We’re excited to have your child join us for the 2024 Wild Oaks Summer Camps. Meet the creators of this year’s summer camp magic below!
Drea Lee (Camp Director) is the Director of Auxiliary Programs at Oak Hill and a performing arts educator. She’s taught acting to youth for fifteen years as well as many other classes she’s passionate about such as tech, film, and creative writing. She loves storytelling (in all its forms) from books and plays to films and video games. In her free time, you can find her reading Shakespeare, gardening, or playing with her three zany chihuahua mixes. She’s looking forward to joining forces with the Wild Oaks team to make #wildoaks2024 the best camp ever!
Britt Camp (Camp Coordinator) grew up in Northern California and began his career in education as a Student Mentor for the “Advancement Via Individual Determination” (AVID) Program. There he coached first-generation and low-income students through academics and college application processes. Britt received his Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy in May of 2023 before embarking on a six-week backpacking trip across Europe, during which he explored and digitally documented 17 cities and 7 countries, utilizing skills accumulated from his Cinema & Media Studies minor. Britt’s educational and teaching approach centers around experiential learning and aims to employ investigative methods and curiosity as the guiding forces of that learning. Outside of education and travel, Britt enjoys technology, design, music, and the intersection thereof. Animals are also a huge part of Britt’s life, as a former Kennel Technician at two veterinary facilities and a lifelong owner of pets. With a background in philosophy and a passion for experiential learning, Britt is well-equipped and excited to ignite the curiosity of the Oak Hill students.
Keshia Hackett (Camp Coordinator) is new to Oak Hill School. She brings with her a strong background in customer service and organizational skills. She has a three year old daughter and a 3 month old son so her spare time is limited, but she enjoys being in nature, soaking in the hot tub, a nice cup of coffee and dark chocolate. She is passionate about the art of living and finding joy in living each moment. She’s thrilled to be a part of something that is nurturing and inspiring young people in our community.
Alea Tyquiengco (Group Leader, K-2) was born and raised in the Bay Area of California. Her experience with working with children began with volunteering at early childhood education centers for low-income families. She has also worked for a learning center and has been a daycare worker for a kindergarten through 8th grade school for two consecutive summers. Alea is currently pursuing a degree in Secondary Education alongside Mathematics at Corban University. She aspires to be a middle and high school math teacher and specifically enjoys Calculus. She is Puerto Rican, Filipino and Guamanian and loves to share about her culture. She also enjoys being in the sun, playing sports and most of all, being able to teach kids!
Matt Sinclair (Group Leader, 3rd-5th) is a KIDS Club Activity Leader and the unofficial silly goose of Eugene. He was born and raised in Northern California and worked with various extracurricular clubs throughout high school, allowing him to gain a sense of leadership and find the tools needed to help curate a successful community. Matt is pursuing a degree in English Literature with a minor in Education. He is passionate about teaching children the power of their creativity, emphasizing their individuality, and assisting in building their problem-solving skills. When Matt is not working alongside kids, he can be found playing music with friends, painting watercolor portraits of animals, gaming in Minecraft survival mode, and laughing at pictures of cats wearing funny hats. Above all, Matt is excited to keep it whimsical and wacky during Wild Oaks Summer Camp!
Seth Watson (Group Leader, K-2) is an after-school activity leader for the KIDS Club Program at Oak Hill School. He’s had many live adventures, including working on a goat ranch, leading environmental restoration work with youth, and exploring the mountains of La Honda, California during his childhood living there. He has a passion for gardening, playing instruments, making art, and of course, hanging out with his adorable tabby kitten, Benson. He loves the work he does at KIDS Club, because he gets to share his love of art, nature, and the outdoors with young people, and is ecstatic to carry that enthusiasm into Camp Wild Oaks!
Jasper Finlay-Murcia (Activity Leader) for the Wild Oaks summer camp. He was raised in Oakland, California and Eugene, Oregon and developed a love for the arts and music culture of the city, along with the breathtaking nature of Oregon forests. He often spends his summers living and working in national parks doing trail work. Jasper is a current student at Willamette University studying communications and film photography. He has worked with K-5 kids in many contexts including arts based summer camps, sunday schools, and years of babysitting. He has a passion for honoring children’s imaginations and engaging in child-led play and is excited to bring that energy into a summer of fun!
Rachel Warsaw (Activity Leader) is currently a student at the UO studying elementary special education. She is from Northern California, where she has been a camp counselor for years and worked at the elementary schools in her local school district. Throughout her time in Oregon, she has worked at many schools in the Eugene area and is excited to join Oak Hill’s team. Rachel has found her passion for working with kids and tries to spend all her time doing so. She loves creating fun games and hands-on activities as well as including art and music as much as possible.
Enrichment Camp Instructors
Our specialty enrichment camps are taught by instructors passionate about their content areas. Meet this year’s instructors below!
Britt Camp (ROBLOX® Makers) began playing ROBLOX in its BETA testing days way back in 2008. He, a fourth-grader at the time, dreamed of one day working alongside the founders at ROBLOX headquarters in San Mateo, California— less than two hours away from his hometown. Little did he realize that in sixteen years, he would actually be teaching the game to some of the most brilliant students in Oregon! Britt received his Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy in May of 2023 before embarking on a six-week backpacking trip across Europe, during which he explored and digitally documented 17 cities and 7 countries, utilizing skills accumulated from his Cinema & Media Studies minor. Britt’s educational and teaching approach centers around experiential learning and aims to employ investigative methods and curiosity as the guiding forces of that learning.
Andrea DiPalma Yansane (Mad Science, Exploring Art Through Nature) is an accomplished artist and dedicated instructor, specializing in teaching art and art integration in summer programs and school settings for children. With a passion for fostering creativity, Andrea designs dynamic and engaging lessons that inspire young minds. Her extensive experience in both creating and teaching art and other hands-on subjects allows her to seamlessly blend artistic techniques with educational objectives, enriching students’ learning experiences. Andrea’s innovative approach and commitment to nurturing artistic expression and curiosity made her a beloved and influential teacher in many programs throughout the years through the Lane Arts Council, public schools, and Oakhill School Summer Programs.
Drea Lee (Code Your Own Adventure, Physical Theatre Workshop) is the Director of Auxiliary Programs at Oak Hill and a performing arts educator. She’s taught acting to youth for fifteen years as well as many other classes she’s passionate about such as tech, film, and creative writing. She loves storytelling in all its forms: from books and plays to films and video games. In her free time you can find her reading Shakespeare, gardening, or playing with her three zany chihuahua mixes.
Dylan Boleyn (Learn Magic: The Gathering) loves all sorts of games. His favorite is Magic: The Gathering which he has played for around 8 years. When he’s not playing games, you can find him enjoying outdoor activities, like taking a hike on a sunny day.
Elizabeth Moir (D&D Camp: School of Magic, D&D Camp: Curriculum of Chaos) is a middle school science teacher, in her 3rd year, here at Oak Hill. She is a huge fan of roleplaying and fantasy games. She has been a Dungeon Master for 2 years with two groups of her friends. One of those groups has her own 7th grader in it too! Her goal is for you to learn about D&D, but most importantly, have fun!
Emma Altenhofen (Sport-O-Rama, Soccer FUNdamentals) is originally from Colorado, but has lived in Oregon for long enough to call it home. Being from the mountains, she loves outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, and snowboarding. You can often find her at a local coffee shop with her nose in a good book or at a concert watching live music. She moved to Oregon to go to college at the University of Oregon where she earned a Master’s and Bachelor’s from the College of Education. She has spent her time working with diverse learners from preschool-aged to college-aged and largely from historically under-resourced populations. She’s excited to be a part of the Oak Hill community and create a fun, positive environment for students on campus.
Gabriel Thor Rogers (Minecraft Survival Mode, Minecraft Creative Mode, Minecraft Battles, Learn Magic: the Gathering) goes by his middle name and loves playing games and teaching kids. In the past he has taught Minecraft in the summer at Oak HIll and over the past 6 months he’s been diving into the world of Magic the Gathering. He’s excited to teach Minecraft, share his passion for Minecraft, and help kids further their existing interests.
Ginny Hildenbrand (LEGO Stop Motion, LEGO Challenges) is the School Garden Coordinator and an enrichment instructor for Oak Hill School. She runs the garden club, the LEGO club, and the baking club during the school year.
Isabelle Avalon Rogers (Scriptwriting for Stage and Screen, You Too Can Write a Youtube Review, Tabletop Roleplay Adventures for Kids) has been writing plays and movie scripts since she was in middle school at Oak Hill. Her drama teacher inspired her by boldly saying “Yes, your Doctor Who fan fiction is a script!” When she’s not writing about spotted owl mascots or alien versions of Greek gods, she is a Master’s student and Spanish instructor at the University of Oregon. Outside of school, you can catch her hiking flowery trails, singing karaoke, or trying to learn embroidery.
Jen Hernandez (Comic Creators) is an artist and educator based in the Pacific Northwest. Her painting, illustration and comics center on themes of nature, adventure, and fantasy inspired by temperate rainforests and Filipino folklore and mythology. Her artwork, teaching and writing can be found at jenhernandezart.com.
Olivia LeSueur (Disney Vocal Workshop, Hamilton! Musical Review) is a versatile multi-instrumentalist, and an enthusiastic educator with over 13 years of experience teaching children from 5-18 on a variety of musical instruments. A graduate of the University of South Alabama, she has been teaching the children of Eugene and Springfield to play music since moving to the area in 2010.
Tayler Peters (Upcycled Art Lab, Weird and Funky Jewelry Lab) has a background in neuroscience, biochemistry, and pre-med and has been working with students of all ages for the last ten years. She believes with the right tools and attention, any student can tackle any subject and have fun while doing it. In her spare time, she loves spending time with her dogs and creating art out of upcycled objects. Check out more about her here: taylerthetutor.com.
Tim Rogers (Scratch, Moving from Block-based to Text-based Programming, Exploring Linux) has been working with technology since before he dropped out of the Ph.D. program in Philosophy in the 1980s, reviewing software for the Atari ST while avoiding reading anything more by Ludwig Wittgenstein. He loves almost anything to do with computers – building, programming, networking, teaching, troubleshooting – but dislikes computer games, with the possible exception of Tetris. He is a fan of coffee, gardening, poker, and bicycling – in no particular order. His wife is a much better poker player than he is.