SAS Summer Camp Staff
SAS Summer Camp Staff
SAS Summer Camp participants 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. We have grown tremendously from from our first year with a small staff of four counselors to our current robust 10-member staff plus instructors. This year we welcome our second camper turned counselor-in-training!
2025 Staff
Bentley Cook
Technology
Bentley received his BS in computer science and Russian from Sewanee: The University of the South and is currently a software engineer and product manager with Tubetube. He lives in Sewanee with his wife and young daughter.
Ben Ayers
Guitar
Ben is a 2011 graduate of SAS and is a founding member of the folk band The Yellow Dandies. He currently teaches K-8 Music in our tri-country region in addition to continuing to create and perform. Since 2011, Ben has played guitar, mandolin, electric and upright bass, and Irish bouzouki and tenor banjo in everything from Jazz Big Bands to Rock Trios, but his main focus has consistently been Old-Time and Bluegrass.
Michael
Cimino-Hurt
Karate
Michael has taught Karate and Iaido (Japanese sword) for 26 years at two dojos, and started martial arts programs at three secondary schools. He recently retired from a 25-year teaching career and works in security systems as he continues to pursue writing poetry, composing and recording music, and, of course, martial arts.
Fhae Long
Pottery / Flow Arts
Fhae is the current ceramics instructor at SAS and a member of the Visual Arts and Residential faculty. She received her BA in Ceramics and Marketing from Austin Peay State University and an associates degree in Early Childhood Education, Nashville State Community College. We are excited to offer flow arts as a new session and thrilled Fhae will be with us this summer.
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 former 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.
Ben Tarhan
Technology
Ben is a mid-level full stack software engineer with experience building and iterating modern applications within cloud infrastructure. He has a masters of engineering from the University of Maryland College Park and graduated from State University of New York Buffalo with a BS in computer engineering. He lives in Sewanee. and is thrilled to join our summer team this year.
Pippa Browne
Art / Painting
The mother of a recent SAS graduate, Pippa obtained a bachelor’s degree in fine art and psychology and a post-graduate diploma in education from the University of Natal, South Africa. She worked as a children's book illustrator for the publisher Barefoot Books of Bath, UK. Between 1996 and 2000 her illustrations were selected for a number of international traveling exhibitions. Since moving to the Pippa has moved away from illustrating and back to a more expressive style of art and painting
Elizabeth Duncan
Camp Director
Theater
Lizzie has been with SAS since 2002. She served as Director of Alumni & Special Events for 17 years and is now Director of Summer Programming. She has a BS degree in special and elementary education from Peabody of Vanderbilt University. She studied acting at the Studio Theater Conservatory in DC and with various coaches in Los Angeles, including Michael Shurtleff and Randy Kirby.
Michael Short
Outdoor Adventure
Michael serves as SAS Outdoor Education Coordinator along with lead faculty member for the 6th grade humanities program. He and his wife Molly, who is our SAS Chaplain, live on campus with their two sons.
Emily Wallace
Culinary Arts
Emily is a Certified Chef as a graduate of Washburne Culinary Institute in Chicago, and was our inaugural culinary chef in 2021. An executive chef the past 20 years, she previously owned two local catering businesses and is now SAS Director of Dining Services with Flik.
Jason D. Boyd
American Sign Language
Jason is currently obtaining his masters at the School of Theology in Sewanee where he is a Postulant to Holy Orders, Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi. He also serves as technology and communication coordinator for the Episcopal Conference of the Deaf, and was previously both software developer and digital designer for C-Spire in Mississippi. His blog Silence Franciscan can be found on Substack.
Ryan Ostrowski
Lead Counselor
Ryan is a 2023 graduate of St. Andrew's-Sewanee and attends Lenoir-Rhyne University where he is is a history major with a minor in both Spanish and education. At SAS, he excelled in sports, was a proctor, and received the Head of School's Cup for his overall leadership talents. He is spending the first part of the summer in a travel abroad program to Spain - we are just glad he will be back in time for camp!
Lexi Phares
Lead Counselor
Lexi graduated from SAS in 2023 and attends the University of Tulsa where she is majoring in nursing with a psychology minor. Lexi has years of camp experience, primarily with St. Crispins, and is a born leader. She spent this year's first semester abroad, primarily in Spain. We are thrilled to have her return for her third year at It's Better Than Camp where she keeps us all organized and filled with joy.
Annabett Bridgers
Counselor
Annabett is a 2023 graduate of St. Andrew's-Sewanee and currently enrolled at The University of the South in Sewanee where she is an honor student obtaining a BA in Environmental Arts and Humanities. She is a certified in Wilderness First Aid and is a Type Two Wilderness Firefighter. She has worked as a farmhand, a whitewater rafting guide, and at an animal sanctuary.
Robbie Hamilton
Counselor
Robbie is a graduate of McCallie High School in Chattanooga and attends East Tennessee State University where he is majoring in contemporary music. He is in his third year on our counseling staff and is our first It's Better Than Camp! camper to transition to our staff counseling team!
AJ Parsons
Counselor
AJ hails from Oklahoma where he graduated from Stillwater High School in 2023. He attended Wichita State University and has worked in the summer camp arena for years, most notably with St. Crispins in Weewoka, OK. He was promoted to activities coordinator there and is ropes course and Red Cross First Aid certified. He currently works as an activity coordinator in Texas.
Sarah Maleak
Counselor
Sarah is an '25 SAS alumna and in her third year on our counseling staff. She served as an SAS Proctor her senior year in addition to her status as an honor student and accomplished athlete. She is currently deciding between numerous colleges and universities where she has been accepted to study engineering.
Sarah Grace Powell
Counselor
Sarah Grace is a 2024 graduate of SAS and a rising sophomore at Sewanee: The University of the South. She has been an SAS day camp counselor for four years and serves this year as day camp assistant director. We are thrilled to have her join our overnight camp team!
Eli Matthews
Junior Counselor
Eli is a rising senior at SAS and in his second year on our counseling team. He is a certified life guard and loves to fish and play soccer.
Emily Salazar
Junior Counselor
From Collinsville, Alabama, Emily is in her second year on staff and was previously a camper in 2022. She is a rising senior at Collinsville High where she plays varsity soccer and runs track.
Atlas Montegue
Counselor-In-Training
From Georgetown, Texas, Atlas is a rising junior at Georgetown High and has attended It's Better Than Camp! for two years. He loves mountain biking, caving, and archery. He is a certified lifeguard and we are delighted to welcome him to our staff this year.
Graham Gallivan
Counselor-In-Training
From Greenville SC, Graham has been with It's Better Than Camp! for the full summer since our very first year. He joined us as a 12-year-old 7th grader in 2021 and has grown with us these past five years. He attends Christ Church Episcopal School and hopes to graduate a year early in 2026. He loves loves music and the outdoors - which is why IBTC! has been the perfect fit for him.
While we are sad to say goodbye to camper Graham, we are thrilled to have him join our staff. We can't help but post one of our very first photos from 2021!
Francis Hartley
Counselor-In-Training
Francis joined us as a camper for one week in 2022 and moved into attending both sessions since. He has matured tremendously since we met him in 8th grade and we are pleased he is now on staff! He has attended Chattanooga Charter School of Excellence and is currently enrolled at Lakeview High School in Fort Oglethorpe, Ga. He mountain biking, pickleball, running, soccer, golf, and fishing.