Meet our Camp Staff – 2024
Welcome to Summer Camp!
Sara: I have been working in youth development and camps for over 20 years in 3 states: New York, Vermont, and our now home state of Maryland. I have such a passion for what camps can do for young people. Having experienced it myself as an elementary school kid going to Rec camps, to a middle schooler attending overnight environmental camps to a high schooler that was focused on sports camps, I knew camps were something I truly enjoyed. I didn’t fully understand the power of camp until I was later a camp counselor and then a Camp Director. Camp is often referred to by so many as “home” and a place to “be my true self”. I felt this wholeheartedly as a camper and as a young staff member. My fondest memory of camp is gaining the designation of “polar bear” at my camp when I was 12 years old, I had to wake up early, sit in a freezing waterfall, and bite a mouthful of moss off one of the rocks built into the side of the mountain (and then spit it out). I learned I could do hard things! Building a young person’s ability to avoid trying something new (either from embarrassment, judgment, or risk) is a huge benefit to camp. It is something that I learned in a safe environment that opened so many more doors for my future self. I can’t imagine a better job where I can help make that (and so much more) happen for so many campers each year.
Victoria: Originally from Minnesota, my childhood was spent outdoors, and it shaped me into who I am today. I have worked with youth for more than ten years; I have a B.S. in Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies and a Master’s in Environmental Education and Natural Sciences. I love connecting communities with their natural environment. In 2016, I took on my first leadership role in camp as a division director at a girls-only residential camp in Northern Minnesota. That summer changed my life: it gave me confidence, removed my fear of public speaking (and singing!), and showed me the value of community building through camp. Camp has taught me that I can do hard things. My career goal is to help others find value in nature, community building, and personal transformation through challenge by choice. At Camp West Mar, we do all of this and much more. My childhood memories were built on long, hot summer days where boredom fed my imagination and friendships were nurtured. As the director of Camp West Mar, I aim to provide a safe, fun, and whimsical environment for campers to create their memories to last a lifetime. I am beyond excited for summer camp of 2024 to begin and meet all of your campers!
