Betsy Miller Casey Wylie Betsy has been a JCA camp director for the past thirteen summers. During the school year, she is the Youth Services Director and oversees various enrichment programs and Art classes for all ages. Betsy earned a B.A. degree from the University of Central Florida. Casey is from Ponte Vedra Beach, she graduated from the University of North Florida with a B.A. in Child Psychology. She is currently enrolled in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Master s program at UNF. This is her third summer at the JCA and she is also the After School Coordinator.
Kayla Laffin Kayla earned her B.A. in Secondary English Education at the University of North Florida in 2016 and has been working as an intensive reading teacher for Edward H. White Military Academy of Leadership ever since! She enjoys being in the great outdoors and finding an adventure everywhere she goes.
Jake Ferrara Jake is currently a sophomore at Florida Southwestern College in Fort Myers, FL. He was raised in Jacksonville, FL and graduated from Bishop Kenny high school in 2015. This is his second summer working at the JCA. When he s not working or at school you can find him out on the golf course playing a round of eighteen holes or out on the water trying to catch some fish!
Mary Carmen Mary Carmen is originally from Colombia and earned her degree from the Universidad Autonoma del Caribe. She enjoys things such as running, painting, interior design, and traveling. She also works during the school year in the After School Program and teaches Art classes to all ages. She is excited to spend time with your camper and spread the joy of art!
Matthew Cordek Matthew graduated High School from Paxon and will be attending FSU in the fall where his older siblings attend as well. In his free time, he enjoys playing music and sports with his friends. He is super excited for his first summer at the JCA.
Joey Dranetz Joey has lived in Jacksonville since he has been 13 and graduated from Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) with a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering. His hobbies include: Hiking, Backpacking, Camping, Swimming, Chess, Board Games, and Reading. Joey s favorite color is blue, his favorite animal is the dragonfly, and he is excited about meeting everyone for summer camp.
Stephanie Weaver Stephanie is a proud Gator with a Bachelors of Linguistics from the University of Florida. She loves to laugh and soak up the sunshine at every opportunity. During the school year, Stephanie spends her days as a teaching assistant in an exceptional student education classroom. She has had the pleasure of working in our Theatre Camp and is excited for her first summer as a part of the Camp Habonim Team!
Brian Stanford Brian is attending school at FSCJ to get a certification in C# Programming. He is the JCA After School Program s Chess Master and is in the top 16% of all nationally rated Americans as a chess player. This is his 5 th summer at the JCA and he is looking forward to having a great time!
Grant Helm Grant graduated from Florida Atlantic University with a degree in Finance while playing safety for their football team. Grant was born in Jacksonville and graduated from Wolfson High School. He enjoys the beach, playing sports, working out, and spending time with friends and family. This is his 5 th year working at the JCA through working summer camp and after school. He has also volunteered with coaching flag/tackle football. He can t wait to have a great summer!
Jessie Friedman Jessie was born and raised in Jacksonville and is currently a sophomore at the University of Florida after graduating from Stanton College Preparatory. She has attended several JCA camps growing up and is so excited to be a counselor for her first time! She loves playing volleyball, swimming, and playing with her two dogs. She has volunteered at an elementary school during the past school year and is ready for a fun summer!
Dillon Sutherland Dillon is a junior in the Social Work Program at the University of North Florida. He has worked for the JCA After School Program this past year. While he has lived in Jacksonville most of his life he has traveled all along the east coast on many adventures. He enjoys playing any sports and is looking to have an awesome summer!
Jessica Thomas Jessica has recently moved back to Jacksonville and is looking forward to the summer! She is currently enrolled at FSCJ and plans to earn her degree in animal care. When she is not in school she loves getting crafty and creating new projects. She can't wait to be to get started this summer creating and building exciting new things from the heart!
Charlie McKnight Charlie is a Florida native, but has only lived in Jacksonville for two years. She attends the University of North Florida, where she is studying Sports Management with a minor in Psychology. She is the Head Team Manager for the Women s Basketball team at UNF. Charlie is a theme park enthusiast, and even worked at Universal Studios Orlando for two years. Her hobbies include: working out, playing sports, hammocking, writing, and spending time with family. This is her second year as a Camp Counselor for Habonim.
Georgie Melvin Georgie was born and raised in New Jersey. She moved here three years ago and started working at the JCA last year. She is currently attending FSCJ to pursue a degree in nursing. When she s not at the JCA, she enjoys going to Disney World with her boyfriend. She is excited for this Summer and can t wait to meet all of the awesome kids in Habonim
Marvin Pemberton Marvin was born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida, and attended high school at Terry Parker. He currently works at Holiday Hill Elementary School as a Behavioral paraprofessional and has been there for 4 years. His interests include playing basketball and spending time with his son. This will be Marvin s second summer at camp Habonim and he is extremely excited for it!
Jake Fetner Jake attends the University of Florida. He played varsity baseball, basketball, and golf at St. Johns Country Day School. He is a lifelong member of the JCA. He is a big New York Yankees and New York Knicks fan. He is a member of Zeta Beta Tau fraternity. He is an Anthropology and Biology double major and hopes to attend dental school.
Josh Parker Josh was born in Jacksonville Florida and graduated from Bolles high school in 2015. His interest includes fishing, lifting, playing lacrosse, and reading. Josh is currently studying business law at Tulane University in New Orleans and he will be a Junior in the Fall. This will be Josh s first summer at the JCA and he s excited to be a part of the program!