2023 Reservoir Staff
Meet our Unit One Counselors and Staff
Phoebe Schmidt
Program Director, 2nd Year Staff Member
University of Michigan — Organizational Studies and Communications major
Phoebe is a rising junior at the University of Michigan studying organizational studies and communications. She’s lived in Orinda her entire life and is very familiar with the surrounding area. She’s attended a number of camps in the area and brings that experience to her second summer at Roughing It. She was a G3 counselor summer 2022 and is now the Assist Program Director working with the Res Staff, and helped Roughing It to hire staff in May. In her free time she enjoys going on hikes, making jewelry, spending time with friends, cooking/baking, reading, and music. This year she enjoyed a trip to Rome during Spring Break
Lucy Sterba
Arts & Crafts Counselor, 1st Year Staff Member
Bates College — Biochemistry or Mathematics major, Art History minor
Lucy is from El Cerrito and attends Bates College in Maine hoping to pursue a major in biochemistry or mathematics with a minor in art history. Lucy was on the dragon boating team and played soccer for 14 years receiving the Coach’s Award in high school. She currently plays competitive frisbee in college. Lucy hopes to inspire a love for nature within kids at camp
Abigail "Clover" Drake
Environment Counselor, 1st Year Staff Member
Smith College — Environmental Geosciences major
Clover is from Piedmont and will be starting at Smith College in Massachusetts in the fall. She will be majoring in environmental geosciences. Clover took a gap year after high school to attend a Wilderness Leadership Program in Vermont. There she learned to live outside sustainably, how to build and maintain a fire, identify the flora and fauna, navigate with a compass and map, and take care of the forest. Clover truly loves the outdoors and shares that passion with the campers
Bennett "Ben" Hoopes
Sports Counselor, 1st Year Staff Member
Oregon State University — Forestry major with a focus on Fire Science
Ben is from Richmond and just finished his first year at Oregon State University. He is pursuing a degree in forestry with a focus on fire science with the hopes of becoming a firefighter after graduation. Ben is a Roughing It camper alumni and it was here that he first learned how to play lacrosse. He went on to play lacrosse in high school at Bishop O’Dowd and is currently on the Oregon State Lacrosse team where he plays defense. He also has been a Lacrosse coach during summers with his U12 team at ADVNC Lacrosse! He enjoys all sports and teaching Roughing It campers to work together as a team!
Brandon Kyle
Adventure Counselor, 1st Year Staff Member
UC Berkeley – Media Law & Policy
Brandon is from Berkeley and is going into his last year at UC Berkeley in the fall studying media law and policy. At UC Berkeley, he is involved in intramural teams for flag football, ultimate frisbee, soccer, and basketball. Outside of work, you can catch him making short films. He also can be found backpacking in Yosemite as he has been every summer now for 14 years.
James Crosby
Outdoors Counselor, 1st Year Staff Member
Diablo Valley College
James is from Walnut Creek and goes to Diablo Valley College. He is an Eagle Scout from Troop 200 in Lafayette. He has also graduated from Phase II and Phase III of the White Stag Youth Leadership Development Program. James is excited to share his vast outdoors knowledge with Roughing It
