The 2025 Staff
Meet the Staff
Camp Owners
Owners & Directors
administrative staff
Melissa “Mel” Bernal Ramos – Cabin Life Advisor & Substitute Counselor (Session II)
4th Summer at Camp Nicolet
Linda Busch, RN – Relief Nurse
2nd Summer at Camp Nicolet
Georgette Cunningham, LPN – Camp Nurse
3rd Summer at Camp Nicolet
Rayven Jacobson, CNA – Relief Nurse
4th Summer at Camp Nicolet (3 year camper)
Valentina Lechuga Bravo – Wellness Coordinator (Session I)
2nd Summer at Camp Nicolet
Kelly McKenna, RT – Relief Nurse
1st Summer at Camp Nicolet
Cliff Mortenson – Advisor Emeritus & Instructor of Water Skiing & Wakeboarding
50th Summer at Camp Nicolet
Christy Schoofs – Office & Camp Store Manager
3rd Summer at Camp Nicolet
Kelly Stolberg, CNA – Relief Nurse (Summer) & Administrative Assistant (Winter)
2nd Summer at Camp Nicolet
Activity area Directors
Eleanor Bush – Cabin Counselor & Director of Sports
1st Summer at Camp Nicolet
Sela Cornell – Cabin Counselor & Director of Drama
7th Summer at Camp Nicolet (4 year camper)
Sarah Francis – Director of Horseback Riding
1st Summer at Camp Nicolet
Mary Miller – Director of Arts & Crafts and Substitute Counselor
1st Summer at Camp Nicolet
Hanna Stein – Northpoint Adventures Director & Instructor of Horseback Riding
2nd Summer at Camp Nicolet
Mia Verticchio – Director of Water Skiing & Wakeboarding
13th Summer at Camp Nicolet (9 year camper)
Counselors & Instructors
Jessica “Jess” Baron – Counselor/Instructor of Swimming and Sports
1st Summer at Camp Nicolet
Pamela Barrera – Counselor/Instructor of Swimming and Arts & Crafts
1st Summer at Camp Nicolet
Caitlin Bretland – Counselor/Instructor of Arts & Crafts and Court Sports
1st Summer at Camp Nicolet
Jasmin Buckle – Counselor/Instructor of Arts & Crafts and Court & Land Sports
1st Summer at Camp Nicolet
Isabella Bukovic – Instructor of Horseback Riding
2nd Summer at Camp Nicolet
Camille “Cami” Diaz – Counselor/Instructor of Riding & Smallcraft
7th summer at Camp Nicolet (6 year camper)
Maria “Marifer” Fernanda Aragon – Counselor/Instructor of Swimming & Horseback Riding
1st Summer at Camp Nicolet
Jessica “Jess” Fisher – Counselor/Instructor of Swimming and Court & Land Sports
1st Summer at Camp Nicolet
Lia Guerin – Counselor/Instructor of Court & Land Sports and Swimming
1st Summer at Camp Nicolet
Rayven Jacobson – Counselor/Instructor of Smallcraft & Swimming
4th Summer at Camp Nicolet (3 year camper)
Fenella Jones – Junior Counselor/Instructor of Sports & Smallcraft
1st Summer at Camp Nicolet
Mia Kirsch – Counselor/Instructor of Skiing & Swimming
1st Summer at Camp Nicolet
Valentina Lechuga Bravo – Counselor/Instructor of Water Skiing & Court Sports (Session II)
2nd Summer at Camp Nicolet
Marianela Lopez Martinez – Counselor/Instructor of Arts & Crafts and Smallcraft
1st Summer at Camp Nicolet
Maddisson “Maddie” Macaree – Counselor/Instructor of Horseback Riding & Smallcraft
1st Summer at Camp Nicolet
Raymundo “Ray” Maldonado – Instructor of Court Sports & Music
1st Summer at Camp Nicolet
Ximena Maldonado – Counselor/Instructor of Court & Land Sports and Arts & Crafts
1st Summer at Camp Nicolet
Joan Meeder – Instructor of Arts & Crafts
2nd Summer at Camp Nicolet
Freya Needham – Counselor/Instructor of Swimming & Smallcraft
1st Summer at Camp Nicolet
Sophia “Saph” O’Kray – Riding Assistant and Instructor of Arts & Crafts
2nd Summer at Camp Nicolet (1 year camper)
Jayden Polyefko – Junior Counselor/Instructor of Horseback Riding and Arts & Crafts
1st Summer at Camp Nicolet
Therese Samson Olsen – Counselor/Instructor of Arts & Crafts and Land Sports
1st Summer at Camp Nicolet
Emily Stepanek – Instructor of Water Skiing & Wakeboarding
8th Summer at Camp Nicolet
Sofia “Sofi” Suberbie – CIT Advisor/Instructor of Water Skiing & Smallcraft
8th Summer at Camp Nicolet (4 year camper)
Martina Tortosa Ferraro – Counselor/Instructor of Horseback Riding & Court Sports
1st Summer at Camp Nicolet
Salome Vasco Acevedo – Counselor/Instructor of Swimming & Court Sports
1st Summer at Camp Nicolet
Northpoint adventures leaders
Jessica “Jess” Baron – Porcupine Mountains Backpacking & Sylvania Wilderness Canoe
1st Summer at Camp Nicolet
Lauren “LP” Price – Rocky Mountain Backpacking
13th Summer at Camp Nicolet (8 year camper)
Therese Samson Olsen – Porcupine Mountains Backpacking & Sylvania Wilderness Canoe
1st Summer at Camp Nicolet
Anna Savini – Isle Royale Backpacking
7th Summer at Camp Nicolet (5 year camper)
Katie Singleton – Rocky Mountain Backpacking
12th Summer at Camp Nicolet
Olivia Starz – Apostle Islands Sea Kayaking
4th Summer at Camp Nicolet (2 year camper)
Carly Sternberg – Voyageurs Wilderness Canoe
7th Summer at Camp Nicolet (4 year camper)
Jessica “Jess” Sternberg – Voyageurs Wilderness Canoe
5th Summer at Camp Nicolet (4 year camper)
Ellie Valeta Wiltgen – Isle Royale Backpacking
9th Summer at Camp Nicolet (7 year camper)
Kitchen & operations team
John Cunningham – Facilities Staff & Van Driver
3rd Summer at Camp Nicolet
Camille “Cami” Diaz – Office & Camp Store Assistant (Afternoons)
7th Summer at Camp Nicolet (6 year camper)
Chef Ro Garza – Cook
Greek House Chefs Foodservice – 1st Summer at Camp Nicolet
Luis Gonzalez Altamirano – Assistant Kitchen Manager & Baker
3rd Summer at Camp Nicolet
Jason Schwenn – Facilities Manager
1st Summer at Camp Nicolet
Hanna Stein – Office & Camp Store Assistant (Mornings)
2nd Summer at Camp Nicolet
Chef Tim Walsh – Kitchen Manager & Head Cook
Greek House Chefs Foodservice – 1st Summer at Camp Nicolet
Alexa Yamilet – Kitchen Assistant
1st Summer at Camp Nicolet
Andrea Zavala – Assistant Kitchen Manager & Cook
2nd Summer at Camp Nicolet
clinicians & Trainers
Caitlin Choinski – Staff Training Development – 10+ Summers
Keith Freeman, LGI – Lifeguard Trainer – 30+ Summers
Andrew Holperin – Ski School Clinician & Boat Driver – 17th Summer
Rachel Leach – Staff Training Development – 8th Summer
Felicia Linsky – Employee Development / Leadership & Mindfulness Trainer – 8th Summer
Patti Nolan – Horseback Riding Clinician – 10+ Summers
The 2025 Camp Nicolet Staff has over 380 summers of combined experience!
Updated June 5th, 2025
Testimonials
Testimonials
Cannot begin to thank you enough for giving my daughter a chance to have the most amazing summer of her young life. she thoroughly enjoyed her time at camp, made so many nice friends, and had so many wonderful experiences (including the backpacking trip along Lake Superior) that she can’t stop talking about it.
Our daughter would not be the strong, confident person she is today without the experiences she had at Camp Nicolet. Thank you a thousand times over!
My 9 years at Camp Nicolet are some of the highlights of my life. I think of my time on Lake Franklin, laughing, singing, learning new skills, and making lifelong friends. The memories are a source of pure joy and happiness buffering the inevitable challenges of life!
One day, I will return to gather Nicolet up into my arms. One does not forget, ever, being so very lucky to have grown up with such a friend as Nicolet. I treasure it always.
Everyone was so kind and attentive. I enjoyed getting the letters and seeing the excitement in our daughters handwriting. She survived without her phone! We have camp as a reference now, as we remind her of how much she accomplished without devices or streaming media
The fact that you are able to slow these girls down, detach them from their electronics, and show them all that Nicolet has to offer is amazing to me and very lucky for them. You have not only kept the very special legacy of Nicolet going, but you have added to and changed camp in such a way that you have kept it relevant to this next generation. Thank you for that.
Camp means more to me that you will ever know. My best friends/sisters are the most important people in my life. I am forever grateful to you for providing me (and my mom!) with nine wonderful summers. I would not be who I am today without Nicolet.
As a preteen who struggled to find her place in school— I absolutely flourished at camp and was forever changed. Camp Nicolet helped me discover who I was and how powerful one girl could become.
Because of camp, I have been able to meet so many different people with all different backgrounds. Camp is just a magical place where girls from all over come to be girls, and I can honestly say there has not been a day at camp out of all my years that I did not feel like I had best friends who really cared for me.
Camp Nicolet is a tremendous gift, not just for our daughter, but for our whole family. It’s always nice to remind our daughter that her favorite time of year is the one month she doesn’t have a phone in her hands. Camp is a huge part of who our daughter is – for that we are thankful.
