Group Counselor, 2nd Year Staff Member
Mount Holyoke College — French, Chemistry minor
Ireland is back for her second summer at Roughing It! Before joining staff last year she was also a Roughing It camper a few years ago. Last summer she did an amazing job as our B1 group counselor and is excited to be coming back to camp! Ireland is currently majoring in French with a minor in Chemistry at Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts. Her passion for kids and an interest in pursuing pediatrics led to her great summer as a counselor. After the brutal cold front hitting Massachusetts this winter she can’t wait for a warm summer and going on lots of fun hikes with her group at camp!
Trevor Nelson
Group Counselor (Assistant Unit Leader), 2nd Year Staff Member
Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo — Parks, Recreation and Tourism Administration
Trevor is coming back to camp this summer! This will be his second summer at Roughing It and as a group counselor. Last summer he was the B3 group counselor and did a great job! He really encouraged teamwork and collaboration between his campers and helped them accomplish a lot of great GRIT challenges together! Trevor currently attends Cal Poly State University in San Luis Obispo studying Parks, Recreation and Tourism Administration. Trevor has worked with kids in the past with his church youth group. In his spare time he loves playing music, he plays eight different instruments! He also really enjoys sports mainly lacrosse, basketball and football. Welcome back Trevor!
Romeo Vides
Group Counselor, 1st Year Staff Member
This summer we’re so excited to welcome Romeo to our staff! Although new as a staff member, Romeo is definitely not new to Roughing It. He started as a B5/6 camper and participated in both the CILT and JC leadership programs here at camp over the past couple years. So this will be his 9th summer at Roughing It and we are so excited to see him step up into a staff member role! He’s very patient and encouraging with Pre-K and K campers and is also great at helping campers try new, fun camp activities! He’s a terrific bus spirit leader always encouraging his bus and bringing high energy and a great camp spirit.
Conor Richard
Group Counselor, 1st Year Staff Member
University of California, Berkeley — Business Administration and Data Science
A big welcome to new staff member Conor! He is excited to join us as a group counselor this summer and to apply his previous experiences in volunteering at the Berkeley Project and soup kitchens as well as working with children into being a great mentor and counselor for campers. Conor is a student at UC Berkeley studying Business Administration and Data Science with an emphasis in marketing. In his free time he is pursing his private pilot license and founded his own business as well! Conor can’t wait to help facilitate both a fun time and valuable learning experiences for his campers.
Jeremy Wickboldt
Group Counselor, 1st Year Staff Member
University of Portland — Environmental Science
Welcome new staff member Jeremy! He will be joining us as a group counselor and is excited to contribute his leadership skills from past camps and experiences. He was part of the Cub Scouts for five years as well as the Boy Scouts and also acted as a camp counselor for Vacation Bible School for three years. Jeremy is currently studying Environmental Science at the University of Portland and is passionate about helping others. He has done multiple missions trips, helped with fire relief in northern California and with hurricane relief in West Virginia. He has also volunteered with Boys Team Charity and hopes to help lead and teach a future generation.
Erin Woods
Group Counselor, 1st Year Staff Member
Diablo Valley College / UC Davis — Conservation and Wildlife Biology
Welcome new staff member Erin! Erin will be joining our staff this summer as a Group Counselor and we are so excited to have her! She grew up in Pleasant Hill, CA until moving to Dublin, Ireland after her freshman year of high school. She really enjoyed Ireland and also traveling all over Europe and Asia during that time. She plans to transfer to UC Davis in the Fall to pursue her passion of Wildlife and Conservation Biology. Erin has lots of experience with children including babysitting for multiple families and educating young kids about animals at Lindsay Wildlife Museum. She also loves being outdoors and is very passionate about nature and wildlife!
Swim Staff
Anna Hennessy
Swim Director, 4th Year Staff Member
Willamette University — International Studies, Economics minor
Anna is back for her fourth summer here at Roughing It! We are excited to have her as our Swim Director after her amazing job as Assistant Swim Director and Swim Club Director the past two summers. She recently graduated from Willamette University with a major in International Studies and a minor in Economics. In her spare time she loves singing and spending time with family and friends. She can’t wait to get back to camp to help campers keep working on their strokes and to help keep the pool safe and fun!
Jenna Olson
Assistant Swim Director & Swim Club Director, 3rd Year Staff Member
Humboldt State University — Soil Science & Rangeland Resources
Jenna is coming back to Roughing It for her third summer! The past two summers Jenna has done an amazing job as a swim counselor and we are so lucky to have her back. She’ll be stepping up this summer into an Admin position as the Assistant Swim Director and the Swim Club director as well! Jenna just finished her 3rd year at Humboldt State University studying Soil Science and Rangeland Resources. She loves being outdoors and spending time with family. Jenna is excited for camp this summer and to see all the returning campers and to meet all the new ones too!
Jake Kallick
Swim Counselor, 2nd Year Staff Member
American University — International Relations, Russian minor
Jake is back on staff this summer! Jake has been coming to Roughing It for 10 years as a camper including one of those years being a junior counselor. He joined staff last year as a swim counselor and did a fantastic job transitioning from camper to counselor. His patience and dedication with campers at the pool helped keep swim lessons both informative and fun. Jake recently finished up his first year at American University in Washington DC studying International Relations with a minor in Russian language. In his spare time he likes to play music, act and, of course, swim! We are so excited to have Jake back this summer!
Waterfront Staff
Benjamin "Ben" Coburn
Waterfront Director, 2nd Year Staff Member
University of Colorado, Boulder — Business Administration
Ben is returning for his second year here at Roughing It! Last summer he was a Group Counselor and this summer he’s joining our Admin staff as Waterfront Director! His previous experiences in student government and varsity sports during high school translated well into leadership and teamwork skills fit for camp. Ben just finished his sophomore year at the University of Colorado, Boulder where he studies Business Administration with an emphasis in finance. In his spare time he likes to go skiing up in the mountains and play basketball with his friends.
Jeffrey Witney
Waterfront Assistant Director / Kayak Counselor, 2nd Year Staff Member
Carleton College — Biology
Jeffrey is coming back to camp this summer! This will be Jeffrey’s second summer on staff here at Roughing It but his sixth year total! Before joining staff last summer he was a camper for four years including one year as a junior counselor. Last summer he was part of our swim staff and did an amazing job, and this summer he’ll be coming back to be our Waterfront Assistant Director and the Kayaking Counselor for older campers! Jeffrey just finished his first year at Carleton College studying biology with intent to become a doctor. He is passionate about baseball and has played for a lot of his life. He currently plays for the Carleton baseball team! We can’t wait to have Jeffrey back on staff this summer!
Program Staff
Danni McDonagh
Assistant Program Director, 3rd Year Staff Member
University of San Diego — Political Science, minor in English
Danni is coming back to camp this summer! This year will be Danni’s third year on staff here at Roughing It but before that she was part of our Junior Counselor program for a year. We are really excited for her to join our Admin staff as the Assistant Program Director this summer! The previous two summers she was the G3 Group Counselor and did such an amazing job. Her high energy and camp spirit really reflected on her camper group and other staff members as well. This spring she is graduating from the University of San Diego with a major in Political Science and a minor in English on a Pre-Law track! Congrats on graduating Danni, and welcome back!!
Karl Forster
Fishing Counselor, 1st Year Staff Member
Cal State University, San Marcos — Political Science and Business Administration
Welcome new staff member Karl! He will be joining us as our Fishing Counselor this summer excited to apply his experience in fishing and the outdoors. He’s spent some personal time fishing at the Lafayette Reservoir in the past and hopes to help campers have a successful, fun fishing experience there as well. As the youngest of 7 siblings Karl has always wanted to mentor and motivate younger kids as his older siblings did for him throughout his life. He’s passionate about passing on his love for outdoor activities (fishing especially!), sports and education to the campers this summer. Karl is double majoring in Political Science and Business Administration at Cal State, San Marcos and plays bass in a rock band in his spare time.
Riding Staff
Sarah Nelson
Horse Day Camp Director, 6th Year Staff Member
UC Davis — English, Latin minor
Sarah is coming back to Roughing It for her sixth summer! She has been an amazing addition to our ride site covering many different positions over the years. She has been our horse groom, Assistant Riding Director, Riding Director and is coming back again as our Horse Day Camp Director! She’s done a great job as the Horse Day Camp Director in previous summers, and at the ride site in general, and we can’t wait to have her back! Sarah graduated from UC Davis with a degree in English and a minor in Latin. She’s worked as a tutor, substitue teacher and an intern at a publishing company and now currently works as a first grade teacher! She’s always had a passion for horses and took riding lessons for six years. Besides horses, she also loves to read, write and play the piano. Welcome back Sarah!!
Hunter Spillan
Horse Day Camp Counselor, 1st Year Staff Member
Georgetown University — International Relations
Welcome Hunter as a new staff member this summer! Although she is new to our ride staff this summer Hunter is not new to Roughing It. She was a day camp and horse day camp camper for many years and we are so excited to have her join us as a Horse Day Camp counselor this summer! She has years of riding lessons and experience beginning when she was six years old. Hunter just finished up her sophomore year at Georgetown University studying International Relations. She currently is a point rider for the Georgetown University Equestrian Team, and has placed first in her division at the three shows she competed in this season. Congratulations Hunter! And welcome to ride staff this summer!
Rebecca "Becky" Weinstein
Horse Day Camp Counselor, 1st Year Staff Member
Stanford University — English, Creative Writing
Welcome new staff member Becky! Becky is joining our Ride staff this summer as a Horse Day Camp counselor and we are so excited to have her! She’s ridden English style for the past 12 years with an emphasis on flatwork and jumper style. She’s had her horse for five years and has really enjoyed training with him. About a year ago they competed in a jumper show and placed second! Becky goes to Stanford University and plans to study English with an emphasis in creative writing. We are so excited to have Becky on Ride Staff with her great horse knowledge and experience! Welcome to staff Becky!
Katya Sadek
Riding Director, 3rd Year Staff Member
Widener University — Nursing
Katya is coming back to camp this summer! This will be Katya’s third summer at Roughing It and second year on our Riding Staff. Her first summer she was a riding counselor, and last year she stepped up to take on the Outdoor Explorer Director position in our administration staff. She performed very well in both roles and we expect her to do great as our Riding Director this summer! Katya just finished her 3rd year at Widener University as a Nursing major. She plans to become a Trauma Nurse Practitioner after graduating! Welcome back Katya!
Rebecca "Becky" Visser
Assistant Ride Director, 1st Year Staff Member
Utah State University — Veterinary Science
Welcome new staff member Rebecca! We’re really excited to have Becky join our Admin staff as the Assistant Riding Director this summer! She has great experience working with children from her time at her church’s summer camp where she attended for six years then was a counselor for three. She chaperoning around 15 girls of a variety of ages and helped plan, coordinate and execute camp activities. In addition to that, Becky also has extensive experience horseback riding! She has experience across numerous different styles including western, English dressage, English saddle seat, English show jumping, and hunter jumping. She began trail riding when she was just five years old and grew up riding on the trails of Iowa’s country side. She has competed in numerous shows including the Iowa Dressage and Combine Training Championship Show, Schooling Shows, and the Iowa Games. She even received six championship first place awards in English dressage and combine training! We are so excited to have Becky join our Ride Staff and to have her extensive experience with horses and children make a great impact at Roughing It this summer!
Abigail "Abby" Post
Riding Counselor, 1st Year Staff Member
Skidmore College
Welcome to ride staff Abby! Although this is Abby’s first year as a staff member she is not new to Roughing It. Abby has been a camper for 12 years with two of those years as a Junior Counselor. She was always a model camper and we were happy and excited to have her on staff this summer! In addition to being a Roughing It veteran, Abby loves riding horses. She has been taking riding lessons weekly since she was about 6 years old and is excited to help new campers get accustomed to Roughing It and our ride site. After camp Abby is going to be starting at Skidmore College as a freshman! Welcome to staff Abby!
Olivia Theut
Horse Groom, 1st Year Staff Member
Welcome new staff member Olivia! Although new to staff, Olivia has been coming to Roughing It’s Horse Day Camp for 6 years. She was an amazing, enthusiastic camper and we are so excited to have her on staff this summer! Her passion and love for horses, as well as her years of riding experience, will make her an excellent addition to our ride site as a Horse Groom! Olivia has been riding and caring for horses for many years with her family, and at Roughing It of course, and is excited to be working at camp this summer caring for our great herd of horses! Welcome to staff Olivia!
Alex Bezahler
Horse Groom, 1st Year Staff Member
Temple University Law — Law / Political Science
Welcome new staff member Alex! Alex will be a new Horse Groom for our riding site this summer helping to care for our herd of 25 horses. In the past he has cared for a variety of livestock including goats, llamas, chickens and bison! He is excited to learn more about agriculture and livestock this summer while helping keep the ride site clean and sanity for the horses and campers. Alex was a counselor for 3 summers at a camp in Vermont called Keewaydin as well as a camp in Scotland as well. He grew up in Philadelphia enjoying hiking and learning about the city’s history. He has lived in many different cities including Washington DC, Hartford, Edinburgh and now calls Berkeley home. He recently completed law school at Temple University and hopes to one day start his own livestock business raising goats for dairy.
