Introducing the 2020 Full-Time Staff!
"The Safest Space on the Planet, Inside Your Home."
Believe it or not my friends, Week 1 of Swamp Virtual Camp is upon us!! WAHOO!! In just a few hours, Swamp Virtual Camp will be in full swing, so I wanted to introduce everyone to the people you'll be spending time with all summer!! We have a really great group, and we are all INCREDIBLY excited to meet you!
The theme this year is all about building connections, so we'd like to start by connecting YOU to this summer's Full-Time Staff. :) Here we go!!
My name is Jacob Pursell, I am a Freshmen at the University of North Georgia. I love running and you can almost always find me in the mountains. I love camp, and I love to have fun!
Hey, I'm Ralph Zurita! I'm a public health major at Georgia State University with a minor in microbiology. In my free time, I like to go on runs and hang out with my friends. I also do art commissions of portraits on the side. I've listened to 100,00 minutes of a true crime podcast.
Hi! My name is Sydni Brown, I'm from Georgia in the United States and I'm really excited for SVC this year! My favorite things in the world are God, Olive Garden, and really corny dad jokes (in that order).
Hey guys! My name is Lauren Cicerchia, and I’m so pumped to be part of the first ever Swamp Virtual Camp!! I’m 21 and going into my fourth and final year of college at Kennesaw State University where I’ve been studying Secondary Math Education. Some things I like to do include watching thunderstorms, long drives jamming to music, and puzzles (jigsaw and math ones...haha). I’ve grown up going to Camp Swamp since I was 9, and could not imagine a summer without camp being part of it in some way. I know some of you might be skeptical of virtual camp, and trust me I was too! However, I can share personally that this experience has already changed my life and I’ve built international friendships that I see lasting a lifetime. I can’t wait to meet so many of you on this new adventure of virtual camp!
Hello ! Greetings from the twenty year old you're entrusting your child/teen to this summer ;) My name's Alexa, and I am working towards completing my degree in Horticulture (In case you don't know what that is -> I want to be a farmer !!) I love reading and lil baby animals and encouragement letters and artificial strawberry flavored anything <3 I'm so beyond excited and grateful to share my life and love and camp with all of you, please feel welcome to come and be my friend even if you aren't in my cabin this summer :) I'm so excited to meet everyone! Bye Now! I'll be seeing you soon <3
HeyHey! ヾ(￣▽￣) My name is Will McKay, and I'm one of the Boy's Counselor s this year! I am a 17 year old highschool graduate who enjoys long walks on the beach, singing, and being an overall authentic guy. My goal in life is to achieve total understanding with the people around me by using God's word. I look forward to enjoying this crazy summer with all of you! Sayonara mon amies!
Hello! My name is Kai Lefler, I am a rising college freshman, and I love strategy games and ping-pong. My favorite food is chicken and waffles!
Hey guys! My name is McCall Bates, and I’m going to be a junior at Emory University in the fall. I’m currently majoring in Psychology, minoring in Dance, and I’m on a Pre-Physical Therapy track, which is a mouthful haha. Some of my favorite things include dancing, my periwinkle crocs, and watching the sunset on the field at camp. This is my third summer on the full-time staff, and I’m so excited to meet all of you! I’m so grateful for the opportunity to serve at camp in this online format because I’m so confident God has huge plans for this summer, even in the midst of a pandemic. Can’t wait to see all of you there!
Hi! My Name is Titilayomi Abiodun. I am 20 years old and am going to be a junior at Georgia State University in the fall. I grew up in South Africa, and that's where I first learned about Camp Swamp through Swamp Corps and since then have loved camp so much, this will be my third year as part of the full-time staff, and I am elated to experience this new platform. I love being at camp and growing closer with the kids that come, and though this summer may be different in a lot of ways I know the love is the same, and the connection is still there. I am most excited to see how influential this new way of creating connections across the world with kids who may have never met with out these circumstances innovates camp. One of my new found passions thanks to quarantine has been pottery, it’s really messy but also just relaxing in a way.
What's up y'all! It's Jake here! I am 22 years old and a graduate from Tennessee Tech University. I am super excited to serve on the full-time staff again. There are many reasons I love camp and it's hard to understand where to start in describing them. I love the freedom about camp. You are free to be who you are. Not only that, but you learn to become comfortable with who you are. You learn how to be vulnerable and accepting of your strengths and limitations. You become free. You become you. I am looking forward to giving every ounce and drop of energy that I have to ensure that the campers have the best virtual week of their life.
Hey hey heyyyy! My name is Chloe Graham and I can not WAIT to meet and see so many wonderful faces this summer. I am 21 years old and just graduated with my bachelors degree in interior architecture. I see life as opportunity for adventure. Virtual camp will be an incredible opportunity to watch God’s devine plan and see how the spirit moves so powerfully in each of us. I can’t wait for an incredible summer! See you soon!
My name is Grayson Massenburg and I’m a senior in high school. I have lived my whole life in North Carolina and I attend the Triangle Church or Christ. Some of my favorite things to do are: playing and creating music (guitar), hanging out with friends, and doing all kinds of flips and tricks! I’m excited to be on the full time staff and hangout with my campers!!! If you’re with me, get ready for a week full of energy!!!!
Hey everybody! My names Matt Reddick, I’m 20 years old, and I’m excited to be the first ever virtual head boy counselor! I’m looking forward to bringing campers together from all around the world in such a unique way this summer.
Hey y'all!! I'm Brianna, and as you guys know, I write the blog for Camp Swamp! I'm super stoked to serve as the first ever virtual head girls counselor! This is usually the part where I tell everyone how much I'd LOVE to get Hot Cheetos as a care package, but unfortunately we're all at home- where I keep my secret lifetime supply :D I can't wait to see all the things God is gonna do this summer, and I can't wait for all of the connections we're gonna make! See you guys soon!!
Hello!! My name is Kiyalyn (Kit) Bump. I am 22-years-old and am born and raised on St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. I have just graduated, in this crazy time of Covid-19, from Dalhousie University, located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. This is my first time being on the Full Time Staff and I am so excited to be a part of this historic time of Virtual SWAMP. I have been attending SWAMP since I was 10-years-old, when I came up with a group from Puerto Rico that spoke very little English, and it has been the highlight of my year every year since then. I can’t wait to meet everyone this summer!! Virtual Camp is going to be so awesome with so many people joining in from around the world! VCR!!!!! (Virtual Camp Rocks!)
Hi I’m Erin and I’m so excited for this summer! I know things look so different this summer but I’m excited to see how God will move! I’m moving into my third year as a Spanish Education major at Kennesaw State University and I’m so exited to see where it takes me! Camp has made such a huge impact in my life and I’m so grateful to do the same for campers internationally!
WHAT'S REALLY GOOD, FAM?!?!?!?!?!?! I'm Dylan Chisolm, or just "Chiz" if you like. ;) I'm 21 years old I'm going into my 5th year at the illustrious Kennesaw State University, and this will be my 4th consecutive year on the full time Swamp staff! My aim is to become a Spanish teacher, and, if I'm lucky, spend my summers off continuing to counsel at camp! >:) I love meeting campers from other countries, cutting up and cracking jokes in the cabin sessions, eating snacks (particularly Goldfish, Cheezits, and WHITE CHOCOLATE MnMs), and narrating games of Mafia (which will be my primary job week 1) as well as singing worship music, especially at the Singing Devo (also my job)!!!!! I love letting loose and releasing all my energy out into the physical environment at in-person camp, so I was honestly saddened when it was canceled, but when I got to do the pilot week, it was so much more fun than I ever would've imagined, and I can't wait to share an amazing experience with peeps from around the entire world! So if this is the camp experience that God has given us to share together this summer, LET'S TAKE IT!!!!!!!
Waspoppin! My name is Gabriel, and I’m a 3rdish year Psychology major attending the Harvard of the south!! Kennesaw State University. (I said what I said...) This will be my first time doing full time at Swamp, and my only other time coming was for the previous H@TS! I tend to be an observer, who doesn’t speak much initially. But. Yeah gotta collect data. I grew up not believing in God and then had my eternity changed in November 2018!! I love cats. And Spongebob! These are the greatest things that exist. There is ZERO contest. I look forward to getting to know everyone more, while also making myself known!! I’m confident God will make this an awesome summer!
Hi everyone! My name is Elle McLaughlin! I’m 18 and a rising freshman at NC State University! I’ll be majoring in Elementary Education! After graduating I took a gap year and moved to Nairobi, Kenya for 6 months! Im currently quarantining at home with my family! I’m basically a little old lady. I like to knit and read :) I’ve been going to camp since I was 9! Even though we can’t be together in person this summer, I’m really excited about getting to experience virtual camp with people from all around the world! Wishing everyone the best! -Elle
Hi, I'm from Chennai, India I'm 21 years old. Virtual camp has been really fun and I enjoy meeting people from all around the world during camp.
Hey! My name is Jay Lynn Thevenin, I am 17 years old and will attending Valdosta State university in the fall. I have been going to swamp since I was nine, and from that first week I knew I wanted to be a full time counselor. I can honestly say that Swamp helped save my life, because without it I would not be a disciple today. My favorite part of going to Swamp is reuniting with old friends from different churches. The hugs just hit different!! I can't wait to see what gifts virtual Swamp will bring!!!
Hi! My name Is Andres Perez, I was born in Venezuela and moved to the united states when I was 2 years old to Alpharetta Georgia. Im 22 this summer, and I am so excited to participate in virtual camp this summer, It will be a lot of fun and I cant wait to make great memories. I go to the Northview Church in Roswell :)
Hey! I'm Kyler Kodinsky! I'm a rising senior in high school, and I'm an avid gamer. I'm really excited to be part of Swamp Virtual Camp!
Hey! I'm Jay. I'm a 19 year old student starting my second year as a mechanical engineering major at the University of Florida. I was born and raised in Boynton Beach, Florida. This is my first year as a member of the full-time staff, and I am super excited to be part of Camp Swamp this year! I can't wait to have a blast with my cabin, especially with the new opportunities that come with the online format. In my spare time, I enjoy building with Legos, learning new things, talking about Star Wars, and, to the befuddlement of many, solving integrals. I've been to Camp Swamp as a camper and I want to help keep this camp as a way God can be shown to others. It will be awesome to see you all, let's make this another great year to attend Camp Swamp!!
Hi my name is Lauren Ellis. I am a senior at Temple University in Philadelphia,PA. I was born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida. I went to camp every summer since I was 9 until I moved to Philadelphia and it grew harder to make travel plans. Yet, my heart was always drawn back to camp! Being on full time staff has always been a dream of mine. In past summers I served in teen ministries in Philadelphia and Boston which made it hard to come to camp. This is the first summer I had completely free and I wanted to spend it at my favorite place on the planet!! Although camp looks different this year, I am beyond excited to embark on this virtual camp journey!
A HUGE thank you as always for taking time out of your day to read the blog! And another huge thank you to the staff for taking the time to introduce yourselves to us! We seriously CANNOT wait to see all of you this summer, so don't forget to sign up! Click here if you haven't done it just yet, there's a step by step guide to help you out!
That's all for me this week! Now, if you'll excuse me, I gotta go get ready to meet all of you over at Camp Virtual Swamp!! SEE YOU VERY SOON!!!
Much Love,
Bri <3