We often say that camp is about the people. Friends, counselors, and the amazing families that enable our campers the opportunity to spend their summers at camp, make up our camp family. Ensuring that we have all of the necessary people and processes in place to be able to support those people, is something we take very seriously. We are so excited to be able to introduce you to our incredible…
2022 Camp Pembroke
Camper Care + Wellness Team
Head Counselors
The Head Counselor role is central to how we build community and integrate campers into bunk life at Camp Pembroke. As part of our leadership team, the Head Counselors manage the camp units (Upper, Middle, Lower). Bunk counselors work with the Head Counselors to ensure the best possible living experience for each camper and staff person. Head Counselors are also available to respond to parent questions and concerns.
Each of these Head Counselors – all of whom are experienced teachers in the “off-season” – bring creativity and new ideas to the job. They love spending summers with our campers, learning and growing together to continue to enhance the sisterhood that is Camp Pembroke, and count the days until camp.
We are excited to introduce you to Sara Leef. She is so looking forward to being a head counselor at Camp Pembroke this year for Lower Camp. She grew up going to Pembroke, first as a camper, then a CA, and then a counselor for a few years before taking a break and starting her own family. She currently lives in Westborough, MA with her husband Phil and two daughters, Zoe and Caylah. She works as a school guidance counselor and has been at the same school for 17 years. Her commitment to camp and to kids makes her a perfect addition to our team. When she’s not working, her family loves to spend time on the Cape and spend their winters skiing in Waterville valley, NH. Sara is so excited to start this new adventure as a head counselor and make many new memories in her favorite place.
Deb is back and her dance moves and choreography are better than ever. When she’s not chatting with staff and campers or planning performances for the Senior Staff team, she is busy taking care of our 6th and 8th grade campers and making sure they are healthy, happy and loving their time at camp. Deb is a Middle School science teacher and mom-extraordinaire to her two daughters/campers, Charlotte and Rachel! Her Camp Pembroke spirit and selfless attitude, bring so much to our team and to camp!
This will be Alanna’s 14th summer at Camp Pembroke and her 6th summer on staff. After many years as a bunk counselor and on drama staff as a counselor and Department Head, we are so excited that even more campers will feel her impact as a Head Counselor. She will join us at camp with her B.S. in Elementary and Special Education. Thanks to the passion and love for working with kids that camp has ingrained her, she is looking forward to beginning her career in education in the Fall, and cannot wait for another summer on Lake Oldham! She’s fun, she’s funny and she brings so much amazing energy to CP!
Melissa (Mason) Ginsberg is so excited to be spending another summer at Camp Pembroke! As a former camper and counselor, herself, Melissa’s Pembroke spirit is strong! This will be her 6th summer as the head of Upper Camp (9th & 10th graders). During the school year, Melissa teaches 4th grade in Hudson, Massachusetts. She lives in Natick, Massachusetts with her husband, four children and dog, Lucky! She is joined at Pembroke by her two daughters, Emma and Hannah, and her youngest son Jonah until he is old enough to join his brother, Ethan, at Camp Tevya. She cannot wait for another summer of beautiful Shabbat’s in the Pine Grove.
Community Wellness
The physical and mental health of our campers and staff is the starting point for all our growth. The additional senior members of the Camper Care and Wellness Team bring expertise, professionalism, and warmth to their roles.
Maddie is so excited to be returning to camp as a Community Wellness Coordinator for her eleventh summer! She began her Pembroke career at age 10 as a camper and was a counselor for three summers. She will be graduating this spring from the University of Maryland with a Bachelor’s in psychology, with hopes of getting an advanced degree in counseling or clinical social work to become a therapist. Maddie brings years of camp experience and a passion for helping campers and counselors be their best selves at camp. She is kind, thoughtful and we are confident her connection with our community will contribute to a warm, welcoming family at camp.
We can’t wait for you to meet Raven! As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Raven joins our team with a tremendous amount of experience. She is a School Social Worker, and she believes in the value of relationship building and being approachable. Raven joins us from Wyoming and is excited to spend the summer in the Northeast. She grew up in New York where she also had her own camp experience, and can’t wait to share the overnight experience with her son, Archer, and partner, Noah. Raven is excited to be on the lake, participate in activities and watch the camp plays, she has a lot of experience in theatre and acting! She’s incredibly fun and her warmth is contagious!
Jules is SO excited to be joining the Pembroke community this summer! She attended Camps Kenwood and Evergreen in Wilmot, NH for six amazing summers as a camper and one summer on staff before three summers as a counselor and group leader at Everwood Day Camp in Sharon, MA. She absolutely loves camp and knows it was one of the most powerful experiences in her life. She learned the value of community and the importance of stepping out of her comfort zone to try new things. She gained leadership, communication, and problem solving skills, and cannot wait to be back in a camp environment this summer. She has a BA in psychology from Gettysburg College and will be graduating from Boston University School of Social Work with her MSW this May. She will be a fantastic resource for the staff as her primary focus will be ongoing training and support for our counselors.
Rachel Niemiec, aka Nurse Rachel, spent six summers as a camper on Lake Oldham and still considers Camp Pembroke to be her favorite place on earth. This will be her fifth summer on staff, as a Nurse Practitioner in our health center where she can be found handing out bandaids, gatorade, and a fan favorite, ice pops! She is really looking forward to meeting new campers and reuniting with familiar smiling faces in just a few short months! Rachel’s professionial experience during the other 10 months attribute to her ability to help us support our community in a truly unique way. Her steadiness, level head and compassion make her a fixture in the Health Center and among the entire community!
