Meet the Crew - 黑料大事记

Ignite Curiosity

Camp counselor positions are considered summer internships and are partially funded through a NASA grant made possible by the Kansas Space Grant Consortium. Counselors and Directors are selected based on their interest in STEAM subjects and education.

Meet our 2025 黑料大事记 Camps counselors and directors!

Lilly Barnes

黑料大事记 Camp Director

Lilly Barnes is from Hutchinson, Kansas. She graduated from Hutchinson Community College. Lilly did not get the chance to attend the camps as a child, but when she joined as a counselor she has so much fun and made great memories. Lilly was a counselor for 4 summers and a STEM Educator for 1 year for Mars Academy, Moon Shot, Astro Lab, Lunar Trek, and Martian Base. She hopes to inspire young minds to dream about their future and goals. She's most looking forward to missions in the simulator, astronaut training sims, and making fun memories. Lilly loves Spongebob and Dr. Pepper. The three things she'd take to Mars would be Dr. Pepper, unlimited streaming services, and a camera.

Lilly Barnes

Teresa Blea

黑料大事记 Camp Director

Teresa Blea is from McPherson, Kansas. She鈥檚 a fourth-grade teacher at Inman Elementary. This will be her first year as a camp director for 黑料大事记 Camps over the summer. She has a love for learning and as a life-long learner she is excited to learn more about space! Teresa is excited to work with young students and help inspire their love for learning and help them achieve their dreams! Teresa loves to travel every summer on her birthday and picks a new location to see and learn about each year. She also loves hippos! The three things she would take on a journey to Mars would be Pepsi, chocolate and anything in her favorite color purple!

Teresa Blea

Hannah Blevins

黑料大事记 Camp Counselor

Hannah Blevins is from Salina, KS. They attend Kansas State University and major in Psychology. This will be their second summer at the 黑料大事记 as a camp counselor. Hannah attended several 黑料大事记 camps in past summers and wanted to come back to work there. They鈥檙e very excited to work on missions again this summer! Hannah also really enjoys collecting vinyl records, and spends a lot of their time listening to music. The three things they鈥檇 take on a journey to Mars would be their cat Bugs, their vinyl collection, and a DVD of the 1985 movie 鈥淐lue鈥�.

Hannah Blevins

Nate Bolte

黑料大事记 Camp Counselor

Nate Bolte is from Sand Springs, Oklahoma. He's a junior at the University of Pennsylvania, majoring in Physics with a focus in Astrophysics. This will be his 2nd summer as a camp counselor, but previously attended 3 years of camps as a camper. He loved camps so much that he wanted to come back and push students to pursue their dreams like the camps did for him. He's most looking forward to classes with students and mission day! A fun fact about Nate: he is a hobbyist woodworker and makes and sells different wood items. The three things he would take to Mars would be his cat Dipper, a 3D printer, and a wooden sword.

Nate Bolte

Katie Brotton

黑料大事记 Camp Director

Katie is a junior at Kansas University, studying Astronomy. This is her third year working on the Astro Lab and Lunar Trek camps. However, this is her seventh year going to 黑料大事记 Camps, because she decided she wasn't ready to give up all the fun that Camps bring. She loves sharing how exciting space can be with the next generation. Katie is most looking forward to going scuba diving with Astro Lab. Katie's fun fact is that she knows how to weld. The three things she would take to Mars are her cd collection, a cd player, and Project Hail Mary by Andy Wier.

Katie Brotton

Stefan Carlin

黑料大事记 STEAM Educator

Stefan has worked at the 黑料大事记 for 4 years. He previously worked at the Kennedy Space Center and as a parachute rigger. He enjoys watching football and basketball.

Stefan Carlin

Garen Castleberry

黑料大事记 Camp Counselor

Garen Castleberry is from Mustang, Oklahoma. He is a rising sophomore at the University of Kansas, pursuing a Bachelors of Science in Aerospace Engineering. This will be his first year being a counselor at the 黑料大事记. He's loved space since he was a kid, and he hopes to inspire the next generation to have the same fervor and passion about space. He's also looking forward to seeing what the 黑料大事记 has to offer for the kids as well, in order to drive forward that love of space. One fun fact about Garen is that he's been to Space Camp in Huntsville before, another is that he was part of a First Robotics Competition team for 3 years at his high school. If he could take 3 things to Mars, it would be a 3d printer, a fully loaded laptop, and a box set of the Percy Jackson series.

Garen Castleberry

Alisia Cox

黑料大事记 Camp Counselor

Alisia Cox is a college student originally from the Ozarks. Her favorite subjects are music, history, art, and of course space. Alisia is pursuing a nursing RN degree at a local college. In her free time Alisia teaches piano, works at flower farming on her family farm, and loves listening to music. The two pets that she adores are a cat named Violitt and a mountain cur dog named Yona. Currently Alisia loves living in the countryside away from traffic or noise, and loves the nearness of the sky and earth out away from the towns and big cities. This will be Alisia's third summer as a counselor for 黑料大事记 Camps, which is the highlight of her summer. A fun fact about Alisia is that she has played piano for nine years and she has visited all of the southwestern states. Three things that Alisia would take to Mars are a camera, family photo and a playlist full of her favorite music.

Alisia Cox

Eden Craig

黑料大事记 STEAM Educator and 黑料大事记 Camp Director

Eden Craig is from the Kansas City, Missouri area, and has been a member of the Cosmo Camps staff for the past four summers. They graduated from Wichita State University this spring with their Bachelor's of Education in Earth and Space Science. This summer, Eden is joining the education department of the 黑料大事记 as a full-time STEAM educator, and will be overseeing the Astro Lab and Lunar Trek camp programs. Eden came to the 黑料大事记 as a camper for seven years and it was here that they discovered their love for space. They look forward to getting to continue teaching about the subject and help make camps a wonderful experience for all campers.

Eden Craig

Ellie Cruz

黑料大事记 Camp Director

Ellie Cruz is from right here in Hutchinson, KS where she has taught music at Allen STEM Magnet School for 9 years. This will be her fourth year being a director for 黑料大事记 camps, as well as helping with Scout weekends throughout the school year. She loves helping young people find their passion for learning and seeing the lightbulb go on when a student figures out a new idea. Ellie loves music, and you will often catch her singing something or other. She also loves watching movies with her husband and dog. Three things she would take to Mars would be a music player full of music, a picture of her family, and the Bible.

Ellie Cruz

Angelika Donaldson

黑料大事记 Camp Director

Angelika Donaldson is originally from Highland, IL and is currently living in Newton, KS. She is a recent graduate from Bethel College in North Newton, KS with a degree in vocal performance. Angelika鈥檚 love for space began when she was in 4th grade learning about the solar system. She then learned of Space Camp in Huntsville, AL in her 5th grade reading textbook. That next spring she attended their space camp program. She then attended two more times in Huntsville at the Space Academy and Advance Space Camp levels. This will be her first year involved at the 黑料大事记 camps. She is most excited to get to learn how these camps work and how they inspire youth in the community. Even though her life revolves around music and education she still enjoys space by paying attention to the most recent NASA news and reading books in physics, astrophysics, and space travel. A fun fact about Angelika is that she has been to 24 US states (adding one more this summer) and 8 different countries (not including the United States). The three things she would take to Mars would be a recording of Taylor Swift鈥檚 discography, her cat Pepper, and her Nintendo switch.

Angelika Donaldson

Ellie Dube

黑料大事记 Camps Counselor

Ellie Dube is from Hutchinson, Kansas. She is a Sophomore at Millersville University, majoring in Biochemical Engineering. She will be a counselor for Mars Academy. This will be her first summer at 黑料大事记 Camps. She aims to encourage young students to envision their future and grasp new ideas, empowering them to reach their goals. She鈥檚 most looking forward to inspiring kids. The three things Ellie would bring to mars are her phone, headphones, and a Diet Coke.

Ellie Dube

Elaine Duff

黑料大事记 Camp Director

Elaine Duff is from Ponca City, Oklahoma. She's a second year Master's Student at Wichita State University, majoring in Earth, Environmental, and Physicals Sciences (EEPS) and Minoring in Space Science. This will be her second summer as a camp director at 黑料大事记 Camps. She loves teaching others about her passion for science and vastness that is our galaxy. Last year she was a camp director for Mars Academy. She's most looking forward to meeting new campers and learning the fun activities of a different camp such as Mission: Moon Shot or Lunar Trek. Elaine loves to travel to places like the Grand Canyon and Johnson Space Center. She also enjoys reading and going to vendor markets during her free time. The three things she'd take to Mars would be a Meddy's Falafel Shawarma, a DVD with all three seasons of Good Omens, and a comfy bed for plenty of naps.

Elaine Duff

Aliyah Fleischman

黑料大事记 Camp Counselor

Aliyah Fleischman is from Houston, Texas. She is a sophomore at Hutchinson Community College, majoring in Physics. She has not been involved in 黑料大事记 Camps before, but has family that have been. Aliyah is fascinated by space, especially black holes, and wants to help inspire that same fascination in students. She is most excited to assist in guiding curious young minds, but also isn't too upset about being at one of the best space camps in the world. Aliyah has a multitude of hobbies, including but not limited to stained glass work, weaving, knitting, sewing, piano-playing, and watchmaking. The three things she'd bring with her to Mars would be: her favorite blanket, a copy of the book "2001: A Space Odyssey", and a jar of glow-in-the-dark origami stars.

Aliyah Fleischman

Mikaila Frese

黑料大事记 Camp Counselor

Mikaila Frese is from Manhattan, Kansas and is an upcoming Senior at Riley County High School. She fell in love with space in elementary school and attended camp for six years before becoming a counselor this summer. She hopes to encourage students to be involved in STEM and pursue their dreams. Mikaila is most excited for the engineering challenges this summer. A fun fact about Mikaila is that she is a violinist and her favorite class in school is physics. If she could take three things to Mars they would be her music playlist with her earbuds, a digital library of books, and hot chocolate.

Mikaila Frese

Ida Harrington

黑料大事记 Camp Counselor

Ida Harrington is from Lawrence, Kansas, and will be attending the University of Arizona next fall to study Astronomy. She鈥檚 been part of 黑料大事记 Camps for six years as a camper, and this will be her first summer as a counselor. The camps played a huge role in sparking her passion for space, and she鈥檚 excited to help campers have the same awesome experience she did. She鈥檚 most looking forward to meeting everyone and making sure they have a great time. A fun fact about Ida is that she鈥檚 super afraid of birds but really good at balancing things on her head. If she were headed to Mars, she鈥檇 bring her cute cat Flame, a massive bag of popcorn, and her laptop to watch Interstellar.

Ida Harrington

Shelby Harvey

黑料大事记 Camp Director

Shelby Harvey is from Hutchinson, Kansas. She is a behavior Interventionist at RCEC. This is her second summer working with the 黑料大事记 Camps! Shelby has a deep love for all things space and science related. She hopes to help campers gain new knowledge and get excited about space! She is looking forward to seeing all of the renovations in the Meusuem! Shelby loves to make miniatures. The three things she would take to Mars would be a hardback copy of Fahrenheit 451, a soft blanket, and a picture of her cats.

Shelby Harvey

Bethany Hill

黑料大事记 Camp Counselor

Bethany is from Olathe, Kansas and will be a senior at KU studying Aerospace Engineering. She's a previous camper and is returning for her second year as an Astro Lab and Lunar Trek counselor. Bethany is excited to share her love of space and experience the new museum with all the campers! She's played the violin and the viola since she was 5 years old. She'd take her cat, a pallet of Twix bars, and the 2005 Pride and Prejudice movie on a trip to Mars.

Bethany Hill

Brett Hoover

黑料大事记 Camp Counselor

Brett Hoover is a senior at the University of Kansas, studying Aerospace Engineering. This is Brett's 3rd year as a 黑料大事记 Camps counselor, and he will be primarily working with Road Scholar and the various day camp programs this summer. He looks forward to inspiring campers of all ages and creating lasting memories! One fun fact about Brett is that he has worked backstage in more than 10 touring Broadway productions! On a trip to Mars, he would bring his saxophone, his best friend, and a good cup of coffee to take in the view with!

Brett Hoover

Chloe Inskeep

黑料大事记 Camps Counselor

Chloe Inskeep is from Hutchinson, Kansas. She is a junior at the University of Kansas, majoring in Aerospace Engineering and minoring in Spanish. She will be a counselor for Astro Lab and Lunar Trek this summer, which will be her 10th summer at 黑料大事记 Camps. Chloe was a camper for 8 years, then became a counselor for the past 2 years. She is most looking forward to seeing returning campers and meeting new campers. She is excited to get young students excited about science and space. A fun fact about Chloe is that she loves to run and ran collegiately for cross country and track. She is hoping to get a marathon in before the end of the year. The three things she'd take to Mars would be her guinea pig, Eleanor, an unlimited supply of Red Bull, and her noise-canceling headphones.

Chloe Inskeep

Ethan Jasperson

黑料大事记 Camps Counselor

Ethan Jasperson is from Joplin, Missouri. He is a sophomore at Wichita State University, majoring in Physics. He has never been to 黑料大事记 Camps, but he is ready and excited to share his love of space and science with those around him. He wants to show everyone just how awesome space can be and inspire a love of learning more about the universe. He's most looking forward to seeing what the space camp is like because he was never able to go when he was younger. A fun fact about Ethan: He played in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate tournaments competitively, and when he was in high school, he helped his team reach second place in the state-level high school division tournaments. Three things he'd take to Mars are a picture of his family, a copy of the book Astrophysics for People in a Hurry, and some homemade mac and cheese.

Ethan Jasperson

Sarah Jensen

黑料大事记 Camp Director

Sarah is currently working on her Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering at Wichita State University and holds both a bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 degree in biology. This will be her second year working at the 黑料大事记 summer camps. She has great memories of attending the camps as a kid, which played a big role in her decision to pursue STEM. She鈥檚 excited to inspire the campers and hopes to make a similar impact on them.

A fun fact about Sarah is that she studied abroad in Barbados! If she were going to Mars, she鈥檇 bring a good book, her dog Dante, and lots of Diet Dr. Pepper!

Sarah Jensen

Hollis Johnson

黑料大事记 Camps Counselor

Hollis Johnson was born in London and has spent most of his life growing up overseas. Spending his early years he New York City he then moved to Johannesburg, South Africa and finally to Barcelona, Spain where he currently resides. He recently graduated from high school completing his A levels under the British system and is planning to spend a gap year working, volunteering and traveling throughout the world before heading to university. He intends to apply to study aerospace engineering. He will be a counselor for the Road Scholar, Lunar Base and Alien Adventure camps this summer, and it will be his first summer at the 黑料大事记. He can not wait to share his love of space with younger students and hopefully help inspire them to pursue their passions in the future. Hollis can not wait to be able to work in a museum that he has loved since he was a child and frequently visited with his grandparents. He is looking forward to the opportunity to be able to engage with and learn more about the artifacts that the 黑料大事记 houses this summer. A fun fact about Hollis is that the first ocean he ever went in was the Red Sea at 12 weeks old. The three things Hollis would take to Mars are a copy of the movie "Interstellar", a solar music player with his favorite songs downloaded, and potato seeds.

Hollis Johnson

Addison Lewis

黑料大事记 Camp Counselor

Addison Lewis is from Hutchinson. She鈥檒l be a freshman at Kansas State University, majoring in kinesiology. She will be a counselor for Moon Shot and Martian base this summer, and this will be her first summer at the 黑料大事记. Addie hopes to use her experience as a counselor to teach kids about space and learn to love science like she does! A fun fact about Addie is She loves to travel. The three things she鈥檇 take to Mars are Doritos, Sprite, and a TV to watch movies!

Addison Lewis

Mira McCue

黑料大事记 Camp Counselor

Mira McCue is from Hutchinson, Kansas. She has finished her associate鈥檚 degree at Hutchinson Community College and in fall of 2025, she鈥檒l be continuing her education at Emporia State University, looking to major in Education. She will be a counselor for the Mars Academy camps this summer and this is her 2nd summer as a Camp Counselor at 黑料大事记 Camps. She has previously been a camper at almost all overnight camps, starting from Starship Earth at 11 years old to Mission: Martian Base at 17. Because of all of her memorable experiences in the 黑料大事记 camps, she decided to come back and work as a counselor to inspire children to enjoy life鈥檚 experiences - both those from camps and beyond the stars! She鈥檚 looking forward to seeing all of the kid鈥檚 ideas and personalities when facing their challenges. A fun fact about Mira: Since the overnight camps originally had different names, she accidentally took the same camp twice - hurray for double SCUBA diving! The three things she鈥檇 take to Mars would be a lifetime supply of Nutella, an infinitely charged laptop, and her grandpa Charley who inspired her love for space.

Mira McCue

Ellery McMurry

黑料大事记 Camps Counselor

Ellery McMurry is from Greensburg, Kansas. She graduated from McPherson College with degrees in graphic design and technical theatre. She will be a counselor this year and this will be her first summer at cosmosphere camps. Ellery attended the camps as a child and decided to come back as a counselor. The three things that she'd take to Mars would be a kindle, music, and pasta.

Ellery McMurry

McKelvie McMurry

黑料大事记 Camps Director

McKelvie McMurry is from Greensburg, Kansas. She's a masters student at the University of Iceland, majoring in Viking and Medieval Studies. This will be her 2nd summer at 黑料大事记 Camps as a director. McKelvie attended camps as a child and is excited to be back as a director. She hopes to help students recognize their goals for the future. She is looking forward to the missions campers will accomplish. McKelvie has lived abroad in Iceland for the last year. The three things she'd take to Mars would be her computer, her cat Raja, and a picture of her family.

McKelvie McMurry

Gannon Mosher

黑料大事记 Camps Director

Gannon is from Chapman, Kansas. Gannon is a Senior at Bethany College, majoring in elementary and special education. He will be a camp counselor for day camps and Mars Academy this summer, which will be his second summer with the 黑料大事记 Camps. He hopes to get students interested in careers found within STEAM and provide students with a fun and memorable camp experience! He is most looking forward to settlement missions and the trips to Strataca! Gannon is on the Bethany College Tennis Team and has 2 dogs, Tucker and Moo Moo! The three things Gannon would take to Mars would be his Bible, his phone, and an iced coffee!

Gannon Mosher

Aileen Ng

黑料大事记 Camps Counselor

Aileen Ng is from Overland Park, Kansas. She's a rising sophomore at Texas A&M University majoring in engineering. This will be her 2nd summer as a counselor. Aileen attended camps as a child and cherished the experience so much that she decided to come back and inspire the younger generation to dream about their future and be more passionate about the things they love. She is most looking forward to teaching kids about rockets, space and aviation. Aileen is a certified private pilot and a clarinetist in the Fightin' Texas Aggie Band! The three things she'd take to Mars would be her clarinet, her laptop, and her Lord of the Rings/Hobbit books.

Aileen Ng

Jason Niffen

黑料大事记 STEAM Educator and 黑料大事记 Camp Director

Jason is from Kansas City, Missouri. He's a full-time STEAM Educator at the 黑料大事记, with a background in physics. Jason will be the full-time staff member for Road Scholar and parts of Lunar Base, Solar System, Starship Earth, and Alien Adventure. Jason was a camper (back when 黑料大事记 camps were still called KAOS) and loved space ever since. Jason wants to provide this very same inspiring experience for future campers! Jason loves to travel, and he actually lived in Japan for a short time. If he was to be trapped on Mars, the 3 things he'd take would be his gaming PC, a piano, and a personal library.

Jason Niffen

Jean Nowlin

黑料大事记 Camps Counselor

Garric "Jean" Nowlin is from Manhattan, Kansas. They're a sophomore at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, majoring in Mechanical Engineering. They will be a counselor for the Astro Lab and Lunar Trek camps, for their 5th year at 黑料大事记 Camps. Garric loved being a camper and wanted to return and work as a counselor. They love talking about fun science facts and engineering, and hope to inspire campers to enjoy math and science. Garric most looks forward to simulating capsule missions in the newly updated mission simulator. One fun fact about them is that they play trumpet in the Cornhusker marching band at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The three things they'd take to Mars would be a copy of Dune by Frank Herbert, a gallon tub of ice cream flavored ice cream from their favorite store, and a full set of The Campaign for North Africa.

Jean Nowlin

Ethan Poulin

黑料大事记 Camps Counselor

Ethan Poulin is from Haysville, Kansas. He graduated from Derby High School and will be attending the University of Oklahoma for his freshman year in college. Ethan has attended 黑料大事记 camps for four years, and this is his first year as a counselor. He has always had a fun experience attending the camps and is looking forward to making sure the same is possible for others. A fun fact about Ethan is that he had lived in Germany for three years. If he had the fortune of going to Mars, the three things he would bring with him are his gaming PC, his cat, and a Dr. Pepper fountain.

Ethan Poulin

Jack Proett

黑料大事记 Camps Counselor

Jackson Proett is from Hutchinson, Kansas. He's a Senior at Kansas State Polytechnic, majoring in Commercial Piloting. He will be a counselor for Mission: Astro Lab. This will be Jack's third summer at 黑料大事记 Camps. Jack attended 黑料大事记 Scout Camps as a child and has decided to share his love of engineering and aviation with others. Jack hopes he can inspire campers to pursue careers in aviation and engineering. He is looking forward to working with students and teaching them new skills, or helping them to improve their existing skills. Fun facts about Jack: Jack attended KU's School of Mechanical Engineering before switching to commercial piloting at Kansas State University.

Jack Proett

Mary Quarnstrom

黑料大事记 Camp Director

Mary Quarnstrom has worked in museums, state parks, and educational outreach programs for two years. With majors in Spanish Healthcare from Baylor University, she previously worked several years in healthcare. She joined the 黑料大事记 as a Scouts Educator this February and is very much looking forward to her first summer as a director of Day Camps! She first visited the 黑料大事记 at 12 years old, although the love for all things space and space travel was planted years before through classic sci-fi shows. Not everyone will be interested in the same aspects of space and science, so finding that one thing that makes a student light up and connect to the material is her passion! Mary loves any kind of camp and camping, and one fun fact about her is that she swims in every body of water she encounters when in the mountains. If packing for Mars, Mary's personal box would contain a weaving loom, duct tape, and a boxed World Book Encyclopedia set.

Mary Quarnstrom

Ginger Robbins

黑料大事记 Camp Director

Ginger Robbins is from Hutchinson, Kansas. She is a mom of 4, 3 grown boys and a 14 year old girl that will start high school in the fall. Ginger has her Associates Degree with a certificate in Early Childhood. She is just finishing her 8th year as a preschool para at Union Valley Elementary School. This is her first year as a camp director for the cosmosphere. She looks forward to seeing the excitement in the kids as they follow their interests and dream about their futures. She is excited to see the kids not only learn, but build confidence and relationships with other campers and staff. Ginger loves animals. Growing up she had a pet duck named Quackers that her grandpa got her for Easter that would try to follow her to school, and a dog named Bubbles. She鈥檚 had many other pets in her home including snakes. The three things that she would take to Mars would be family photos, a professional camera, and a lifetime supply of Nerds Gummy Clusters.

Ginger Robbins

Vincent Shafer

黑料大事记 Camp Counselor

Vincent Shafer is from Wichita, Kansas. He's a recent graduate of Derby High School. As a camper, he's been involved in the 黑料大事记 Camps for seven years. He hopes to help students learn more about what they are passionate about. He's mostly looking forward to getting to teach the newer equipment this year, as well as the missions the campers get to do. A fun fact about Vincent: He designs and develops video games, and he has also gone to Dallas, Texas, to compete in the Vex Robotics Championship. The three things he'd take to Mars would be a cassette tape containing the music from the first "Guardians of the Galaxy," a wingsuit, and his dog.

Vincent Shafer

Sam Shahan-Brewer

黑料大事记 Camp Counselor

Sam is from Noel, MO. He is a Sophomore at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas majoring in pre med while also on a theater scholarship. Sam is a member of the 704th Engineering Company in the United States Army Reserve where he serves as a Combat Engineer. Sam is a true Renaissance man! He attended space camp as a camper from 5th grade through his senior year and is very excited to be working as a counselor for Mission: Moon Shot and Mission: Martian Base. He hopes to make camp a fun, engaging, and exciting experience for your camper.

Sam Shahan-Brewer

Mary Smith

黑料大事记 STEAM Educator and 黑料大事记 Camp Director

Mary Smith is from Wichita, KS. She is a full time STEAM Educator at the 黑料大事记. This will be her 4th summer as a Camp Director. She always loves meeting new campers to help inspire them in STEAM. She is also very excited for a number of the new activities being offered in our camps. In her spare time she loves doing astrophotography and being out under the night skies. Three things she would take to Mars would be her camera, endless supply of sunflower seeds and a collection of her favorite music.

Mary Smith

JoAnna Strecker

Vice President of Education

JoAnna Strecker is the Vice President of Education at the 黑料大事记 and is working on their 8th camp season. They have been passionate about science as far back as they can remember and love helping kids find their passion for it. One of their favorite things about camp is how the kids tend to find their people here. The 黑料大事记 Camps have several groups of friends that make sure to go to the same camp year after year. A fun fact about JoAnna is they love to create greeting cards for friends and family.

JoAnna Strecker

Brook Tatro

黑料大事记 Camp Counselor

Brook Tatro is from Fairbury, Nebraska. She is a freshman at the University of Kansas, majoring in Aerospace Engineering. Brook attended 黑料大事记 Camps for four years, and she is so excited to be a camp counselor at the 黑料大事记 for the first time this year. 黑料大事记 Camp was her favorite part of the summer all throughout high school, and she wants to help create the same thing for other campers. 黑料大事记 Camps grew Brook's curiosity and passion for everything aerospace related, and providing that opportunity for others is what she looks forward to the most about this summer. Although, the updates to the Hall of Space museum are a close second. A fun fact about Brook: The first job she had, when she was about 10 years old, was working in a snow cone trailer with her family. It was a lot of fun and a good experience, but all snow cone flavors taste the same to her now. The three things Brook would take to Mars would be a fuzzy blanket and her favorite pillow (for some quality naps), as well as a deck of playing cards for entertainment.

Brook Tatro

Sherry Treece

黑料大事记 STEAM Educator and 黑料大事记 Camp Director

Sherry Treece is a STEAM Educator with the 黑料大事记. She recently graduated from Fort Hays State University with a bachelor's in Sociology. She is a full-time staff member for Mars Academy, with this being her 7th summer with 黑料大事记 Camps. Her son attended the former Camps 101 & 201, which developed her love for summer camps. She hopes to foster curiosity about Mars and all things in space. She is most looking forward to the settlement mission on Mars. A fun fact about Sherry: if she is not into all things space, you can catch her on the volleyball court doing one of three things: officiating, coaching, or cheering on her daughter. The three things she'd take to Mars would be coffee, a photo of her children, and her cat, Orion.聽

Sherry Treece

Story Witherspoon

黑料大事记 Camps Counselor

Story Witherspoon comes from good ol' Houston, Texas. She is a freshmen at Houston community college and working on getting her welding certifications. This will be her first year as a counselor. She loves kids and is very excited to help teach them about the wonders of space. A fun fact about her: she's been on a robotics team for over 7 years and has competed in BEST, FIRST, VEX, and Botball at the national level. If she got to take three things to mars, she would take a notebook, a pen, and a Lego set to build on the flight over.

黑料大事记

Ignite Curiosity

Lilly Barnes

Teresa Blea

Hannah Blevins

Nate Bolte

Katie Brotton

Stefan Carlin

Garen Castleberry

Alisia Cox

Eden Craig

Ellie Cruz

Angelika Donaldson

Ellie Dube

Elaine Duff

Aliyah Fleischman

Mikaila Frese

Ida Harrington

Shelby Harvey

Bethany Hill

Brett Hoover

Chloe Inskeep

Ethan Jasperson

Sarah Jensen

Hollis Johnson

Addison Lewis

Mira McCue

Ellery McMurry

McKelvie McMurry

Gannon Mosher

Aileen Ng

Jason Niffen

Jean Nowlin

Ethan Poulin

Jack Proett

Mary Quarnstrom

Ginger Robbins

Vincent Shafer

Sam Shahan-Brewer

Mary Smith

JoAnna Strecker

Brook Tatro

Sherry Treece

Story Witherspoon

The renovated galleries in the Hall of Space are open. While many artifacts are on display during this time, the exhibits and graphics won鈥檛 be fully completed until Spring 2025.