Staff
Each year, Deer Crossing assembles and trains enthusiastic young adults who possess skills and talents that enhance campers’ wilderness experience. Some come from colleges and universities throughout California and the U.S., and others from overseas, including Europe, Asia, Latin America, Australia, and New Zealand. All have something special to offer the campers at Deer Crossing, and they’re dedicated to bringing the best out of campers and themselves.
All staff complete applications and are interviewed in person or via Zoom by the camp owners. We check references through phone interviews and/or written questionnaires and Facebook and LinkedIn pages. International staff submit local police background checks and U.S. staff complete full background checks, including criminal history. Every member of the staff is checked against the Nationwide Sex Offender Database, every year.
Our instructors are qualified beyond the standards set by the State of California and the American Camp Association. They complete an intensive 12-day training course prior to camp and are certified in Professional CPR, Standard First Aid, and Wilderness First Aid as well as American Red Cross lifeguarding with advanced waterfront training. Some staff arrive already certified as Wilderness First Responders (WFRs) or EMTs. Each instructor is responsible for the 24-hour-a-day safety, well-being, and happiness of the campers.
Program staff at Deer Crossing are called “Instructors” for a reason—they are not typical camp counselors. We hire instructors who can teach beginning to advanced classes in their area of expertise, such as sailing or rock-climbing. They all have counselor capabilities and want to work with youth. Staff are highly trained and create a positive impact on the lives of young people and each other.
“Deer Crossing is a life-altering experience for campers and instructors alike. After seven years as a camper at DCC, my purpose this summer was to make DCC as memorable for these campers as the place has been for me. I walk away from DCC a stronger, more confident person, happy that the campers I’ve instructed walk away with the same feelings of accomplishment.”
Evan T, San Mateo, California
Meet the Staff
Charlotte S
Assistant Director, Sailing & Drawing instructor
Charlotte returns for her 3rd year at Deer Crossing as a sailing instructor, and her 1st as an Assistant Director. Charlotte has been sailing most of her life and has been competing for the past 5 years in high school and at William and Mary college in Virginia. She loves teaching sailing and her patience and enthusiasm spread the love to new sailors. Charlotte is a skilled artist and will also be teaching drawing and sketching.
Simon C
Assistant Director, Technical Tree Climbing & Kayaking Instructor
This is Simon’s 8th summer at DCWC, and he is excited to be back for his 3rd year as a Tree-Climbing Instructor and 1st year as Assistant Director. Simon is looking forward to another summer in the great outdoors (after too many hours in the lab at U. of Washington), more specifically, in the canopy of the Jeffery pines. Simon has been working on his skills in the off season, including backpacking and kayaking, and he hopes that this year will be the one that he finally makes it to Tell’s Peak by lunchtime.
Faith J
Kayak & Rock Climbing Instructor
This is Faith's 2nd summer at Deer Crossing and first year on our leadership team. Faith is from New Zealand and has worked in the outdoor industry for 5 years. With qualifications in "Outdoor and Adventure Education" and having worked with kids for the past 3 years, she has the right skills to be at Deer Crossing. Faith has a passion for outdoor climbing and kayaking but is keen to learn and teach anything. She enjoys teaching kids life skills, building up confidence and getting them out of their comfort zones.
Colleen L
Rock-Climbing & Tree-Climbing Instructor
This is Colleen’s 10th summer at Deer Crossing, 4th time as an instructor. As usual they will be found in a helmet and harness at most hours of the day, happily teaching campers to climb up barely-climbable objects, such as Big Jeff (a majestic tree) and Thor’s Hammer (a deceptively small, impossibly menacing cliff-face). This summer Colleen also hopes to practice more windsurfing, and in the evenings, they love teaching and playing boardgames.
Ilima E
Lead Canoe & Archery Instructor
This is Ilima’s second summer as an instructor at Deer Crossing. Hailing from Hawaiʻi, Ilima returns to teach canoe and archery. She has worked at four other summer camps across the states, and works as a preschool teaching assistant on Oʻahu during the school year. In her free time, she enjoys surfing, hiking, writing, and gardening. Ilima looks forward to singing Brown Squirrel under the stars with the scent of Jeffery pines to fill the air.
Ciana M
Canoe & Archery Instructor
Ciana is returning for her second summer at Deer Crossing from Ireland. She looks forward to teaching canoeing and archery. Passionate about being on the water and the range, she enjoys helping campers build confidence and overcome challenges. With experience coaching Gaelic football and working at summer camps, Ciana values teamwork, personal growth and passing on skills while fully embracing camp life.
Eoin R
Bouldering & Guitar Instructor
This is Eoin’s second summer at Deer Crossing. Coming from the UK where he's studying medicine, Eoin is passionate about the outdoors and especially loves rock climbing, trail running and skiing. Eoin will be teaching bouldering and guitar at Deer Crossing. He brings irrepressible good humor, a long list of favorite songs, and looks forward to learning as well as teaching all summer long.
Anna L
Windsurfing & Art Instructor
This is Anna’s ninth year at camp and second year as an instructor. She is looking forward to another summer of teaching windsurfing, canoe, guitar, and pottery. Having majored in both environmental studies and design, Anna hopes to teach campers about the ecology that surrounds camp, and will happily nerd out about any craft project under the sun. She is very excited to return to camp and see everyone again!
Gray C
Art, Canoe, & Bouldering Instructor
This is Gray's 4th summer at camp and 2nd year as an instructor. They are studying Environmental Science and Biology at Santa Rosa Junior College, and are an avid birder and naturalist. They love teaching and learning from kids. They spent 4 years in art school, focusing on pottery, drawing and painting. With fond memories about the beautiful camp community and environment, they are looking forward to another summer of art classes, canoe "pirates and galleons," and climbing.
Marco F
Rock-Climbing & Woodworking Instructor
Marco returns for a 7th summer at Deer Crossing after a year away working on his rock climbing skills in Colorado. He's looking forward to getting his hands back on our solid Sierra granite. Marco is a skilled craftsman and runs his own construction business during the school year. He's excited to share some of those woodworking skills with campers. A friend to all, Marco has a big smile and a deep laugh.
Santiago F
Archery & Art Instructor
This is Santi’s 2nd year at Deer Crossing coming straight from his 3rd year studying engineering in Puebla, Mexico. Santiago also has four years of camp experience near his home and is also a talented painter. He loves to meet people and do pretty much any sports.
Armando G
Cooking Instructor
This is Armando’s 3rd summer at Deer Crossing, and his first teaching outdoor cooking. Armando attended culinary school in Xalapa and has years of experience preparing complex meals, including the most delicious meals last summer. One of his specialties is pastries, and we were all grateful for those skills! Last summer he taught campers to prepare their own backpacking food and regaled us with his singing at campfires.
Fernanda H
Music & Outdoor Cooking Instructor
This will be Fernanda’s 2nd summer at Deer Crossing and first teaching music and outdoor cooking. She is looking forward to sharing her love of choral music and creating delicious food -- and being part of a collaborative, dedicated team. Fernanda attends Universidad Euro Hispanoamericana where she is getting her Master’s in Psychology.
Taylor S
Rock Climbing & Canoe Instructor
This will be Taylor’s 6th summer at DCWC (including both the LIT and WGIT programs) and 1st summer as an instructor. In addition to rock climbing and canoeing, they love singing and hiking. Taylor looks forward to sharing the beauty of Eldorado National Forest with campers. They are excited to guide others in exploring the wilderness and finding inspiration in the natural world around them.
Logan S
Windsurfing & Archery Instructor
This is Logan’s 5th summer at Deer Crossing (including LIT), and first year as an instructor. Logan will be teaching windsurfing and archery. He is excited to be back at Loon Lake where his love for backpacking, which sparked as a camper at DCWC, has led to extensive backpacking in Desolation Wilderness (where DCWC is located) and the surrounding areas. Logan is looking forward to making lots of lasting memories on the lake!
Calvin W
Windsurfing & Technical Tree Climbing Instructor
This is Calvin's 7th summer at Deer Crossing (including LIT) and first time as an instructor. He’s tried almost all our camp activities, but found his home high in the Jeffrey Pines and carving the lake on a windsurfer. And whitewater rafting. And backpacking. And... He brings teaching experience from coaching youth soccer and school tutoring. As an instructor, he hopes to create the same amazing environment he experienced as a camper where he made lifelong friends and memories.
Levi S
Sailing & Guitar Instructor
This will be Levi's first summer working at Deer Crossing. He has been sailing for nearly his entire life and has recently spent time racing and competing at school in Virginia. He finds great joy in teaching new sailors and watching them grow. Levi also loves to play the guitar and sing in his band and is looking forward to sharing his love for music with campers.
Kayla F
Canoe & Arts and Crafts Instructor
This will be Kayla's first summer working at Deer Crossing. She is coming all the way from Australia and is excited to be part of the community for her first summer at camp. (A legacy, her mom was on staff in the 90s.) She’s looking forward to spending time outdoors, and helping campers build confidence, skills, and unforgettable memories. Kayla is eager to jump into camp life and support campers throughout the summer.
Ixba G
Cook
Ixba returns for a 3rd summer cooking for hungry campers, bringing his infectious laugh and spontaneous dance moves. In Mexico, he is studying for a Bachelor’s degree. At camp, he looks forward to perfecting his brownies and pineapple upside down cake. In his free time, Ixba entertains us with intricate guitar riffs (sometimes playing behind his head!) and plays kayak water polo.
Each year, Deer Crossing assembles and trains enthusiastic young adults who possess skills and talents that enhance campers’ wilderness experience. Some come from colleges and universities throughout California and the U.S., and others from overseas, including Europe, Asia, Latin America, Australia, and New Zealand. All have something special to offer the campers at Deer Crossing, and they’re dedicated to bringing the best out of campers and themselves.
