Meet Christeen Perkins!

Hey everyone I'm Christeen Perkins. I will be working at Coppercreek this summer as part of the equestrian staff. This will be my first year at Coppercreek and let me tell you I am super excited and can not wait to meet all of you!

Horses have always been a major part of my life. The majority of my time in the saddle I have been show jumping. I have also spent time competing in barrel racing. And of course I love a good trail ride with friends and family. There is nothing like being out in the open on the back of a horse with the people you love. I have been riding for as long as I can remember and can't wait to teach you all I know and hopefully gain some new knowledge from all of you.

Over the years I have been at a few summer camps myself.

While the horses were always my favorite camp activity rock climbing and the ropes course have always been a close second. My other favorite part of camp was the camp fire. I'm sure we will be experiencing a few of those together this summer.

Some other facts you might like to know about me are: I love to sing and when ever I hear music I usually do, I love meeting new people and learning about their lives and their interests, I always figure out how to have a good time no matter what I am doing and I believe life is too short to do anything but enjoy it.

Enjoy the last few weeks of school and I will see you all soon!

Christeen

Meet Rebecca Hale

Hi everyone! My name is Rebecca Hale and I come from a tiny town called Holywood in Ireland! I live half a mile away from where the Titanic was built so I'll try and bring some photo's with me! I am so excited to spend my summer in the States as I have never been there before! We don't really have summer camps like they do in America and ever since I saw the film The Parent Trap I wanted to go!
I am 20 years old and am studying English at Queen's University in Belfast and I want to be a teacher when I grow up! I will be a horse-riding instructor at Coppercreek-I just had a look at the pictures on the website and the horses look beautiful!

I am really tall-I'm just under 6ft! I love to sunbathe, play sport (especially athletics), read and sing! Last year I entered the X Factor, which is the British version of America Idol, with Simon Cowell and got to the third round, so I'll love singing round the campfire!
I am so excited to meet you all soon and I know we will have the best summer ever!

Meet Josh Pocus!

Hello everyone, my name is Josh Pocus. I go by either Josh or Pocus whichever is easiest to remember. I am really excited about working at Coppercreek camp for the summer. Although this will be my first summer camp counselor job, I have been in and out of summer camps since I was 10 years old and have always wanted to be a camp counselor.
I served in the U.S. Army for 4 years and now I am a student at California State University Sacramento working towards a degree in photography. I am a very outgoing and optimistic person. I love being outdoors and enjoying Mother Nature’s beauties. My dream home would most likely have to be a tree house like in the old Swiss family Robinson movie.

In my free time I like to get out and travel. I go hiking and camping a lot with my family and friends. Trinity Alps wilderness in northern California is by far one of my favorite places to hike. I snowboard in the winter time and downhill long board in the summer. I love to ride dirt bikes and compete in motocross races.

I grew up around music and I am currently learning to play the guitar. I have made a homemade didgeridoo and other interesting musical instruments I attempt to play. I love to cook especially for other people and so far I have gotten positive reviews from friends and family. I have traveled to over 14 different countries and I plan on eventually visiting them all.
When I am not able to travel and free of academic studies I grab my camera and walk around the river in Sacramento and take pictures of wildlife. Before camp starts, my siblings and I are going on a week long hiking trip to Kings Canyon.

I am looking forward to working with all of you this summer and will meet all of you soon.

Meet Chris Petersson!

Hello everyone!

I am Chris Petersson and I can’t tell you how excited I am to work at Copper Creek as the rock climbing instructor this summer.

I am 21 years old and have always been one to seek out new things to see and experience. This urge to see and experience is what has brought me all over the world and also, along with my love for kids, is what motivated me to get a job at Copper Creek this summer.

I have always had a love for the great outdoors and all the amazing learning opportunities it has to offer and for a while now have dreamed of getting into outdoor education. When I heard that Copper Creek was looking for a rock climbing instructor I was quick to jump on board knowing that this would be a great step in the right direction of where I want my life to go.

I grew up in Cambridge, MA and still use my mum’s house there as my home base when I am not out seeing and experiencing this amazing world. I am a graduate of New England School of Photography and have always dreamed of being a high school photography teacher someday when I am ready to settle down. Having worked for many different newspapers and online publications, I am a published photographer but I much prefer working on my personal projects, which I have used for some different gallery showings.

I love to travel and have gone on many different adventures from working on a documentary project in Guatemala for weeks to hitch-hiking all over New Zealand for 5 months. I have worked all sorts of jobs from managing a tiny movie theater to being a sales associate at Eastern Mountain Sports and pretty much everything in between. I worked at summer camps in the past but never have I worked at a sleep over camp so I am looking forward to the new experience.

I am a fun loving guy who never has had any problems making friends with new people, in fact my mom often tells me I have too many friends but this cant be true... one can never have too many friends!
I learned how to rock climb just about 5 years ago as part of a National Outdoor Leadership School program where I spent 3 months living out in the wilderness learning many different aspects of outdoor recreational sports. After the 3 week intensive rock climbing section, I was hooked and have been climbing ever since. I have done everything from top-roping in gyms to traditional multi-pitch lead climbing.

Over the years, I have learned a lot about the mental and physical benefits of climbing and look forward to sharing my knowledge and excitement with all of you. I’m sure you will all be amazed to see how much rock climbing has to offer, it’s not only is a great physical sport but also is almost purely based on mental focus and determination. Rock climbing is an unbelievable way to have a blast in the great outdoors and also a means to learn a ton about yourself and everyone’s limitless possibilities.

I have always been one to give it my all and this summer will be no exception. I am going to try my hardest to do my part in making this an amazing summer for everyone at Copper Creek, on the ropes and with my cabin alike. I look forward to making tons of new friends to have fun with and also sharing my knowledge and perspectives of this world in hopes that everyone will leave at the end of the summer, a bigger and better person.

Can’t wait to meet all you wonderful people!!

Live, Love, Learn

Chris Petersson

Meet Cindy Gentry!

Hi Everyone,
I'm Cindy Gentry and I'm very excited to once again be leaving my home here in Washington State to travel to my home in California - aka Coppercreek camp. I've worked many jobs in my 25 years of life, ranging from helping teenagers plan trips around the world with a youth ministry, to scraping algae from fish tanks in a pet store. Nothing I've done so far has compared to being at Coppercreek though, and this will be my fifth summer as a counselor.


Some of you may remember me as the red-guitar-wielding counselor, or the counselor who was WAY too excited about bugs and baby goats. A lot has changed for me this year, as I got to experience my first year as an official veterinary student at Washington State University. One thing that definitely has NOT changed, however, is my love for our furry, four-legged friends.
Thankfully there are quite a few of those at camp.

Some of my favorite activities (aside from those just mentioned) include horseback riding, hiking, camping (yeah outpost!) archery and photography. At home I love to garden and spend lots of time taking care of my pets. I'm not terribly crafty but I do enjoy art (thankfully, Tie-Dye is foolproof!) and I LOVE anything theatrical. I was very fortunate to get to help the campers put on last summer's fantastic play; hopefully we'll get to see another one this year!

Aside from all the great activities though, my favorite thing by far about Coppercreek is getting to see so many old friends and meet so many new ones each year. And, of course, bbq night. ;) I hope to see you there!

Meet Sam Sigal!

My name is Sam Sigal and I am from Princeton, New Jersey. I was born in San Francisco, and didn't move to the East Coast until I was ten. I have always considered myself more of a Californian than an East-Coaster (one of the many reasons I am excited to work at Coppercreek!)

I will be a Junior in the fall at Rider University studying Business and Leadership Management with a minor in Sport Business. I spent the past two years at West Virginia University in Morgantown, WV, where I was a student manager for the men's basketball team, something I will continue to do at Rider.

Although I haven't done much acting in college, I was in various plays in high school. For one production I was cast in, I had to opportunity to go to England and perform at a high school near London. I spent this past summer working as a boardwalk carnie and arcade operator at a boardwalk on the Jersey Shore (yes THAT Jersey Shore, but the boardwalk I worked at was in the next town over from the one featured on the MTV Show) . I was also a counselor and coach at youth basketball camps.

I practically grew up at Coppercreek. That is me second from the left. My family attended Coppercreek's Family Camp for the first time when I was just 5 years old. I have been a Traditional Camper, Trekker, CIT and JC but this will be my first year on staff. I am very excited for the new experiences this summer and can't wait to meet all of you!

Meet Meredith Malnick!

Hello, my name is Meredith Malnick, though you may call me Mer or any other snazzy nickname you please. I am SO excited to spend this summer with all of you at Coppercreek. This will be my 5th summer and my first as a counselor at a place that many of you will soon call home.

I discovered the magical land of Coppercreek at 14 and have loved it ever since. This summer I will be teaching horseback riding, a passion of mine since I could walk, but have also done 4 week TREK, the CIT and JC programs here at camp as well as traditional camp. Currently I live up in Eugene,Oregon and am finishing my Junior year of College at the University of Oregon( Go Ducks!). Though English is my major I can speak a bit of Spanish, Italian, and a tiny bit of Hebrew.

My hometown is Los Altos, California, and in true Norcal spirit I love any place that has lots of trees (like Coppercreek).

I have been around horses since I was a baby,but competed in eventing (a combination of dressage, cross country jumping, and show jumping) which in my very biased opinion is the best combination of disciplines. Currently I am a member of my school's equestrian team, and we have traveled all around Oregon (and Canada!) showing this year.

When I am not galloping around fields and jumping solid objects, I have dabbled in rock climbing, running, and 80's dodgeball (the neon colors give you supreme dodging abilities). I am passionate about living life to its fullest (think Baz Lurhman's song Sunscreen) so that the only wrinkles I will have when I am older will be laugh lines. I can't wait to meet all of you and teach you the art of feeding horses carrots (and horseback riding).

Meet Gabby Lichtig!

Hey Guys!!! My name is Gabby and I LOVE Coppercreek!!! I especially like the ponies, people, and trees at Coppercreek! Actually I love everything about Coppercreek! I went to Coppercreek as a camper for about 10 years and I am ready for more! I am so excited to be a counselor! You don’t even know! Running around in dirt with horses and ponies sounds like a dream to me! Anyway! I also do some other things other than ride around on ponies!

I love to eat!!!!! And I love dancing around and singing very loudly and awesomely in my car or my room or with my friends. I also love to tan on the roof, rock climb, bike ride, go for runs in the snow, make snow men, PLAY FRISBEE! And I absolutely love all dogs.

I am very random and I am usually smiling! I am one of the tiniest people ever and I love that! I also like to make movies on my video camera and I love to swing on swings in parks! One of my other favorite activities is playing catch! My favorite foods include Matzo Ball soup, strawberry ice cream, pirates booty, and POTATOES! I love potatoes!

I am 19 and I go to Miami University of Ohio and LOVE IT! But I can’t wait to be a counselor back in California! My favorite parts about Miami is the equestrian team, the awesome people and the green grass that is always perfect here! I also like to run next to the river in woods. I get lost a lot!

I am very excited to meet new people and have another great camp experience!!

Meet Zach Hunter!

Hello all!
My name is Zach and I am so so excited to work with Coppercreek this summer! Before I got word I was going to be a counselor at Coppercreek, time was flying by. Now that I have a date to wait for, time is going so slow!

This will be my first year working at Coppercreek. I am 21 years old and I come from the oh so wonderful Midwest! I was born in Kansas City, Kansas then moved to Kansas City, Missouri at age 6. We lived in Missouri until my 6th grade year when my family moved to the small town of Cameron just north of Kansas City. Cameron has a population of about 9,000. I refuse to classify myself as a city kid or country boy, I am a bit of both! I absolutely love nature, the pureness of the outdoors absolutely fascinates me.

I love all sports,and my favorite is baseball. At the end of high school, I received a baseball scholarship to Ottawa University in Ottawa, KS. I decided to focus more on my academics and put baseball on hold for a bit. I attended Missouri Western State University for a year, then transferred to the KC Metropolitan Community Colleges. I have 4 goofy brothers,2 beautiful sisters, 2 amazing parents, awesome friends, what more could I ask for? In a nut shell, that is about all for me!

Oh..and if there is a White Castle near camp, I will probably go bankrupt!