New Mountain Friends Camp Staff of 2019!




Returning Staff
Adriana Puente-Reinhardt: For my 9th summer at Mountain Friends Camp, I’ll be serving in the capacity of Program Manager this year—and I couldn’t be more excited to work to make sure that everyone has a fun (and safe) summer! I recently graduated from Soka University of America, where I completed a BA in Liberal Arts, with a concentration in Humanities. My next big project is to build a tiny house on wheels and explore sustainable living.
Lois Haley: Growing up in my family we traveled around the United States camping at different places. During one of those camping trips is where I met my husband Larry. I currently live and work in Winterhaven CA where I work as a teacher on a native American reservation called the Quechan. In 1999 I moved to Santa Fe New Mexico where I worked with my sister Beverley at the Tree House Camp. I love being in the outdoors and I’m looking forward to working as a camp cook and getting to know everyone at Mountain Friends Camp this year.
Ceryn Schoel: My name is Ceryn Schoel and I was born and raised Quaker. I love to sing and dance and make s’mores, and I was one of the first campers to come to MFC. I am majoring in Political Science and Econ and this year I have worked at an after school program that teaches Dungeons and Dragons, taught chemistry, Biochemistry, biology and physics at a local high school and worked as a lobbyist for the Friends Committee on National Legislation. I am passionate about art, the outdoors, and kindness, and I look forward to this summer in Mora.
Ceci Smaby: Ceci has been a CIT, and part time kitchen staff, and is happy to return in 2019 for the full season!
Neil Norby: Greetings from the Putney Friends Meeting in Putney, Vermont, as well as the Canyon Road Meeting in Santa Fe, NM. I’m glad to be part of the kitchen staff at Mountain Friends Camp for a second summer in a row, and hope everyone enjoys our food! I’ll be returning to my college in the fall, so I plan on using the opportunity that being at MFC provides to reinvigorate my Quaker practices and values.
Lydia Bateman: I have been attending Mountain Friends Camp since 2013, and this will be my fourth year as a cabin counselor. In my non-camp life, I am a Humanities student at Soka University of America. Last semester, I had the opportunity to study abroad in Paris, France, where I took full-immersion courses in French language and gastronomy. After a busy semester abroad, I am excited to return to camp as a cabin counselor and CIT (Counselor-in-Training) Coordinator. I delight in singing campfire songs, participating in lively mealtime conversations, and welcoming new campers and staff. I hope to see you at camp!
Eric Wright: I’m a member of Mountain View Friends Meeting in Denver, and have been a Quaker all my life. I think my favorite job was working as a counselor and program director at Camp Dark Waters in New Jersey, when I was in high school and college. More recently I’ve helped run a Family Resource Center in Denver. My wife Judy and I have two grown daughters, Maya and Jenny and three grandsons, William,Thomas and Obadiah. I’m seventy this year, retired but pretty busy. I like being outdoors, cooking, playing guitar and singing, and getting to know people in a group.
Beverley Weiler: I have been part of summer camps for 50+ years, starting with Girl Scouts, ‘way back when’! During the rest of the year I sew, make quilts and work with pre-schoolers to adults doing art therapy and re-evaluation co-counseling. Although I was raised Catholic, and still go to mass each week, I also have been attending the Santa Fe, N.M. meeting for about 30 years! I have been cooking for crowds since childhood and I’m looking forward to year #8 at MFC; sharing my energies and skills in the kitchen and during arts and crafts times.
Heather Bertram: I was born in Washington State, but I have lived in NM for a long time with my aunt Beverley. I like music, traveling, pen pals, collections, coloring and puzzles. I have a disability called Asperger’s so you might think I’m shy, but it just takes me a while to get used to things. I really like watching ‘American Idol’ and ‘Dancing with the Stars’ on TV. In March, I went to the DWTS tour show in Albuquerque. I have been practicing my singing this year and look forward to sharing and learning some new songs. I go to Quaker Meeting in Santa Fe, and I help with the First Day school almost every week.
Camp Director, Anastacia Ebi: I grew up in Logan Friends Meeting, in beautiful northern Utah. Since then I’ve studied, worked and traveled in Sichuan China, New York City, Pendle Hill PA, Pahoa HI, and currently live in Washington DC with my husband, Ari, and our baby, Desmond. I just finished my MBA and non-profit management certificate at George Washington University. During college I spent a great summer as arts and crafts director and cabin counselor at Friends Camp in Maine. I talked it up so much to the IMYM Senior Young Friends that we decided to form a committee and start our own summer camp. Eleven years later, here we are getting ready for the TENTH season of Mountain Friends Camp, and I’m bringing my baby with me! I am looking forward to hikes, art, building Quaker community and having a great time with friends new and old this summer. See you soon!