THE 2021 LEGACY STAFF
Counselors
Group 12
Barbara Schiavone
2021 will mark Barbara Schiavone’s 16th year as a counselor. During the academic year, she works as a Paraprofessional in Special Education. Barb earned an associate degree at Endicott College and has experience as a coach of soccer, field hockey, and basketball at Minuteman High School, where she attended high school. She especially relishes working with the Group 1 campers whose chatter and curiosity always delight her; our youngest campers achieve so many ‘firsts,’ and she loves sharing those moments with them. In lead-up games, Barb enjoys how she can break down the skills so the campers can learn and be successful. Her favorite aspect of the Summer’s Edge Olympics is “seeing all the ages of camp come together with good sportspersonship.”
Jake Wolf
Former camper and C.I.T. Jake Wolf returns to Summer’s Edge as a junior counselor to join Barb and the Group 1 campers. Jake is heading into his first year at Salem State University where he plans to study sport and movement science. He recently celebrated his graduation from Woburn High School. Jake’s favorite activity at camp is flag football skills: he enjoys teaching the campers the finer points of throwing and catching the pigskin!
Nyah Bourdeau
Nyah joins the Summer’s Staff after 12 years of camper experiences. She is studying in the Health Assisting Program at Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical School working towards her Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA). She hopes to pursue a career in pediatrics. Nyah is focused on her academic progress, and she works just as hard in the dance studio as an accomplished dancer.
Group 3
DJ Kenney
Group 3 is fortunate to have DJ Kenney joining them; his roles at Summer’s Edge have included Group 1 and Extended Day Specialist. He is a graduate of UMass Amherst with a double major in mathematics and economics. In college, he was a member of UMass For the Kids, a student-led organization dedicated to raising funds for children at Baystate Children’s Hospital. DJ will be pursuing a master’s in statistics at Yale University. DJ values trustworthiness, as “it requires you to both trust someone else and be able to be trusted by others. Being trustworthy provides the foundation for good relationships, and that is important in all aspects of life.”
Melinda (Mellie) Carbone
Melinda (Mellie) Carbone brings her verve and energy to Summer’s Edge as a Junior Counselor. An Honor Roll student, Mellie attends Lexington Christian Academy, where she also plays on the varsity soccer and lacrosse teams. She will nurture campers’ belonging at Summer’s Edge with her capacity to step outside of her comfort zone in many areas. Speaking of areas, Mellie would choose to jet to Italy to explore the famous areas of Florence and Rome if she had the opportunity! She believes that trustworthiness “is the foundation for all relationships and leads to respect, fairness, and caring. Trusting others, as well as being trustworthy, is a crucial character trait to have.”
Group 4
Andrea Schiavone
Summer’s Edge veteran (with her many years as a camper, C.I.T., and a junior counselor) Andrea Schiavone guides Group 4. You can often find her outdoors, where she enjoys playing catch, walking, and running. She recently completed her junior year at Salem State University. Andrea passed her MTEL test as she pursues her schooling to become a licensed teacher. She strives to teach campers the essential Summer’s Edge tenet of sportspersonship: “Knowing this word while growing up playing sports led me to be a good sport during all of my games. This is something that I can teach my campers.” As a hobby, Andrea loves to draw, be crafty, and use her imagination to complete projects.
Group 5
Lauren Harkins
Lauren Harkins will move from many years with Group 2 to Group 5 this summer. Lauren attends Westfield State University, studying early childhood education and psychology. She has already passed three of the MTEL licensure tests en route to her dream to be a teacher. Lauren makes a tremendous impact in the pool during swim time with her experience as a competitive swimmer in college. Lauren is multifaceted, evidenced by her ability with hands-on technology while creating websites and code. At camp, Lauren especially smiles when she watches the campers foster friendships and practice respect for “being respectful means we accept everyone and work together to create a better community.”
Drew Conrad
We are thrilled to welcome Drew Conrad to join Group 4 this summer. This past year, Drew taught physical education to grades K-5 in Newton Public Schools. He is a graduate of Salem State University. An experienced lifeguard, Drew believes in the value of swimming, especially at camp; he views it as a wonderful activity that involves exercise and fun in groups. He especially values group and collaborative experiences, which is why he sees sportspersonship as essential: “I love seeing people team up to be part of a collaborative group to feel included and to agree on fairness.”
Sarah Harkins
Sarah Harkins joins us for her third summer. Sarah will be a senior at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, where she is studying exercise physiology with a minor in psychology. Sarah will be graduating in the winter, a semester early. She joined the club field hockey program at UMass Lowell and went to the tournament at Virginia Beach. Sarah demonstrates her prowess during swim lessons; she is an avid swimmer, having competed for 12 years on swim teams and coached swimming. For the latter, one of her swimmers mentioned Sarah in the yearbook as the person that she admired most! Sarah believes earnestly in the value of respect.
Group 67
Spencer Hart-Thompson
We joyfully welcome Spencer Hart-Thompson to lead Group 67. Spenser is a multi-faceted student at Boston University heading into his sophomore year. He studies music theory and composition in a 4+1 program, including the pursuit of a master’s in education. While he appreciates many instruments and styles, Spencer especially loves playing the piano, guitar, and cello. He is excited to introduce “mumball” to campers, which is a game that involves strategy, agility, and cooperation
Group 89 (Senior Campers and L.I.T.s)
Katie Lulsdorf
Katie Lulsdorf leads Group 89. A graduate of Salem State University, she holds a B.S. in elementary education and sport and movement science, with a concentration in physical education, making her an ideal fit for all of our summer activities at camp. She earned her M.Ed in moderate disabilities from Merrimack College. Katie is an elementary teacher at the Dolbeare School in Wakefield and enjoys coaching high school and middle school volleyball. Her favorite word of the week is “caring” because “showing people you care about them, that you care about how they feel or that you care about what they are interested in, is a key part in building and growing relationships.”
TENNIS COACHES
Joe Gallo-Tennis Director
Joe Gallo is the founder of Summer’s Edge Tennis School. Joe is a U.S.P.T.A. certified Tennis-Teaching professional. Joe is a professor and the program coordinator of the Athletic Training Program at Salem State University, where he teaches courses in athletic injury, examination, and rehabilitation. Joe completed his doctorate in sport physical therapy at Rocky Mountain University. He received his B.S. in physical education and athletic training from West Virginia University and possesses a master’s degree in physical therapy from Delaware University. He was honored as the 2015 Little East Conference Tennis Coach of the Year at Salem State University. Joe co-authored the 2014 publication, Practical Pharmacology in Rehabilitation. Joe and his wife, Gina, have two children (and campers at Summer’s Edge), AJ and Michael.
James Furlong
Bringing his experience student-teaching at Garfield Middle School, James Furlong joins the courts a S.E.T.S. this summer. James studied physical education at Salem State University and is now working on his master’s at Salem State. In 2021, James received a huge honor as a recipient of the SHAPE America Major of the Year Award. On the courts, he will be imparting his core belief of respect, guiding the tennis players to “treat others the way that we want to be treated.” As a hobby, James enjoys collecting and trading sports cards.
Olivia Celeste
Olivia Celeste, a 12-year veteran of Summer’s Edge experience as a camper, tennis camper, and junior counselor, returns to work with S.E.T.S. Olivia studies secondary education and English at Emmanuel College. While at Burlington High School, she served as a student council representative. Olivia single-handedly conducted a winter clothing and toiletries drive to benefit two shelters (Woods-Mullen Emergency Shelter and the Victory House) in Boston. Her favorite word of the week is citizenship “because each individual has something positive to contribute to the greater good, and it is very important to instill that confidence in campers from a young age.”
Mitchell Hopkins
Mitchell Hopkins is celebrating his 10th year with Summer’s Edge as he tends to the courts as a junior counselor. Heading into his junior year at Lexington High School, Mitchell is most intrigued with science and history classes. As a camper, his favorite activities included krack-a-bout and teddy ball (classic Summer’s Edge!). Mitchell has been through many Character Counts lessons during his tenure, and responsibility resonates with him: “I believe people can focus on their actions around others for the betterment of everyone.”
SPECIALISTS
Allison Watts
Our director of arts and crafts and leadership team member is Allison Watts. If you time-traveled into the past, you would find Allison leading Group 3, being the maven of arts and crafts, or working with senior campers. Allison earned her M.Ed in Moderate Special Education at Simmons College upon completing her undergraduate work at Wheaton College. During the academic year, she is an elementary special education teacher at the Brooks School in Medford. Allison’s children, Jacob and Lilly, are Summer’s Edge campers. She coaches Lilly’s lacrosse team in Lexington, tapping into her experience back in the day as a Wheaton College star! Allison thrives on switching gears from teaching to delving into crafts in the summer, particularly helping campers of all ages get creative with a variety of approaches to her projects.
Tori Asci
Tori Asci is our marketing intern. Tori is a long-time Summer’s Edge camper, so she is always excited to return to camp. She attends St. Anselm College, where she majors in communication with a minor in Spanish. While at Swampscott High School, Tori was a Peer Mentor, a member of National Honor Society, captain of the dance team, and part of DECA. The latter is a program that prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs to be college and career ready, and Tori excelled in the program’s competitions, including qualifying for nationals. She believes in the value of sportspersonship, as “I find it extremely important to be a fair and respectful team member or opponent. The game is more fun when everyone is treated fairly.”
Libbey Beinert
Libbey Beinert leads hip-hop dance at Summer’s Edge. She also is an instructor of Zumba at Best Fitness in Chelmsford three times a week. When she is not on the dance floors, Libbey teaches physical education and health at Bedford Middle School--and also is the Cub Scout leader for her son’s troop! Her undergraduate work was completed at Springfield College, and she earned a master’s from Plymouth State University. When her feet are aching from all the dance moves, Libbey enjoys settling into the calming activities of yoga, knitting, scrapbooking, and paint nights.
Sophia Schiavone
We are thrilled to welcome Sophia Schiavone to her new role at Summer’s Edge: extended day specialist. Sophia is entering her first year at Valencia College in the fall, where she will study dental hygiene and health sciences. She focuses on the concept of respect because “you should treat people the way you want to be treated and be kind to all people.” She stays active by enjoying running for routine physical activity. A little known fact about Sophia is that she loves to sing. She even auditioned twice for American Idol: “I didn’t make it either time, but I’m not giving up.” That’s the spirit we love here at Summer’s Edge!
Clerical Maven
Phyllis Gallo, the mother of Ann Marie and Joe, retired after working 54 years for the same company…and she wishes she was still working! The firm moved to Norwell, which would make for a very long commute using public transportation since she does not drive. We have put her years of clerical skills to perfect use in the camp office. Phyllis has been filing, collating, and shredding at record speeds.