Our staff consists of undergraduate and graduate students, teachers and professionals with backgrounds in the fields of education, counseling, school psychology, speech-language pathology and similar fields that serve exceptional children. Our staff are the key to creating a fantastic summer for our campers. Our ratio of staff to campers is 2:5. All members of our staff have demonstrated the level of emotional maturity, flexibility, and creativity which we believe is necessary to ensure each camper’s success.
I cannot thank the Sequoia staff enough for their hard work and dedication to helping their campers. Brian and the Sequoia leadership do a great job of communicating and working with parents.
Brian has over two decades of camp leadership experience working with exceptional populations focusing on social, life and transition skills curricula. Brian holds a Master’s degree in inquiry-based education.
Brian is an Eagle Scout, National Camping School Graduate and Certified Master Naturalist who has over two decades of camp leadership experience working with exceptional populations focusing on social and life skills curriculum. Brian holds a Master’s degree in inquiry-based education. He is currently licensed in K-12 Gifted Education and grades 4-8 general education with endorsements in Math, Science, English, and Social Studies. He holds credentials in Mental Health First Aid, Wilderness First Aid and as a 10 year certified Crisis Prevention Instructor building upon a background in advanced life support Emergency Medicine. Brian has presented papers at two World Gifted Conferences, the International Conference on ADHD, and at the Pacific Rim Conference on Disabilities as well as numerous local and regional events. He has also led several sessions relating to best practices on exceptional populations for the American Camping Association Tri-State conference and spoken as an invited guest at the Oxford Forum. He serves as a reviewer for manuscripts submitted to The Teacher Educators’ Journal. His articles on giftedness, frustration tolerance, and the twice exceptional (2e) mind have been seen in a variety of print and online venues including Planet Neurodivergent, Additude Magazine, Attention Magazine and MetroKids et. Al.
Brian additionally serves as a long standing CASA (court appointed special advocate for children), advocating for youth in difficult home environments. He serves as President of a volunteer Master Naturalist board and served as the Founding Director of the National Park Educational Institute for Hawaii Volcanoes National Park as well as a Medicaid Waiver Service Supervisor on the Big Island of Hawaii. He currently sits on the IACUC committee for his alma mater and is a field supervisor for pre-service student teachers.
Brian enjoys making profound and meaningful differences with exceptional populations, especially in a camp setting. He believes in the transformative experience that Camp Sequoia can provide for all children and especially for children in need of social skill development. In his free time, he enjoys travel and time spent connecting kids with nature domestically and internationally.
As former campers and camp counselors, our leadership team is adept at identifying qualities that make great camp staff, and as parents, we want to make sure that our campers are being instructed and supervised by people who truly “get” them and have our children’s physical and emotional well-being as their first priority. Our 2 staff to 5 camper ratio supports our mission. This is why we certify our leadership team in Crisis Prevention and spend two weeks of training dedicated to making sure that those working with our Camp Sequoia family have the knowledge, skills, and ability to make a difference in camper lives.
We are lucky to have Brian as an influence in the lives of our children. He truly understands our kids in a way that few others in their lives do.
Kristen has experience in education and clinical settings. Kristen is in her 8th year with Sequoia programs and is a Licensed Master of Social Worker (LMSW). Kristen is passionate about helping neurodivergent youth to become their best selves. Her work with children has been featured at the American Camping Association Tri-States Conference.
Kristen is a mental health and camp professional with a passion for supporting neurodivergent individuals. Kristen’s expertise in social work and supporting youth with ADHD was sparked by her initial experience working as an activity specialist at Sequoia. Kristen has held leadership roles at Sequoia within the Scaffolding Success Team and as a Division Head. After completing a degree in psychology, Kristen worked in a residential setting supporting at-risk youth who’ve experienced trauma, and diagnosis such as ADHD, ASD, oppositional defiant disorder, PTSD, and similar diagnoses.
During the school year, Kristen is an elementary Behavior Specialist in the Rockingham County VA Public Schools. Additionally, Kristen provides support and consultation to educators, administrators, and paraprofessionals. She is a noted speaker on innovative interventions, ADHD, and self-care. Kristen has also presented research at various symposia highlighting her evidence-informed approaches. She has earned additional certification and specialized training in Nonviolent Crisis Intervention (CPI) Mental Health First Aid and Conscious Discipline.
In her free time, Kristen enjoys time spent travelling, hiking, and spending time outdoors with friends and family–and on a snowboard during the winter.
Reema has over 10 years of camp experience. She is in her 7th year with Camp Sequoia. Her innovations helped Camp Sequoia run 100% COVID Free. She has presented her work across multiple states and times for the American Camping Association (most recently in 2022), specifically related to strategies for meaningful social engagement of kids during a pandemic. Her passion for helping children developed long before she joined our staff. Reema grew up deeply immersed in scouting, youth group, and camp culture.
She received her Gold Award in Girl Scouts for creating programs that encouraged turning artistic hobbies into careers for her local chapter of the Boys and Girls Club. Reema has many friends who struggled with high functioning Autism or ADHD growing up, and she became an advocate for them in school in an effort to help them make connections. Her personal interest in social development led her to take sociology and psychology courses in college focused on a deeper understanding of the non-neurotypical mind. Reema coordinates allergen awareness between our medical team and dining hall staff and holds ServSafe Allergens credentials. Reema has completed training on implementing SEL (social and emotional learning); additionally, Reema is certified in Crisis Prevention and Mental Health First Aid and serves as our office manager during the summer and our year round associate director. Reema has presented at the American Camping Association Conference on keeping campers socially connected outside of camp. During the year, Reema acts as our parent lesion to assist new camper families with enrollment, and coordinates our Weekend Trips and Zoom connections for our campers to have year-round support from our community.
In her free time, Reema immensely enjoys writing and drawing, and is a published author of a young adult fantasy novel and webcomic.
Dr. Lew has over 30 years expertise as a licensed School Psychologist and joins our community each summer to provide individual and small group social skills growth opportunities for our campers. He retired as a Lt. Colonel from the Army. Campers LOVE Lew’s calm and affable approach.
We are excited to introduce the newest member of our Canine Team! Camp Sequoia is proud to have a “pawsitive” influence for our campers who love to connect with animals over the summer. Camp Sequoia has a 4-legged staff member during the summer to support our campers who benefit from a furry friend. Be sure to check out Flapjack’s blog during the school year.
Our whole family loved everything about the camp including the amazing staff.
Brittany is a 10 year veteran of Camp Sequoia and a division director for our younger campers. She is a licensed elementary school teacher who provides a great blend of expertise and the “mom factor” to help our campers make friends, have fun and grow to be the best version of themselves.
Erica has been with Sequoia for 9 years. She’s held multiple roles at camp and has served as our Program Director for the past three seasons. She enjoys the outdoors, animals, and learning new things. She studied anthropology and aspires to bring people of all backgrounds together. On the off season, Erica has worked as a Elementary School site coordinator, one on one counselor, and tutor, and is currently involved in Education Research and Program Design.