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Peer Counselors

Hailey Clayton – Peer

I attended camp in 2020. One of my favorite OCG memories was the research cruise. This year, I am most excited about supporting and helping the new campers to learn and love marine science as I do, and to continue to also learn in the field.

 Joleen Bessada – Peer 

I attended camp in 2021, Right after covid so we had the past year of campers join us and it made the whole experience a whole lot of fun! My favorite OCG memory has got to be the friends i made, whatever we did together was always a blast... but also fish banks. I'm excited to meet the new campers and give them as good a summer as i had.

Arianna Alzuphar – Peer 

I was a OCG camper in 2021. Going to Shell Key was fun, and the fish dissection was really memorable. I am excited to see the this year’s campers, its interesting seeing others experience OCG from a different lens.

 

Kayla Dudinsky – Peer 

My name is Kayla and I was a 2020 camper! My favorite OCG memory as a camper was the Fort DeSoto field trip, and in the past two years as a Peer Counselor I have made so many great memories and learned so much. This year, I am most excited to help campers make the most of their OCG experience each day!

Johnna Schonstrom – Peer 

Hey guys! My name is Johnna and I'm super excited to be a peer counselor this year! I am currently attending Northeast High School, and I attended OCG as a camper in 2021. My favorite memory as a camper was when we went to Caladesi Island and learned about waves, tides and beach profiling. My parents had enrolled me into OCG at the end of 8th grade and I was very reluctant on going. But as camp started, I grew to absolutely love it. OCG has made me realize what I would like to pursue for my future career. It has also introduced me to a lot of amazing people and lifelong friends. I love every experience that I've had with OCG and I am so excited to have an opportunity to come back every year.

Madison Schmitz – Peer 

I attended camp back in 2021, and I have too many favorite OCG memories! One that has always stayed with me was how my year of campers grew up together. At the start of camp, most of us either had some sort of small friend group or did not know anyone. As the year went on, the progress each of us made in growing together almost as a family was evident. To see each of my fellow campers grow was an honor to see! This year, I’m most excited to help the new campers get ready for their Highschool years and inspire them to continue to love OCG and marine sciences as much as I do!

Sarah Blackett – Peer 

Hii, I'm Sarah and I was a 2020 COVID camper! I go to St. Pete High and will attend MIT for college in the fall. My favorite OCG memory was the talent show in 2021. Can't wait to meet y'all! :)

 

Arianna Rath – Peer 

I did camp in 2021 and my favorite part was definitely making new friends while on the boat!

 

Haleigh Downes – Peer

I went to OCG in 2022, and I loved every second of it. My favorite memory from OCG was when we went to Shell Key. I loved the Kayak ride up there and then the water painting activity we did. I’m really excited to meet new people and learn more about the ocean.  

Payton Crandall – Peer

I attended camp in 2022 and had such an amazing experience. My favorite OCG memory as a camper was Fort Desoto because I found everything there so interesting. I am most excited to lead other girls through camp so they get to have the amazing experience that I did!

Victoria Willis – Peer

I attended camp in 2022. My favorite OCG memory was making new friends as well as Clam Bayou. I am most excited about reuniting with my friends and extending my experience to others.

 

Charli Schafer – Peer

Hi my name is Charli, I attended camp in 2022. My favorite memory from camp was kayaking out to Shell Key to participate in a shell identification lab. During a break, we were surprised by a curious manatee. At first glance we were afraid it was a shark, but then quickly got excited when we realized it was a cute manatee saying hello. I’m excited this year to revisit a place where I made so many great memories, and make many more!

Alana Smith – Peer

I participated in OCG in 2021 right after the pandemic. We had a combined class of older and younger girls which was nice as I was friends with a lot of them and enjoyed seeing them in an environment I wouldn’t usually. My favorite memory was traveling on the boat and seeing dolphins while net fishing as well as creating cardboard boats with the other campers. This year I’m very excited to possibly meet some of the older counselors and possibly instructing in some of the activities in which I used to participate in. Whether being behind the scenes or directly working with the campers.

Elizabeth Gilchrist – Peer

I was a part of the camp in the year 2020, which was the year of Covid, so most of my camp was online. However, when given the opportunity to come for a week in person in 2021, I did and it was so much fun! My favorite OCG memory is either when we went kayaking, went to pass a grille beach and learned about seashells, or when we went on the research boat. What I'm most excited for this year is to get to be back at OCG, learning more about science and getting to share information with campers, hoping to inspire and spur on their love for the ocean and all things surrounding it like this camp did for me years ago.

Maija Alksnitis – Peer

I did camp in 2022, my favorite memory as a camper was going on the Angari and using the microscopes, doing the trawl nets, and getting to be on the water on a real scientific vessel, and the thing that I am looking forward to is getting to see others also try all the amazing things we did, and to help out, and to see the camp again for myself, because i love this camp!

Ella Mastry – Peer

I attended camp in 2022! My favorite memory is kayaking to Shell Key. I loved learning about the species that inhabit the island and I will never forget learning the OCG camp song/chant while it started pouring rain! I am so exited that I get the chance to come back to OCG this year! I am really looking forward to learning new things with the girls and making more fun memories with my OCG family.

Hana Attia – Peer

I attended camp in 2022. My favorite memory as a camper was when we went on feild trips, it was so joyful, everyone was happy and helping each other, and I learned alot about the structure of our beaches and so many more things. I tried kayaking for the first time at OCG and it was amazing! Such fun and memorable days full of amazing learning and so much more. Though another core memory of mine was every time we would go over the hill when we went to clam bayou, it was so much fun! I am most excieted about OCG this year is encouraging and helping the new generation of campers to learn about our marine world and the science of nature and everything! I wish to be able to help them on their high school path and on the path to find their dreams and careers. This camp was incredible and I learned so many new things!

Savannah Jane Ford-Myers – Peer

I was a camper in 2021. I loved everything about camp, particularly immersing myself in oceanography and meeting new people. One of my favorite memories was the Fort De Soto fieldtrip because I learned so much and had so much fun. This year I am excited to continue learning about the ocean and to expand my experience in the subject because I want to be a marine biologist.

Jaela Jordan – Peer

I did camp in 2022 and it was the best experience of my life. My favorite memories were all the field trips we did, it was fun and educational to be able to be in the field and be so hands on. I learned so much every single day and I was always so excited to come and be able to see everyone. This year, I’d be most excited to see how everything is set up behind the scenes and being able to see the new campers enjoy it the way I did would be wonderful.

Fabiana Bautista Jurado – Peer

I attended OCG in 2022 and one of my favorite memories as a camper was going to Fort De Soto because we went out into nature and implemented what we had learned. I am excited to be able to spend time with my friends from when I went to camp and be able to help out so that the OCG activities all go smoothly.