Hello all!! My name is Ben and I am so excited to be back at Augusta for another lovely summer!
Over the years, I’ve come to regard this magical place as a second home. I was a camper here for six years, at which point I decided I want to experience a different side of camp by participating in the CIRCLE program (pictured below!), which served as my transition into becoming a counselor here. After being a junior counselor for two years, I am beyond excited to be coming to camp for my first full summer as a staff member! Augusta has been a part of me for half my life, and I’m excited to spend another summer living in the wish, wonder, and surprise that camp offers.
Aside from Camp Augusta, San Francisco is the place I call home. I was born in the city and I lived there for the past 18 years before moving here to Illinois to attend school at Northwestern University!
I recently graduated high school from the Ruth Asawa San Francisco High School of the Arts (now say that ten times fast!), where I studied music, dance, and theatre for half the day. I’m so grateful to have had access to public arts education, and I love sharing the skills I’ve learned in creative thinking and improvisational confidence with campers! I’m incredibly passionate about music, and while my favorite artists include Kate Bush, Nina Simone, and Sufjan Stevens, my favorite piece of music of all time is the Chichester Psalms, composed by Leonard Bernstein. Part of how I first discovered my passion for working with kids was when I set up a program at my school to provide music education to kids in underfunded schools who might not otherwise have access to it, and I hope to bring some of that same educational spirit with me to camp! Below is a photo of me and a friend in character working at the Dickens Fair. 
I’m really close with my family! I have two amazing parents who have supported me in so many amazing ways, and two talented and inspiring sisters.
My older sister, Claire, is studying film in New York City, and the ways she creates her work inspire me to think outside the box in whatever I do.
I also have a twin sister, Nora, who has worked at camp as well! She has decided not to come back to counsel this year, but the spirit of Augusta stays with her wherever she goes. Although we don’t have the twin mind-reading powers that everyone expects, we do share a unique sense of humor and I am so grateful to have her by my side no matter how far apart we are.
Additionally, we’re pretty close with our extended family, especially our cousins up in Oregon. Spending time with them as a preteen were some of my first experiences taking care of kids, and I’ve loved watching them grow! This is us on an icy hike at Multnomah Falls back in November.
As I’ve probably made clear so far, I truly love the outdoors. From a young age, I’ve been very passionate about protecting the environment, and for a long time I wanted to be a marine biologist when I grew up because I so loved spending time in the SF bay. Here’s me working at a local farm, holding a very sassy chicken named Duchess! 
Nowadays, I spend what spare time I have hiking or camping. This is me skiing up near Half Dome back in February, as well as a photo of some Augusta friends and I camping on the rim of Yosemite Valley!
In addition to performance, I’m also passionate about politics and justice thanks to a terrific teacher I had senior year of high school. I canvass and volunteer for local politicians when I can, and I’ve enjoyed interning in different offices around the city. More recently, I got to work with the Heartland Alliance in Chicago, an international aid organization, as part of one of my classes. This is me with my congressional representative that I took after attending a town hall meeting she held at a local high school! 
I also have always loved cooking, especially baking. Something about creating food for others inspires a truly human sense of care and community. Plus, you won’t have to get out of the house for cake if you make it yourself! This is a picture a friend took of us working on a cherry tart together.
I’m glad to be back at camp, laughing and learning and growing with this unforgettable place! See you soon!