We are excited to present one of the most talented and experienced group of counselors you’ll find. Our staffers are a multi-talented group, and they boast a wide variety of valuable experiences with children. Here is our summer lineup.

Palo Alto Staff

Allie Coleman - Allie graduated from Palo Alto High School this spring, and is headed off to Swarthmore College at the end of the summer, where she will be playing Division III volleyball and softball.  She enjoys playing sports, reading, telling stories, and playing fetch with her black lab, Bosco.  She can't wait to spend the summer playing games with the campers at Jefunira Camp. 

Anna Fraboni – Anna just graduated from Cal Poly, where she earned a degree in Social Sciences.  She really wasn’t quite ready to say goodbye to beautiful San Luis Obispo, so she will be returning in the fall to get her multiple subject teaching credential at Cal Poly.  This will be her fourth summer working at Jefunira Camp.   Each summer, camp offers her such an exciting and enjoyable way to spend her days.   There really isn’t anything like it.  Getting drenched during tip the bucket, playing fierce games of dodgeball, rocking out during lip syncs, and ending the day with a nice, refreshing otter pop all offer such a unique and wonderful experience.  She can’t wait to take a break from classes and get out in the sun.  Since she is going to be a teacher, there is nothing she loves more than hanging out with kids!

Annie Gibala - Annie is so excited to work at Jefunira Camp this summer because she loves running around and playing outside! After spending a year studying abroad in England, she is excited to play in the sun all day this summer!  She is originally from Maryland and has never been to California, so this is going to be a very special time for her!  Her favorite games include capture the flag and hide and go seek tag.  As a nanny for four kids last summer, she learned so many new games to play and can't wait to learn even more this summer.  She is an avid golfer, though growing up with two brothers, she played almost every sport!  She plays golf for Dickinson College where she will be entering her senior year.  She cannot wait to make this the most amazing summer ever!

Avery Naar - After a semester abroad in Western Africa, Avery is super excited to be back at Jefunira to share his newly discovered Gaga techniques and traditional Senegalese-style Capture the Flag!!  With just one year left at the University of Rochester, he continues to play soccer and volleyball with DU brothers, laugh with Improv buddies, reduce, reuse, recycle, and even sing a little gospel in the gospel choir when he’s not studying hard for his Religion major and French minor.  Avery has missed camp so much he plans on setting a new record during camper’s choice by participating in ALL ACTIVITIES!!!  He’s asked me to tell the campers not to try this at home….but feel free to join him in his challenge this summer at  Camp!

Ben Grossman-Kahn – Director Ben has spent another off-season from camp in pursuit of the wacky, wiLd and creative! Returning for his 8th summer at Jefunira, he can't wait to see campers bOth new and old.  He spent much of the past year consuLting with the Stanford design school's K-12 lab, brainstorming ways to make education more fun and engaging.  His work Led him to projects that involved running an actIvity booth to entertain 8,000 girl scouts and designing a bucket of fortune style challenge for the Maker Faire. He has also continued to run his own birthday party business, creating unique and inventive Parties for children in the area.  When nOt designing and brainstorming, Ben participated in the International Hula Hooping and One-Legged-Hopping Championships- he had tons of fun, so he definitely won!  He has also been honing his treasure hunting skills, both by making hunts for many groups of kids in the area as well as Participating himself in the Great Urban Race in San Francisco. Want to challenge yourself? See if you can find the hidden code word in this paragraph and report it to Ben when you come to camp for a special high-five!

Blakely Strand - Blakely Strand just finished her second year at the University of Oregon and is extremely excited to be back at Jefunira for her second summer. She loves to play tennis and lives for Oregon football.  She has quite the sweet tooth and is addicted to red Swedish Fish and Sour Patch Watermelons! When she was a kid, she was constantly stubbing her toes and still manages to do it every once in a while...She absolutely loves the sun and is eagerly looking forward to spending another summer outside with all of the wonderful Jefunira campers and counselors!

Caitlin Finnigan - Cait just finished her freshman year of college at USC.  She is a passionate football and basketball fan.  Go 49ers!  Fight on Trojans!  Go Lakers!  She loves reading, photography, singing, and coloring with her younger sister.  Cait has worked at children’s summer camps since fifth grade and is super excited to begin another summer of fun at Jefunira Camp! 

Dylan Stewart – Dylan is beyond excited to return for his 4th year at Jefunira camp, and is thrilled to be spending this summer at Jefunira Palo Alto after his year abroad in Mountain View. After graduating from UC Davis last June, Dylan took a year off from his studies, and moved to San Francisco. He spent the year working at a children’s home in the heart of the city, and made sure to teach the kids all of his favorite Jefunira games.  However, the idea of a summer without otter pops, ga-ga-ball, tip-the-bucket, lip-syncs, and awesome campers was just too much to bear. So Dylan left the foggy city, and hopped on the nearest train to Jefunira headquarters to begin training for what he knows will be the best summer Jefunira camp has ever seen! Outside of camp Dylan enjoys playing the guitar, eating candy, and exploring the great outdoors. Dylan has been known to wake up in the morning and consume an entire box of otter pops while driving to work; he says the real otter flavor helps to wake him up for the camp day. Dylan can’t wait to play games and share a few more boxes of otter pops with his camp friends, both old and new!

Faye Leong - Faye just finished her second year at McGill University, where she is a Psychology major and a Political Science and History minor. She absolutely loves: food, animals, sunshine, and obviously - kids. She spend an extra month in Montreal this year just to enjoy the rare warm days of sunshine there and had an absolute blast, but is even more excited to be back in Palo Alto with all the campers! (College kids just won't play Speedball or Capture the Flag with her...)

Jamie Gamble - Jamie is crazy excited to spend another summer at Jefunira camp!  Jamie recently graduated from Oregon State University with a degree in Psychology and has spent the past year working in the Operating Room at Stanford in preparation for Medical School as well as preparing himself for the upcoming 2010 prison ball world cup.  Jamie is ecstatic to get back to playing some of his favorite games such as capture the flag, tip the bucket, prison ball, house of cards and soak director Ben!  However Jamie is most excited to reunite with his old friend the bucket of fortune.  When asked about it Jamie replied, “Bucket and I go way back, we were good buds growing up, I can’t wait to see the little fella again!”  Mr. Fortune was unable to be reached for comment.  Jamie truly believes that this is going to be the best, most fun and exciting summer since Edward Whymper became the first person to summit the Matterhorn in the summer of 1865!     

Jenna McDaniel – Otter pops are Jenna’s #1 all time favorite summer treat and she is incredibly thrilled that she will have an endless supply at her fingertips all summer long! (And yes she does plan on sharing!) Jenna just spent two months in Ecuador volunteering with children in the Amazon and traveling through the Andes out to the coast. She is a grad of the California State University Long Beach Art Program and recently received her teaching credential. She is a lover of puppies, popcorn and pastries. Jenna spends her free time singing karaoke, painting murals and baking cookies (though not all at once). She is extremely excited to be back at Jefunira camp for the second time and knows that this summer is going to ROCK!

Joanna Ingebritsen – Though she is just finishing up her sophomore year at Stanford University, Joanna is very much a five-year-old at heart. She enjoys jumping in/through leaf piles, puddles and sprinklers, and eats sweets at every possible opportunity. In spite of a rather severe height deficiency, she loves to play volleyball and basketball and likes having the ability to run around and under the more genetically blessed tall people. Joanna is very much looking forward to her second summer at Jefunira before heading abroad to Australia in the fall. She kept otter pops in her freezer to help her get through the winter, but they just weren't the same without the sun, campers,  and fabulous games, and she can't wait to get back!  

Katie Scott – Katie is super excited about her third summer at Jefunira Camp!! She spends the school year teaching at an elementary school in San Bruno, and is now looking forward to spending a fantastic summer at Jefunira!  She is highly anticipating another summer full of otter pops, house of cards, tons of tag, bucket of fortune, prison ball, and of course...seeing all the great campers and counselors!!!

Lucy Strand – I just finished my first year as a freshman at the University of Oregon. I am so excited to finally be back in the sun and to work with kids again at Jefunira Camp. I love dancing, eating, sleeping, hanging out with friends, learning new languages etc. I worked as a junior counselor last summer, but now I'm returning as an actual counselor this summer. I can't wait to see new and familiar faces when Jefunira Camp starts!

Mary McClain – Mary is so happy to be back for a seventh summer at Jefunira! Mary is a Santa Clara University graduate ('05) with a degree in Liberal Studies and a minor in French.  She also jobtained her teaching credential from San Francisco State University.  She now lives in San Francisco and teaches in SFUDS.  During her commute from SF she brainstorms new tie dye designs and practices the verses to her favorite songs.  Aside from teaching elementary school students, Mary enjoys playing the violin, reading, playing soccer, watching baseball, and spending time with friends and family. She has also taken a lot of time this year to think about new speedball moves, more exciting relay races, and better ways to guard tennis balls and flags...But most of all she is thrilled and eager to spend another fabulous summer in the sun with all of her favorite campers (like you!).

Max Zipperstein – I am really excited to return for my second year here at Jefunira Camp.  I have nothing but high expectations for all of us as the summer is packed with an insurmountable amount of fun.  I am currently pursuing my Bachelors degree in history at the University of Arizona in which I will graduate at the end of 2009.  I am a huge fanatic when it comes to the outdoors enjoying mountain biking, soccer, baseball, camping, etc.  When it comes to picking out an Otter Pop at the end of each camp day I usually settle for the orange one, but the others are just as tasteful and yummy.  I cannot wait for what this summer has in store for all of us.  It looks like a summer filled with fun and aspiration.

Megan Vosburgh – Megan spent her childhood in sunny San Jose putting on "productions" with her sister.  She still enjoys entertaining but has now channeled this energy into the classroom.  She just finished her third year at Sonoma State University where she enjoyed gaining experience with children while pursuing her degree and credential in elementary education. Obsessed with the color pink and smiles, she spends her free time at the beach and surrounded by her best friends. She is excited to spend her third summer with Jefunira Camp and can't wait to enjoy red otter pops after getting drenched by campers in tip the bucket!

Nani Jansen – Nani is a bay area foodie that can’t wait to come and play at Camp Jefunira!  She is a rising Junior at the University of Pennsylvania and is grateful to be back in the California sunshine – after nine months cooped up at school, it’s finally time to run around again!  In addition to Jefunira, Nani will be spending the summer training for the San Francisco marathon, cooking lots of food, and hopefully finding time to sleep it all off.  She is so excited to become a counselor that she might burst!

Nathan Sullivan - Nathan absolutely cannot wait for his fourth straight summer at Jefunira camp!!! He recently received a Bachelor of Arts in Art History from Boston University and is very excited to come back home to beautiful Northern California. Since graduating, he has worked in both the art world and the legal system. His interests include playing any kinds of sports and sampling all the fine foods of the world (he has a torrid love affair with Burritos). Nathan also enjoys telling jokes, being goofy, laughing and smiling (smiling is his all-time favorite), and doing any sorts of games that can be played with a group of amazing kids! After having such a great time at Jefunira these past summers, he is literally counting down the hours until camp begins. Nathan is looking forward to meeting all of the campers and an amazing summer!  

Paige Armstrong - I just graduated from San Jose State University with a degree in Social Work and minor in Spanish. Last summer at Jefunira Camp was such a blast. I loved playing all of the many creative games, listening to Mary's amazing stories at story time, eating blue otter pops, and of course spending time with all of the fun campers! I’m looking forward to playing and being silly once again all summer long!

Robbie Steinberg - After finishing up his fourth year at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo,  Robbie is returning for his fourth year at Jefunira and he is just as excited as his first!  Since last year he has basically just been waiting for summer to come again because there is no other place he would rather be than with all his friends at Jefunira.  He can't wait to see all his old friends and is excited to make tons of new ones too!  Get ready for an amazing summer everyone!

Rosalie Bergen - Rosalie has just finished her third year studying psychology at UC Santa Cruz and is excited to return to Jefunira Camp! In her spare time she loves to do all sorts of arts and crafts and enjoy the sunny outdoors (especially when there is water around to go swimming in!). Her favorite things to do are hang with her younger sister, read, play in the pool, go to the beach, bike ride, and attend Oakland Athletics baseball games. She is super ready for another fun filled summer out in the sunshine at Jefunira Camp and cannot wait to get the activities started! Otterpops anyone!?

Sara Verhalen - Sara just finished her junior year at Dickinson College, and has spent the past 10 months living in the UK and frolicking around Europe.  Take it from her--NOTHING can make a girl crave the California sunshine more than the infamous English weather!!  She could not possibly be more thrilled to return for her second summer at Jefunira Camp.  She has been dreaming of the Bucket of Fortune, Tie Dye t-shirts, and Otter Pops almost every night, and has been counting down the days till the fun with all of the awesome campers will begin!  Her hobbies include acting, watching Friends or any of the HSM movies, and singing/dancing in the shower.  When she is not babysitting or at a rehearsal, she can always be found by a pool with her friends.

Seth Draine – My name is Seth Draine and I have a high bowling score of 225.  When I'm not sweat'n it out on the lanes, I enjoy the many pumping right point breaks that stretch from Ventura to Northern Baja California.  After graduating from California State University Long Beach with a degree in History and a secondary credential in the Social Sciences, I hit the trail down to South America to teach and play with grade students in Ecuador.  I have heard about some great experiences at Jefunira Camp and am super excited to join in the fun!

Taylor Stevens – This summer Taylor is returning from her sophomore year at the University of Oregon where she is currently a Sociology major and an Art History minor. The past year she has experienced too much rain and is ready for some California sunshine! When Taylor was younger she loved to attend summer camps and play sports. She has been a member of the Ladera Oaks Swim Club since she was six years old and is a master at Breaststroke. She also loves participating in any activity that involves art! This is her first year as a counselor at Jefunira Camp and she cannot wait for the summer to start!

Varoon Bose - Varoon has just survived his third year at Colgate University in upstate New York where he is a double major in Psychology and Spanish. Besides freezing his behind off in the harsh winters of the east coast, Varoon can typically be found playing basketball, in front of the television watching ESPN or with his friends playing a game of cards. This is Varoon's third year working at Jefunira camp and can't wait to get back to Jefunira to play awesome games with the campers and eat otter pops in the California sun. But most importantly, Varoon DEFINITELY cannot wait to get back and play some Bulls-Eye, since he has been deprived from it for the past year!

Zach Bellows – After seven summers as a C.I.T or Junior Counselor, Zach is excited to join the staff in full this summer.  Zach’s favorite nickname is Sal (after the poet and musician Sal Bellows), and will be studying music at Colorado College this fall.  When he is not singing, accompanying a singer, playing piano, guitar, recorder, composing or improvising, you will most likely find him skiing with the Sugar Bowl Ski Team during the winter and river rafting during the summer.  Although Zach loves many of the activities at Jefunira Camp, his favorite time is during outdoor warm-ups when he can juggle and challenge campers to a game of handball, or play chess with campers during indoor time.  In fact, he just got back from a national chessball tournament where the contestants had to juggle chess pieces while playing handball.  Lastly, Zach’s philosophy on life the universe and everything can be summed up in the sentence, “it doesn’t have to make sense to make sense,” which is probably why a refrigerator.