Allana Morrison
Counselor
August 16-27
|
Hey guys! I’m Allana and this will be my first year working as a Monkey Business counselor, but it is definitely not my first year with Monkey Business. I first went to Monkey Business as a camper when I was seven years old and from then on I spent many of my summers tie-dyeing and hula-hooping. I attend school at the University of Oregon. In my free time I like to do anything outside, especially camping and backpacking. I love having fun and working with kids, and I am so excited to be a part of the Monkey Business team. |
Amber Potter
Summer Program
Staff Director
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Hi Everybody! I am very excited to spend the summer with Monkey Business Camp. I love the arts, soccer, nature, and of course… hanging out with kids! I truly value learning through experience and have worked as a ropes course facilitator, pre-school teacher, and camp director. I am finishing up a masters program in counseling psychology with a specialization in expressive arts therapy. I currently work as a rite of passage leader for adolescent girls with the Stepping Stones Project. I also recently tried my hand at stand-up comedy and loved it! I am looking forward to our fabulous and adventure-packed summer! |
Amy Matarazzo
Afternoon Care Director
June 14-August 6
|
Hello Monkey Business Camp! My name is Amy Matarazzo, and I'm a youth, sports and nature enthusiast! Last summer I was a counselor at Girls On The Go, and I can't wait to be up in Tilden this summer with all the kids in Afternoon Extended Fun! During the school year, I work for a national non-profit called Playworks. We bring healthy, safe and inclusive play to schools all across the nation. Beginning this fall, I will be going back to school to earn my teaching credential in Physical Education from San Francisco State University. Some of my favorite things are camping, hiking, ice cream, whales, dodgeball, high-fives, music, and fun at camp. I am looking forward to an exciting summer with you all! |
Amy Helmstetter ~
Site Co-Director
June 14-August 20
|
Hello, Amy here. I’m thrilled to join the Monkey Business community again this summer. I adore children and can’t wait to spend time with them at camp. During the school year, I am a dance teacher and teachers’ aide in Berkeley and Oakland public schools. I bring to Monkey Business my compassion and intuition for supporting and encouraging children as they discover themselves and the world around them through games, crafts, performing arts and play. No matter what activity we’re doing, I love creating safe and supportive spaces for children to explore and grow in. I hold a BFA and an MA in dance with a special interest in dance education for children. Also, I just finished getting my California Teaching Credential at CSU East Bay. In addition to dancing and teaching, I enjoy reading, swimming, hiking, doing crafts, singing, acting and cooking among other things. |
Ashkon Davaran
Site Co-Director
June 21-Aug 31
June 14-18 |
Hi, I'm Ashkon. I have been working with Monkey
Business for the last five years. I love working with kids. During the school year I work at
Howard Elementary school in Oakland as part of their intervention program. Basically I tutor, and work with kids who are having trouble in class or do better working in small groups. I also substitute teach at other
schools in the Oakland area. I graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a Theater Arts major and a Politics minor. Outside of my teacher/camp counselor life I do theater and play music. I love hanging out with kids,
especially when I don't have to teach them math. I am a very high energy guy, and I
always do my best to match or top the energy of the kids. Monkey Business is a great place to
work, full of positive energy and good people. GO MONKEY BUSINESS!!! |
Ben Ruffman-Cohen
Group Leader
June 28-July 2
|
Hi everybody, my name is Ben. This will be my 7th year working at Monkey Business and my 3rd official year as a counselor. Some of my interests include music, film, art, science, language and cooking. I look forward to my time with your kids this summer, loved camp as a kid and I'll try to make their time at Monkey Business as fun as possible. Please feel free to come talk to me at
camp! |
Ben Toney 
Counselor
July 6-August 20
|
Hey Everybody! This will be my third year at MBC as a counselor. Apart from summer camp, I enjoy listening to most genres of music and films (especially underground/independent), playing the trumpet, and relaxing somewhere with a beautiful view. This past year, I participated in a Critical Media Production and Leadership Fellowship, and it will be interesting to see what I’ve learned collaborate with the MBC philosophy. I can’t wait to meet y’all!
|
Christina Biondini
Site Director
July 6-August 27 |
Hi Everyone! My name is Christina Biondini and I’m so excited to join the team of wonderful leaders at Monkey Business Camp! I love playing sports, being outdoors and doing creative and fun activities! I also love summer camp a whole bunch and love working with young people. I’ve been a coach, a mentor, a friend, a camp counselor and an adventure maker for more years than I can count on my fingers. I am finishing an elementary teaching credential from CSU Monterey Bay and am ready for an action-packed summer full of sports, games, drama, cooking and being in the wild outdoors of Tilden park! |
Deborah Ingegno ^
Counselor
Aug 23-31
|
Hello! My name is Deborah and I am so excited about my second summer with Monkey Business! I’ve been working in various realms of childcare since I was young (C.I.T., daycare cook/classroom assistant, nanny) and hope to do so for the rest of my life. I’ve attended 4 ½ years of college studying both Child Development and American Sign Language. I enjoy arts, theater, singing, camping, hiking, surfing, hunting for cool bugs or even just lying in the grass to watch the clouds go by. I’m a creative, super upbeat and encouraging role model who lives each day to see the grin on a child’s face when they’ve done something that makes them feel proud of who they are and what they can do. I believe every child is special and unique and should be given the opportunity to learn about who they and share what they find with those around them. I hope to be able to share my enthusiasm for creative expression with each child I work with to make this summer one they’ll never forget! |
Devin Berry
Site Director
June 21-July 2 |
Devin Berry is happy and grateful for the opportunity to be a part of Monkey Business again this summer! He has been attending or working at summer camps of all kinds for close to 20 years. He wears many hats and currently works as a consultant in the Oakland public schools, teaching mindfulness classes and creating positive culture & climate programs. He teaches MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) as well. Devin enjoys his role as a youth rites of passage group leader for The Stepping Stones Project. He is comfortable (most of the time) 40 feet off the ground as a ropes course facilitator with Challenge Learning Center. He is the father of two very sweet and very silly girls, Karina 14 and Elyza 6. He enjoys hiking and backpacking, sports, reading and meditation. He truly enjoys working with kids and is looking forward to having fun with the kids and staff of Monkey Business! |
*Elizabeth Milne Kahn
Site Director
August 16-27 |
Hello to the Monkey Business community! Formerly a Big Leaf site director and school-year camp counselor, I’m excited to return to MBC this summer to be the Papaya site director. We're going to have a lot of fun playing in the sun, making new friends, and learning the ropes of being a happy Monkey Business camper.
In the three years since I last worked at MBC, I went to Mills College, where I got a teaching credential and started my masters degree in teaching. I went on to teach 5th grade for two years at Making Waves Academy in Richmond. With Papaya-age children, I have also taught gymnastics classes for five years, and worked as a substitute teacher at a preschool. I am currently tutoring students of all ages in their homes, with a focus on helping students with learning differences reach their potential and enjoy learning. In my free time, I am also a trapeze artist and aerial dancer. |
Emily Erickson
Counselor
July 6-9 |
Hi! I’m very excited to start off my first year as a Monkey Business counselor! I have been a camper since I was about 7, and I was a CIT and a JC in previous sessions. I just graduated from College Prep School and I will be starting out UC Davis in the fall. I love running, playing with my dog Pepper, reading, doing art, and being outdoors. I can’t wait to hang out with all the fun campers this year! |
Gabe Damast*
Afternoon Counselor
June 14-Aug 6
|
Hey everyone, my name is Gabe, and I'm absolutely THRILLED to be returning for my 5th year at Monkey Business! I first attended Monkey Business as a camper in its beginning years, and now as I enter my third year as a counselor at winter camp, I can only say that Monkey Business gets better and better each year! I am currently in my second year at the University of Southern California, and am excited to be returning to Berkeley for the holiday season. I love music, juggling, tennis, frisbee and the arts, and hope to assist your kids in having the most fun possible at camp! |
Kathryn Gesner
Counselor
June 14-18
Operations Assistant
All Summer
|
Hi, my name is Kathryn (at camp I go by Kat), and I've known Stacy and Heather since I was ten and first attending Monkey Business. Since then, I’ve also gone to their Girls on the Go! camp, and then started working for them, first as a CIT, then a JC, and now a Counselor. I am currently attending Montserrat College of Art in Beverly, MA. |
Ketty Henri
Counselor
June 21-Aug 20
Counselor
August 23-27
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photo & bio on their way! |
Laura Barry*^
Counselor
July 6-Aug 31
|
Hi, I'm Laura, and I'm so excited to return to Monkey Business for my 6th year (3rd year as a staff member)! Monkey Business has been a great part of my life since I first started as a youth leader. I love seeing the new and returning kids every year, and I hope I can add to their already exciting vacation. In my free time, I play tennis, study sign language, play piano and sing, and paint. |
Liz Berliant
Counselor
June 14-18
|
6/18 update:
We are sorry to see Liz go, but she has received a wonderful opportunity
to teach at a year round charter school in Oakland that starts in July.
Thanks for being a part of camp and hope to see you again!
While this is my first summer with Monkey Business, I am no stranger to summer camps! Summers are a time for independence and adventure. I not only grew up going to an outdoor adventure camp in Michigan, but I was a counselor there for three summers and part of the administration team for two summers. I currently spend my days teaching music to elementary school students. I’m excited to explore the Bay with lively groups of girls and spend the summer as a Girl on the Go!
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Marcus Liefert
Site Director
June 28-July 2
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I'm thrilled to be returning for my 6th year of Monkey Business Camp. I’m looking forward to another summer camp jam-packed with excitement and fun. I love to do a lot of things in life—performing and teaching drama, spending time in the woods, making music with friends, and working for peace and justice—but nothing beats playing and learning with kids! Hope to see you at camp!
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Michelle Ortiz
Afternoon Care Director
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Hello! My name is Michelle and I am excited to be working with Girls on the Go this summer! I love working with children and helping them gain self-esteem through accomplishments. During the school year I work at a Private Catholic School as an Extended Care Director, where I am able to provide appropriate activities in a wholesome social, intellectual, emotional and physical environment. I am a Liberal Studies major with an option in Early Childhood Development at CSUEB and in the fall I will be starting a second major in Kinesiology with an option in Exercise Nutrition and Wellness. I’m easygoing, energetic, and enjoy putting smiles on children’s faces. In my spare time I love to workout, run, read, go to sporting events, and train in Krav Maga. (An Israeli form of self-defense.) I am really excited and looking forward to meeting everyone! |
Naomi Drexler
Site Director
Afternoon Care Director
Aug 23-27
|
Hi everyone! My name is Naomi Drexler and I am thrilled to be returning to
the Monkey Business Family! Last summer, I worked as the P.M. Director for
Girls on the Go and this year will be working as the GOTG Site Director. I am a
native Berkeley girl and, having spent the last four years living in Ohio
studying Political Theory and English at Oberlin College, I couldn't be more excited to come back
to the beautiful Bay Area and explore its wonders with all you wonderful
girls! See you soon! |
Natalie Alfandary
Counselor
|
Hi my name is Natalie and I’m looking forward to summer 2010 at Monkey Business Camp! I will be a senior at Berkeley High this fall. My passions include walking, writing, enjoying healthy food, playing with my little cousins and traveling. This past year I have been tutoring English language learners from Mexico and India. I have experience babysitting, working at a pre-school and being a youth leader at MBC.
|
Sarah Herman*
Counselor
June 21-July 2
|
Hello everyone! I am so excited to be working at Monkey Business this summer! This is my first time being a counselor, however I’ve been a youth leader for 4 years. I love being at camp; meeting new campers and seeing returning ones are things I’m looking forward to. I love to sing camp songs and do art with all of our monkeys. I will be a senior at Berkeley High this fall. Some of the things I do outside of school are babysit and tutor Willard middle schoolers in math. Traveling is something I aspire to do and I love learning about other cultures, languages and foods. I cannot wait to meet all the campers this summer!
|
Sequoia Etcheverry*
June 14-25
|
Howdy all! Sequoia here, and grateful to be working with the Monkey
Business community. I send my time mostly outdoors interacting with
the earth: be it landscaping, garden education, backpacking or
tromping through the woods to the perfect sit spot for sunset. My
favorite company for any of these activities is children! I find they
teach me new ways of being and seeing all the time. It makes me light
up when I see kids taking care of each other with supportive comments
and laughter. I also enjoy encouraging kids to think of more
sustainable ways of interacting with their own needs and the needs of
others, especially our mama earth. I received my BA from the Evergreen
State College where I studied ecological systems as well as nature
philosophy. And I have spent the past 5 years as a permaculture farmer
and environmental educator for all ages, kindergarten-college. I
believe in the potential of our youth to be the creative, powerful,
independent leaders of our future. May your kids enjoy my silly and
attentive personality, and may we continue to learn and grow with each
other! |
Simone Olsen-Varela
Afternoon Site Director
August 9-20
|
Simone originally joined our counseling staff in 2007. She is returning to be Afternoon Site Director for Ages 8-10 from August 9-20. Her old bio is here. |
Teresa Diaz*
Site Director
June 28-July 2
|
I am excited and happy to be returning to Monkey Business Camp this summer! This will be my 7th year with the MBC family! In 2008 I received my teaching credential from SFSU and am pursuing my passion for social justice through education. I have spent the last two years teaching 3rd and 4th grades with the WCCUSD. I also worked for three years at Prospect Sierra School in El Cerrito as a third grade associate teacher and afterschool assistant. In 2004 I graduated from UCLA with a bachelor's degree in sociology and minor in women's studies. Prior to teaching, my experience with children includes college volunteer work with campus organizations doing educational outreach, four years experience as a summer camp counselor, and classroom experience as a teachers' aide. Some of my hobbies and pastimes include dancing, writing, exercising, cooking, camping, arts and crafts, scrapbooking, and digital film/ photography/ music media. I am a Bay Area native and love to immerse myself in the culturally diverse community we have here that is unique and holds a very special place in my heart! |
Vivian Ponte-Fritz
Counselor
June 21-July 2 |
Hi Monkey Business Camp!!
I am so excited to take part in my 12th summer at monkey business camp. I have been a camper since I got my preschool diploma and hopefully will continue to be part of the monkey business family until I get my high school diploma. Both are very important to me and I feel that we can learn from kids that are at ages everywhere in between those. I come to monkey business to help kids have the greatest possible time during their time at camp. I also work at Camp Winnarainbow and have a lot of experience with kids, I cannot wait to learn new things from them again this summer. |
