SAS Summer Camp Staff
SAS Summer Camp Staff
SAS Summer Camp participants will have the opportunity to craft their own personal weekly schedules as they select from a variety of instructor-lead sessions alongside traditional summer camp activities. As we continue to build our programming, the following sessions are currently in place:
- American Sign Language - Climbing - Culinary Arts - Dance - Eco-Build - Farming - Mountain Biking
- Music Lessons: Banjo, Fiddle, Guitar, Mandolin
- Technology: Intro to Web Development, Computer Software w/ Minecraft
- Pottery - Visual Arts - Woodworking
Traditional summer camp activities will include:
Biking, hiking, Frisbee golf, arts & crafts, yoga, tennis, swimming, paddle boarding, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, group games, waterfalls and swimming holes, volleyball, dodgeball, strength and conditioning, soccer, and more.
As we continue to add instructors and sessions, we encourage campers to preselect up to six favorite sessions when registering. All campers will have the opportunity to revisit their selections and confirm their choices in the spring.
Click Here To Register!
Please contact us at sassummer@sasweb.org with any questions you may have. Stay safe and stay healthy!
Meet the staff!
Emily Wallace
Culinary Arts
Emily received culinary training at Washburne Culinary Arts in Chicago. Her 20-year career includes working as both an executive and personal chef along with serving as director of dining services for several institutions. Plans for summer camp include basic culinary skills alongside creating several dishes for the entire camp to enjoy.
Ben Ayers
Guitar
Ben teaches and plays guitar professionally and has recently moved back to the Sewanee area. He and his wife, Margaret, now live on a family farm in nearby Roarks Cove. Ben is a founding member of the Yellow Dandies and a 2011 graduate of SAS.
Barry Dillon
American Sign Language
Barry recently moved to Sewanee with his wife Jennifer and son Victor, an SAS rising 10th grader. A former pastor and high school teacher, Barry has been teaching ASL for four years and works with special education students at nearby Grundy County High School.
Michael Short
High Adventure
An SAS residential faculty member, Michael teaches 6th grade humanities, English, adventure education, outdoor adventure and is the outdoor learning and placed based education coordinator. He also coaches the SAS mountain biking and climbing teams.
Ben Paty
Woodworking
From Nashville, Ben specializes in beautiful bowls and was recently recognized as a merit award winner for a wooden free-form vase during American Craft Week by the Tennessee Arts Commission. He is an alumnus of SMA, a parent school of SAS.
Speed Baranco
Mountain Biking
A lifelong biking fanatic, Speed is a graduate of The University of the South and head coach of the SAS Mountain Biking Team alongside owning his own real estate marketing firm. A parent of two SAS alumni, Speed also serves on the residential staff and is founding board advisory president of the Tennessee Interscholastic Cycling League.
Bentley Cook
Technology
As an engineering leader and web application developer in a wide variety of computer system applications, Bentley currently works as a developer advocate with Trello. He received his BS in computer science and Russian from The University of the South.
Wesley Smith
Pottery
An SAS alumnus, Wesley received a major in environmental art and humanities at the University of the South. He learned to throw pottery at SAS and creates inventory for Hallelujah Pottery while running his own clay business.
Holli Hutson
Dance
Holli lives in Chattanooga, Tenn., where she teaches middle school theater and high school dance. She received her master's from Antioch University McGregor and has been with the Hamilton County Dept. of Education for 11 years. She is excited to be teaching her first classes on the SAS campus.
Ashley Dryden
Eco-Build
Ashley is committed to inspiring youth with soulful projects and staying connected to nature on every level. By living tiny, she teaches to respect the environment while combining art and creativity with trade skills. An alumna of SAS, she returns to the Mountain from the West Coast.
Melissa Gilliam
Camp Nurse
Melissa is the Director of the SAS Health Clinic. She received her ASN degree in nursing from Chattanooga State Community College, is a critical care medic, and is Nursing Supervisor with Southern Tennessee Regional Health System where she also works in the ER. Melissa lives on campus in our historic Card House, situated in the center of everything!
Elizabeth Duncan
Camp Director
Lizzie has been with SAS since 2002 as Director of Alumni & Special Events for 17 years and now Director of Auxiliary Programs & Special Events where she serves as Summer Camp Director, senior year coordinator, and manager of the radio station and school store. She has a BS degree in special and elementary education from Peabody of Vanderbilt University.