Meet the Spring 2023 Outdoor Education Staff
Our Outdoor Education staff team talked through goals for how to grow ourselves in mind, body, spirit (personal flourishing) and also how one of our major missions for OE is to create spaces and experiences where we can support the flourishing and growth of our school communities outside of the school building. We can’t wait to meet all the students experiencing unique and immersive outdoor field trips this Spring.
Learn more about our Outdoor Education program.
Scroll to meet the team.
Lauren “Lobo” McCleary
Where are you from?
My family hails originally from the Wolves Den of Camp Tecumseh was displaced to far off Memphis, Tennessee for several years. I am happy to return to have returned to my familial home on the Tippecanoe River.
What are you most excited about for this Spring season with Outdoor Education?
I am always excited to see our forests blossom and bloom in the Spring as our Spring flowers and school groups return.
What is one way you are hoping to grow while at Camp?
I am looking forward to building impactful relationships with our students, teachers, and the staff who are joining us this season.
Keith “Kilimanjaro” Kalish
Where are you from?
I grew up in Belleville, Illinois, close to the mighty Mississippi River and St. Louis.
What are you most excited about for this Spring season with Outdoor Education?
Seeing students, chaperones, parents, and teachers coming together here at Tecumseh, and experiencing a little glimpse of camp. Watching the seasonal staff guide, lead, and provide the best camp experience for all our students and guests.
What is one way you are hoping to grow while at Camp?
I hope to inspire and mentor the seasonal staff as they grow personally, professionally, and as good human beings in this natural environment and community at camp.
Kaleb “Kudu” Buchanan
Where are you from?
I am from Springfield, Illinois.
What are you most excited about for this Spring season with Outdoor Education?
I am most excited to be working with groups in nature at a time when new growth is happening and I can share the beauty of nature with them.
What is one way you are hoping to grow while at Camp?
I am hoping to grow antlers while here at camp. Every self-respecting Kudu should have some.
Sydney “Serengeti” Chaney
Where are you from?
Crawfordsville, Indiana
What are you most excited about for this Spring season with Outdoor Education?
To create more memorable experiences with our incredible school groups and the Outdoor Education staff!
What is one way you are hoping to grow while at Camp?
I hope to continue to grow in the same foundations we teach students in our Foundations for Success program: trust, self-confidence, communication, leadership, and problem solving!
Isaac “Iguana” DeMoss
Where are you from?
I am from the noble forests of northern Indiana.
What are you most excited about for this Spring season with Outdoor Education?
I am the most excited to be in the great outdoors exploring nature and helping others to learn about our wonderful world.
What is one way you are hoping to grow while at Camp?
I am hoping to grow in my communication skills so that I can better learn about all the cool people and critters that come to camp.
Taylor “Thunder” Moore
Where are you from?
I originally formed over the Barren Fork River in Middle Tennessee, but now you can catch me rolling through the troposphere over Camp Tecumseh.
What are you most excited about for this Spring season with Outdoor Education?
I am filled with electricity to bring April showers to help May flowers and the youth grow and flourish.
What is one way you are hoping to grow while at Camp?
I want to be a light in the storm and to become more grounded.
Rachel “Rock” Naylor
Where are you from?
I grew up in Fishers, Indiana but now spend my days rockin’ and rollin’ at camp!
What are you most excited about for this Spring season with Outdoor Education?
I love seeing camp come back to life, the flowers blooming, trees becoming green again, the oak forest smelling like wild onion, and camp being full of kids!
What is one way you are hoping to grow while at Camp?
I would personally love to grow into a big strong tall mountain. I would also like to grow more in my plant identification!
Graham “Glacier” Johnson
Where are you from?
Olympus Mons, Jupiter, fifth planet from the Sun.
What are you most excited about for this Spring season with Outdoor Education?
I am excited to be a leader for our younger generation, and allow them to interact with nature and learning in a way they are not normally able to in their daily life.
What is one way you are hoping to grow while at Camp?
I am hoping to grow in beard size, in my close connections with others, my connection with nature, and to grow in my knowledge and experience in camping.
Lauren “Leech” Hardebeck
Where are you from?
Under a rock in the shallow, dark waters of the Tippecanoe River.
What are you most excited about for this Spring season with Outdoor Education?
I am most excited for the people! The school communities that come to Camp are full of the most wonderful students, teachers, and chaperones who are here to learn and grow together. This, along with the Outdoor Education staff, is going to make for a wonderful season!
What is one way you are hoping to grow while at Camp?
I am hoping to grow in my outdoor knowledge, and use this to further my own understanding of the world and my teaching.
Sheila “Spring” Wilimitis
Where are you from?
Burlington, Indiana.
What are you most excited about for this Spring season with Outdoor Education?
I am most excited about seeing the energy and excitement of students and teachers and chaperones as they participate in fun and creative learning activities. I also love to watch students grow in character and confidence as they learn teamwork and take on new challenges.
What is one way you are hoping to grow while at Camp?
I am hoping to grow in my group facilitation skills, teaching techniques, and always improving my ability to help people feel loved and valued.
Camille “Creek” Jones
Where are you from?
I sprung from the waters of the Cal-say River near Orland Park, Illinois but now spend my time chilling by the Tippecanoe.
What are you most excited about for this Spring season with Outdoor Education?
I am excited to introduce more communities to what Camp Tecumseh has to offer and also for mushroom season!
What is one way you are hoping to grow while at Camp?
The mission of the YMCA is to grow in mind, body, and spirit which is what I wish to constantly develop within myself.
Josh “Jack Rabbit” Schrock
Where are you from?
Lebanon, Indiana.
What are you most excited about for this Spring season with Outdoor Education?
I’m most excited to be having fun outside, eating fresh greens, and welcoming in the warm weather!
What is one way you are hoping to grow while at Camp?
A goal of mine is to grow in my overall team working abilities, more specifically my communication and leadership.
Carolyn “Cobra” Oneal
Where are you from?
I hatched as a small little snake in West Lafayette, Indiana, before slithering down the Tippecanoe River to reside here at Camp Tecumseh!
What are you most excited about for this Spring season with Outdoor Education?
I am excited to bring my love for nature and adventure to the students that come visit! When we step outside the classroom, we give students an opportunity to learn something new about themselves, their peers, and even their teachers. I am very passionate about hands-on experiences with the outdoors in order to learn about the world around us, and camp is a great place to do that.
What is one way you are hoping to grow while at Camp?
I hope to grow in my teaching techniques and group facilitation, so I can take these skills with me in future careers. Although cobras tend to be solitary creatures, I am always looking to learn more about the world and the people that inhabit it, so I want to grow in my communication and listening skills to foster those relationships.
