Meet our 2025 site directors!

Name: Arden Varley-Twyman

Age: 23

School: VCU Graduate ‘24

  • 8 years old

  • 9 years

  • Before I became the Director, I was a Base Camp, Check in, and Rock and River Climb Site Director, before I worked as the Assistant Director for several years.  This will be my second summer as the Director of Passages Adventure Camp!

  • Working at camp has allowed me to grow my love for the outdoors and my sport.  I've also met some of my closest friends through this camp, which I will forever be grateful for.  Passages has really allowed me to figure out what I want to do with my life as well as how I want to live my life, and I'm so thankful that I've had the opportunity to do so.

  • No, a hotdog is most definitely a taco, think about the shape of the bread, very taco-esque, sandwiches need two separate bread pieces enclosing the meat, tacos have an open side, like a hot dog.

Name: OG Morris

Age: 24

Kindergarten teacher at Ecoff elementary School 

  • 8 years old

  • 8 years

  • Base camp, rock and river climbing 

  • I have always enjoyed working with kids and I always enjoy going to Passages as a camper. Passages has made me who I am today and I am forever grateful.

  • My water bottle, sunscreen, and my notebook!

  • I would create National Breakfast Day: Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day so a day dedicated to it would be awesome!

Name: Sam Deyerle

Age: 20

School: Appalachian State — Sophomore

  • 11 years old

  • 6 years

  • Fat Tire and Base Camp

  • Sammy, Slammy, Sam-I-Am, The Weatherman

  • When it comes to rock climbing, I love motivating the campers and giving them new ways to look at each route. When it comes to mountain biking, it’s something that I’ve done with my friends and family forever and it’s so fun to explore the woods while flying through on a bike.

  • It is a super tight knit community where everyone is super passionate and supportive. My most rewarding experience with a camper was when I found out they named their pet goldfish after me!

  • Bald eagle

  • Medium rare steak of any kind

Name: Charlie Stephens

Age: 19

School: Virginia Commonwealth University — Sophmore

  • 9 years old

  • 5 years

  • Base Camp, Advanced Climbing, Rock and River Climbing

  • Any time a kid I work with overcomes something that’s clearly shaking them always becomes a treasured memory. Last summer I walked a few kids through their lead falls for the first time. I always try to let the kid direct how far they want to push themselves, and was always incredibly impressed by how brave such small people can be!

  • Definitely the people, and the frisbee. My most rewarding experience with a camper is always changing (depending on what I can recall day to day) but a more recent experience was guiding a camper through their first summer storm without their parents. It was a real whopper and he was really scared, but I was able to talk him through the act of grounding himself and we spent the rest of the storm exploring what rocks and plants were around us. One of the best parts of camp is having those important one in one moments with campers, even if the circumstances are scary or stressful.

  • Halloween 2 Electric Boogaloo. Basically just “More Halloween”. Every time Halloween happens I always wish there was more of it.

  • Dumplings. Everything in the dumpling umbrella. Momos, shumai, potstickers etc. There’s nothing I love more than portable pockets of food.

  • Baths. I don’t understand why we as humans like to sit in dirty soup to get clean. It’s the oxymoron of hygiene practices. And yes, I’m also anti hot tubs. Why is humanity obsessed with sitting in human stew??

Name: Will Deyerle

Age: 20

School: Virginia Commonwealth University - Sophomore

  • 11 years old

  • 5 years

  • Fat Tire, Advanced Fat Tire, and BMX Fat Tire

  • I wanted to pursue Site Directing because they made the biggest impact on me as a camper. Success as a Site Director to me is when I am able to keep every single kid smiling as much as I can, being a leader for the staff, and keeping the stoke high all week!

  • I love the feeling I get when I ride through the woods at any given time. It keeps me grounded , on my toes, and is just such a blast!

  • It is not. One piece of bread dude.

  • Just a classic margherita

  • A burger with pineapple, chips, pickles, tomatoes, barbecue sauce and mustard. It was not very good.

Name: Dillan Baskind

Age: 20

School: James Madison University — Senior

  • 11 years old

  • 6 years

  • Rock and River Kayaking

  • I decided to pursue Site Directing after working under some wonderful Site Directors as a CIT and Junior Counselor. The Site Directors that I had allowed me to become the best staff and best person that I could be, and I want to do that for as many staff as I can. As a Site Director, success is when all the campers and staff are having a great time together.

  • Being at Passages taught me so many life skills such as communication, perseverance, self-confidence, and how important it is to have fun. Also, Passages is where I met some of my best friends and I wouldn’t trade the experience of being at camp with them for anything.

  • I heard about Passages from one of my friend’s moms and my Mom thought it would be a good idea for me to come to camp. I was a little nervous to go as I didn’t know anyone else at camp, but as soon as I got to Passages and met lots of other campers, my nerves went away and I had the time of my life.

  • A worm.

  • I can wiggle my ears.

Name: Anna Climo

Age: 20

School: University of Virginia — Junior

  • 11 years old

  • 6 years

  • Rock and River Climbing, Advanced Climbing, and Base Camp

  • I decided that I wanted to join staff after my first week of Rock and River. It was one the most memorable weeks of my life, and I knew from that week on that I never wanted to stop being a part of the Passages community.

  • I love climbing for so many reasons. I am a competitive climber for Peak Experiences during the school year and I climb most days during the week. I love climbing because it challenges me in so many ways. It pushes me to become better physically and mentally. I used to be so afraid of climbing, and I still do have some fear when climbing, but there is nothing better than learning how to push past your fears and make it to the top of a wicked climb. Finally, the main reason I choose to climb so much is because of the amazing climbing community. Some of my best friends are on my climbing team or work at Passages with me, and climbing is the thing that brings us all together.

  • I have so many treasured memories at camp, but one of my favorite moments as a staff was when I came to my first day of staff training and my counselor from last year remembered me. He immediately came up to me and told me how excited he was to see me on staff. This is when I knew that becoming staff was one of the best decisions I had ever made. Now that I have worked on staff for a while I love every year at staff training going up to my previous campers and welcoming them to staff just like my counselor had done for me.

  • Mexican food, I already wish I could eat this everyday so this would be a dream come true.

  • Most definitely a duck, no question

Name: Nolan Taylor

Age: 20

School: Virginia Tech — Senior

  • 9 years old

  • 6 years

  • Rock and River Climbing

  • Time at Passages has deeply improved me as a person. When it comes to my confidence, camp has allowed me to feel comfortable in almost any situation. I have learned how to talk to people and help people in the world. Camp has taught me that with patience and positivity you can work to make any situation work.

  • I heard about Passages because I would always ride in the car as my older sister would get picked up and dropped off at camp. Hearing all of her cool stories made me jealous and I wanted to experience camp for myself. I ended up following her footsteps as I went to camp and also became a staff member just like her.

  • My most treasured memory at camp was my last parents day at rock and river. I thought I couldn’t complete a certain climb and had given up. My staff talked to me right and encouraged me and boosted my confidence. I was then able to complete the climb for my mom as she was so proud of me and thankful for the staff for helping me

  • I decided to pursue Site Directing because I thought I had learned enough and had enough experience to be able to handle a higher responsibility. Just like how I learned from my peers and older staff, I want to help be a role model for the younger staff and future staff too. Success as a site director is inclusive, organized, energetic and fun while making sure every risk is being managed.

  • I would love to have Mushu the Dragon from Mulan as my sidekick in a movie.

Name: Liam Tobin

Age: 18

School: George Mason University - Freshman

  • 5 years old

  • 4 years

  • Fat Tire, Blast, and Base Camp

  • Most notably, Barth. Per request of the awesome and hilarious Fat Tire staff. My grandma also calls me Lemonade

  • Water, a durable pair of shoes on your feet, and you always should wear a smile

  • Obtaining the most wacky t-shirts you have ever seen. Crazy Model Horse Lady forever.

  • My favorite camp activity is the Staff Rodeo. It's hilarious to watch your fellow staff try to escape and the fun of tying them with the campers is unbeatable.

  • Fat Tire. The community shift that we have developed over the years specifically in that site is incredible. It was great when I was a camper, and it's even better now.

Name: Aaron Gleason

Age: 18

School: Radford University - Freshman

  • 5 years old

  • 3 years

  • Base camp and Fat Tire

  • Purple

  • Nibbles, Double A Ron Dog, A-A-Ron, Double A Ronny

  • The freedom of mountain biking and being in nature

  • Duct tape, bike tool, and lots of water

  • It doesn't feel like a job but instead it feels like a family

Name: Maya Wingold

Age: 19

School: Virginia Tech - Freshman

  • 11 years old

  • 4 years

  • Rock & River Climbing and Base Camp

  • I had friends who went to camp and begged my parents to send me.

  • Winning a relay race at my second staff training!

  • I can crochet!

  • Field sobriety! We flip kayaks upside down in the quarry and have one on one battles on them.

  • Soup and bread

Name: Ian Deyerle

Age: 20

School: American University — Sophomore

  • 11 years old

  • 6 years

  • Base Camp and Fat Tire

  • Purple

  • I get to work with my favorite people!

  • I love everything about it. My favorite part though is the opportunity I get to interact with amazing people in the beautiful outdoors.

  • Passages has taught me teamwork and responsibility more than any other aspect of my life.

  • I am mad good at solitaire

Name: Abigail Rose

Age: 20

School: Wesleyan University — 2nd Year

  • I joined the Passages staff last year, and fell in love with the community! I never got the chance to go to passages as a kid, but I think making camp great for the kiddos is almost as fun as going to camp

  • This will be my second year, I am so grateful to be able to be a site director this year, and it's only due to the great role models I saw and worked with last year

  • Base Camp and Rock & River Climbing

  • None of my previous jobs had the kind of supportive environment I was looking for, and the community at passages is so well-known and well-loved that it seemed like exactly what I was looking for, and it definitely has been!

  • My favorites are green and yellow. I love pretty much any bright color, though!

  • Potatoes, because they can be cooked in so many ways!

  • My ability to problem solve and connect with people has increased tenfold! I know I can work well under pressure, but to also ask for help when I need it. It's a tough balance to find!

  • Climbing has completely changed my life, it was how I found my community when I returned home after graduating high school. The connections that we make in the climbing community are lasting ones, and if you can trust your life in someone's hands while lead climbing, you know they've got your back for anything

Name: Laura Luzatto

Age: 19

School: University of Virginia - First Year

  • 8 years old

  • 3 years

  • Rock and River Kayaking

  • The Passages staff have the best time working, it doesn't even feel like a job! Seeing the fun they have on staff, and the close community all the staff have created, I knew that I wanted to become a Passages staff

  • It is so freeing to be on the water, and just letting the water take you downstream is so much fun. Kayaking has taken me so many places I never dreamed of, and being able to experience it all from the water is amazing!

  • National bring your pet to school/work day

  • Nalgene, raincoat, and a carabiner

  • The first camper I taught how to roll (a level 3 kayaking skill) by myself wanted to take a picture with me after the week was over so she could always remember her week at camp. When she came back the following year, she ran to me and gave me the biggest hug.

Name: Owen Eklund

Age: 19

School: University of Cincinnati - Freshman

  • 8 years old

  • 5 years

  • Fat Tire, Adv Fat Tire, Rock and River Climbing

  • Teal-y blue

  • Scootchland

  • Nothing is quite as freeing as flying through trees on two wheels. My passion for biking is something I picked up early in life from my dad, and it has always been something that my family bonds over!

  • The bond I have created with a group of fellow staff outside of camp is one that I hope to have for the rest of my life!

  • A little fox (the one at Maymont if possible)

Name: Zachary Bricks

Age: 18

School: Ithaca College - Freshman

  • 9 Years Old

  • This will be my 6th year as a staff

  • Climbing, Kayaking, Base Camp, Blast

  • Blue

  •  I'm not telling :)

  • My first parents day because my dream came true from sitting on the floor at the pavilion to standing behind the camp Director with the rest of the staff in our tank tops.

  • Passages has given me so many different types of skills ranging from leadership to adaptability along with the confidence to take action. This has been a big help throughout my high school career when I was theater alongside being able to take initiative and get something done no matter what obstacles appeared..

  • I can sit and balance on a yoga ball for three minutes.

Name: Kinsley Varn

Age: 18

School: Clover Hill High School - Senior

  • 9 Years Old

  • This will be my 4th year as a staff

  • Rock and River Climbing and Base Camp

  • Purple and Green

  • Kins, K money, Kinsleberry, Pickle

  • Aquaphor, my chacos, and my lizard keychain flashlights!

  • The community is so uplifting and always positive. I had a camper one year that I bonded with so well I ended up babysitting her which made for a very rewarding experience!

  • Pasta

Name: Jai Spicer

Age: 18

School: Collegiate - Senior

  • 14 Years Old

  • This will be my 4th year as a staff

  • SD in Fat Tire, average joe in Rock and River Climb, Advanced Climb, and Base Camp

  • Green

  • Spice, Oldspice, Big Spice, Spicy Jai, JaiSpice, The Skindian Slenderman, JaiBird, JaiMoney, JaiButter.

  • I like the community and the adrenaline. It's a community that applauds your success's and lifts you up when you crash. Since I've had my fair share of crashes, I can attest to that wholeheartedly.

  • I think that for me, the most rewarding experiences are the ones where I see campers come out of their shell. I can name a handful of times where campers are kinda apprehensive on Monday about the whole thing and by Friday they're bouncing off the walls and ready for anything we do. Those are always the most rewarding. The campers who grow over the span of the week are the most rewarding.

  • International Silly Goose Day

Name: Olivia Golliday

Age: 19

School: Virginia Tech, Freshman

  • 9 Years Old

  • This will be my 4th year as a staff

  •  Rock and River Kayaking, Check-in

  • Because I knew that this was the most epic summer job in the 804, and I wanted to have a blast outside all day and meet tons of new people!

  • Gorilla tape, extra snacks, and SUNSCREEN

  • The Elusive White Goose of Belle Isle

Name: Eleanor Martin

Age: 19

School: Bates College - First Year

  • 8 Years Old

  • This will be my 6th year as a staff

  • Base Camp and RRC

  •  Ever since I first started coming to camp, I've always looked up to the staff and now I hope I can be that staff that a camper looks up to.

  • My favorite memory is probably when I made it to the top of Monkey Mountain because I had been working on it for so long and meant that I had passed my level 3 and could finally go to Advance Camp. Now it always makes me so happy when I get to belay a camper on it for their level and I always get so excited when they complete it because I know how good it feels.

  • Chick FIl A chicken nuggets


Name: Bridget Plank

Age: 19

School: Washington & Lee - Sophomore

  • 9 Years Old

  • This will be my 4th year as a staff

  • Rock & River Kayaking, and Advanced Kayaking

  • Crocs, water bottle, and a hat or sunglasses

  • I would domesticate a sloth because they are super cute.

  • It was my mom's idea to send me to camp, and after I had such an amazing time, I insisted on going back every year.


Name: Molly Rolfe

Age: 18

School: Collegiate School - Senior

  • 11 Years Old

  • This will be my 4th year as a staff

  • Base Camp, Check-in, RRC

  • Passages staff are the coolest people ever and I wanted to be apart of making kids confident outdoors!

  • I would domesticate a sloth because they are super cute.

  • My dad was a camper when passages first started!!


Name: Luna Forlano

Age: 18

School: Maggie L. Walker - Senior

  • 10 Years Old

  • This will be my 4th year as a staff

  • Rock and River Climbing, Advanced Climbing

  • As a camper I always looked up to my counselors and knew I wanted to be like them!! The Passages Community is so welcoming, fun, and encouraging that becoming a staff member was always a top goal of mine! I love spending time outdoors on Belle Isle too! 

  • My favorite thing about climbing is the community! Everyone is so supportive and encouraging!

  • national karaoke day


Name: Jameson Tobin

Age: 20

School: VCU - Sophomore

  • 5 Years Old

  • This will be my 7th year as a staff

  • Rock and River Climbing, Advanced Climbing

  • I always looked up to the staff as a camper, they are why I love camp so much. I wanted to have the opportunity to be in that same role.

  • I love kayaking because there isn't anything quite like it. There's always a new line to take, a new trick to learn, a new river to conquer. There's nothing like the thrill of powering through a rapid for the first time. ESPECIALLY during river week.

  • My pinky toe has a built in magnet. But it only activates at night. And instead of being attracted to metal, its attracted to the corners of sharp objects. Specifically the corner of the coffee table in my basement.


  • I was a really shy kid. I only made friends with people I was forced to be around, and I was terrified of the world. Passages undoubtedly changed that. Passages taught me that the world isn't as harsh as we sometimes feel it is. That there are always going to be amazing people to meet, and that the great things in life require that you take a leap.

Name: Rylan Powers

Age: 19

School: Virginia Tech - Freshman

  • 7 Years Old

  • This will be my 6th year as a staff

  • Kayaking

  • To spread my love for the outdoors and for this amazing camp. Plus it’s really fun!

  • Ry ry curly fry and cheezit

  • Through any ups or downs, leadership is always transparent capable. Whether it’s site directors or camp directors, leadership get camp through whatever life throws at it.


  • Super Bowl Monday should be a national holiday.

Name: Patrick Kemp

Age: 18

School: Maggie Walker - Senior

  • 8 Years Old

  • This will be my 5th year as a staff

  • Advanced Climb

  • I joined staff to share my passion for climbing and cultivate a love for the outdoors in campers, just as my counselors did for me.

  • Patty, Pat, Patty-cakes, Rick, Pat-Pat,

  • The strong feeling of a community is what makes passages unique. The most rewarding experience for me is seeing campers come back again and again because they enjoy camp so much.


  • National Nap Day: A holiday to do nothing guilt-free and celebrate with a good nap.