From Around the Globe

Last summer, Kabeyun was fortunate to have six international counselors from three continents as part of our staff. It was such a good experience that all six are planning to come back in 2024!

Hugo Castellanos, who heads our waterfront, will return for his seventh Kabeyun summer. Hugo lives in Guatemala as does Marielos Escriba, his partner. Marielos ran our Athletics program in 2023 with Kayleigh Stevenson of South Africa. Kayleigh’s partner, fellow South African Callum Kirby, taught windsurfing and paddle boarding. Our tennis counselors, Lama Barry and Antoine Izacard, hailed from The Gambia and France, respectively. 

Of this group, only Hugo had worked at Kabeyun before 2023, having learned about camp from a friend at the University of British Columbia. He generously helped the others navigate paperwork for their visas and bank accounts, and generally get settled in a new community.

“I felt like an international ambassador,” Hugo said. “On the day off during pre- camp, Marielos and I took the others to places that I like, places that are good for a day off. It was a great way to help everyone feel more at home.”

While Kabeyun has employed international staff members for generations, the numbers ebb and flow, and six is the most we’ve had in at least a decade. Counselors come to Kabeyun as part of the BridgeUSA J-1 international cultural exchange. They usually are students eager for an opportunity to live in the United States and work in the close-knit community of an overnight camp.

“Having counselors from other parts of the world adds another dimension to the Kabeyun experience,” said director Ken Robbins. “Our staff always features a range of ages, genders, and backgrounds – having a more international staff brings an even broader set of life experiences to camp.”

It’s a two-way street: counselors absorb American life while sharing aspects of their culture.

This exchange takes many forms. Kayleigh and Callum worked with chef and baker Jenn Hart to prepare malva pudding, a South African baked dessert, for the entire camp. Antoine performed French rap and Hugo and Marielos showcased Latin dance during “Wednesday Night Live.” Lama liked sharing African folklore at bedtime.

“Lama told great stories! All the international counselors did,” recalled camper Patch Remington, who lived in the Beavers with Lama first session and with Hugo and Callum in the Panthers second session. He particularly enjoyed Lama’s folk tales and Callum’s stories about South African wildlife.

It’s perhaps these casual conversations and exchanging of ideas that are the most rewarding for everyone.

“I am pretty sure the decision to hire foreign staff is the best decision a camp can make because it adds more diversity of opinions and points of view,” Antoine said. “From my experience, kids loved to know more about France, my culture, and my language and it is something I love to share. I can’t wait to come back!”