Rockbrook has an amazing group of people working as cabin counselors, instructors and support staff. Working at summer camp means serving as mentors for the children at Rockbrook, learning and growing, and having a great time.
Who wouldn’t want to come back for another summer in the heart of a wooded mountain as a Rockbrook Counselor? It’s the place to be. Here is the next installment of familiar staff faces for summer 2011. Stay tuned for even more staff information in the coming weeks!
Amalia Engelberger-The University of the South: Sewanee
Jackie Hancock-University of South Florida
Ashley Lankford-Appalachian State University
Eliza Chamberlain-Florida State University
Coco Street-The Lovett School
Gabby Esposito-Georgia Tech
Eva Jorgensen-Graham-Elon University (alumna)
Margaret Morgan-Charlotte Country Day School
Grayson Randall-Appalachian State University
Jane Pierce-The Corcoran College of Art and Design
Grace Wallace-University of Michigan
Sarah Seaton-Todd-Mentor High School
Paige Salsman-Appalachian State University
Jane Pierce, Christine Alexander, Michelle Postma and Gabby Esposito heading up Granny BINGO!
Staff Director Sofie has been working around the clock to bring our campers an amazing team of counselors this summer! She has been doing interview after interview to pick out the most fun, talented and spirited gals around. Here is a sneak peek at a few of our returning counselors.
Christine Alexander-George Washington University
Hunter Futch-Millsaps College
Michelle Postma-University of Georgia
Meg Ammons-James Madison University
Michelle Batlle-Stanford University
Haley Hudler-Denison University
Chelsea Bighorn-University of Arizona
Stephanie Brown-University of South Carolina
Maggie Cameron-Wake Forest University
Elizabeth Fowlkes-Auburn University
MacKenzie Collins-College of Charleston
Blaisdell Shaw-Santa Monica College
Chase Nelson-Univeristy of Tennessee
Camp Counselors Hunter and Maggie enjoying carnival!
Just who will you meet at Rockbrook in 2011? More to come later!
We are currently gearing up for another fun-filled summer at Rockbrook led by so many wonderful people! Some folks think that our staff is simply comprised of our cabin counselors and activity instructors. However, the Rockbrook ship needs a variety of crew members to keep it afloat and continue its fun summer traditions. Here is a glimpse of the wonderful non-cabin positions we hire for every summer.
Kitchen Staff: These folks work closely with our Kitchen Manager Rick Hastings to prepare all of our meals and snacks each day from scratch. From sprinkle muffins in the morning to cookout food on the hill, the kitchen staff keeps us energized and happy!
Liz baking some yummy treats!
Nurses: Our nurses are usually moms of campers who keep us healthy. They live in our health hut, pass out routine medications, evaluate any injuries, coordinate doctor appointments, and keep track of our campers during their time at camp.
Adventure Staff: This group is comprised of some experts in their respective fields who typically live off camp and come in most days to lead a variety of trips. They are specially trained to lead backpacking day and overnight trips, whitewater kayaking trips, rock climbing trips, and a few others. Most are trained to drive buses and get our campers to and from camp safely.
Lexie helps our campers climb safely
Maintenance Staff: Led by our year-round caretakers Mr. Richie and Mrs. Connie, our extra maintenance staff who join us during the summer keep our facilities in tip top shape. They routinely clean the bathrooms and dining hall. In addition, they help us move the heavy stuff around camp, paint and any other miscellaneous tasks to keep camp beautiful!
Office Staff: In addition to our camp directors, we bring in a fantastic office team for the summer so that our directors can move about camp and work with our campers more easily. They handle camper forms, luggage, the camper photos that go up daily, parent communication, and really anything that arises.
We sure appreciate all of these folks and what they do to keep us going!
Mrs. Carrier and Peggy on The Rockbrook House lawn
Many campers and staff from the early days of Rockbrook often mention Mrs. Carrier’s dog and sidekick, Peggy. We were thrilled to find a photograph of Mrs. Carrier and Peggy together so we could “meet” the girls favorite mascot during those early years. Here is a great excerpt about Peggy, written by a former camper:
“All the campers knew and loved the Great Dane, “Peggy”, who followed Mrs. Carrier wherever she went. She seemed in her canine way to be part director, for she watched the girls as though responsible for their safety. She was a harlequin, the bright patches of white over-lapping the black spots, and though her bark was frightening, she had the gentlest of natures. Seeing her bounce up the hill at the side of Senior Lodge, one knew that Mrs. Carrier could not be far behind and that as long as her mistress stayed in the camp area Peggy would be nearby.”
If you have any Peggy stories you would like to share we would love to hear from you!
Being a camp counselor at Rockbrook is a lot of things. It’s a job that requires you to be a well-rounded mentor, someone who is part friend, part older sister, part parent, and part teacher. It means wearing lots of hats, cheerfully accepting a wide range of responsibilities. It definitely requires hard work, creativity, patience and stamina. The pace of camp life is full speed!
But perhaps surprisingly, for the counselors at Rockbrook, working at camp is also unbelievably fun. This is because our staff members simply love being around kids. They enjoy helping the campers with their activities, participating along the way. They get a huge kick from dressing up, singing songs, playing games, and generally being pretty silly— just like the campers. Cannonball off the diving board? You bet. Trip down the slip ‘n slide? Oh yes. Wear a Super Hero costume to dinner. Definitely. Rockbrook counselors are the kind of people who wouldn’t think of passing up a chance to join the girls in whatever they’re doing.
That’s why it’s such a blast to work at camp. It’s nonstop action. It’s being right smack in the middle of a hugely fun time for everyone.
Like a lot of the country, Rockbrook Camp staff members have been fighting bitterly cold temperatures and LOTS of snow! Right here in Brevard, we are currently experiencing negative degree wind chill temperatures and think this is crazy. However, we have been hearing from our fantastic staff members braving the elements. From what we gather, they are some tough ladies to be finishing up exams and traveling home in that weather. Keep the pictures coming ladies!
Our wonderful Mountaineer counselors up at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina may have experienced the worst of it. They have been getting snow almost every day for weeks and some students are even having to take exams late. We wish Paige Salsman, Grayson Randall, Ashley Harris, and Nicole Lankford the best of luck in those elements!
Snow at Rockbrook Camp
Our year round staff have been enjoying the beautiful snow here in Brevard and braving the roads and cold to get some fabulous pictures. Mandy ventured into the Pisgah Forest to get some great shots. Enjoy!
Who doesn’t love receiving a great homemade craft from a friend or family member? We are so impressed how some of our counselors (past and present) have been using their crafting skills to surprise folks throughout the year. Take a look at these fantastic crafts!
2009 Curosty counselor Anna Myers sent us a beautiful handcrafted bird (a Rockbrook Cardinal!) that we now have hanging in the camp office. Since her teaching days at Rockbrook and graduating from NC State University, Anna has been teaching art in Raleigh and most recently in Providence, RI. Her sweet gift most definitely brightened our day!
Charming Cardinal
Longtime camper and counselor Christine Alexander, who served as both a CA counselor and the Junior Linehead in 2010, just sent us a very fun shot of a group of her mom’s adventurous friends. Christine heard they were preparing for a big outdoor adventure trip, so she took the time to make her mom and each of her mom’s friends a friendship bracelet and picked out colors specifically for their personalities. Now that takes a lot of time and dedication!
“I’m a counselor. You’re a counselor. She’s a counselor. We’re all counselors. Wouldn’t you like to be a counselor too. Be a counselor. Rock-Rockbrook counselor!”
Being a Rockbrook Camp staff member is one of the most fun and rewarding ways to spend a summer. Sleep-away camp counselors provide a nurturing and magical environment for Rockbrook campers. By living in the cabins with our campers (typically two counselors per cabin group), counselors truly get to know their campers and their goals for attending camp. We often say that our counselors are like big sisters to our campers while they are away from home. It’s a wonderful bond that campers talk about for years.
So what makes a great counselor? First and foremost, a counselor must have a strong desire to work with children. Many Rockbrook counselors are planning to be teachers one day. Our counselors are a diverse group of young women usually in the 18-22 age range. We have found that it is wonderful to have long-time Rockbrook counselors mixed in with new counselors who come to camp with lots of fresh ideas. A Rockbrook counselor has to be ready for anything. The camp environment is goofy and fast paced. It also takes a lot of initiative to help plan activities and events with an emphasis on the whole team or camp. By putting their campers needs in front of their own, counselors find their summer experience to be a very rewarding one.
We are currently hiring for our camp staff, so check out the staff area of our website for more details!
Our fantastic counselors from summer 2011 have been popping up recently at the camper slideshow parties. It’s such a treat for Mandy and Sarah to visit with them in addition to the campers at the parties. Here are some updates from those visits!
Chase Nelson dropped by the party in Knoxville, TN. She is currently a junior at the University of Tennessee and is contemplating her degree focus. We can’t wait to hear when she chooses her focus, but most importantly, she can’t wait to get back to Rockbrook next summer. It seemed like she is enjoying being a counselor maybe even more so that her days as a camper.
Michelle Postma with sister Deborah
The next familiar face was Michelle Postma in Atlanta. She drove all the way over from Athens, GA, where she is a sophomore at the University of Georgia. She seems to be super busy with classes. We are excited that she is planning to be back at camp next summer focusing her energy on outdoor adventure trips for our campers. Her wealth of knowledge about orienteering and the trails around camp are invaluable.
Finally, Maggie Cameron dropped by the Winston-Salem party. Maggie worked as a CIT (counselor in training) in 2010 and is very excited to be a full counselor in 2011. She is very busy finishing up her senior year at Mt. Tabor High School. While she isn’t sure where she will be next year for college, she is busy applying and is most excited about Wake Forest and UNC-Chapel Hill. Good Luck Maggie!
Rockbrook counselors are amazing role models to our campers. We would be lost without them and their great experience. We’ll see everyone on the road soon!
