2018 Staff Spotlight - Jacob Peterson

My name is Jacob, and I am returning to camp after taking a summer off to do an internship. I attend(ed) UW-Madison where I study economics with side focuses in German and Computer Science and am graduating in May. On campus, I’ve been involved in several publications as well as student radio, hosting a current events show every week for six semesters. I’ve also recently been active in the Madison cooperative community.

In my free time, I enjoy reading, writing and drawing. I’m also an avid runner; I completed my first marathon this past fall. In the winter, I cross country ski. In the summer, spring and fall, I go on backpacking trips. This past summer I spent three weeks backpacking through Yellowstone, Theodore Roosevelt and Grand Tetons, where I watched the eclipse. I went to Big Bend this past spring break and hiked the Chisos Mountains and the surrounding desert.

More about Jacob

What is your favorite camp meal?

- My favorite meal at camp is the omelette on lazy days.

If you could be any animal (besides a human), what would you be and why?

- Any fish in a school of fish because that would be very easy, low-stress lifestyle.

What is your guilty pleasure tv show(s):

- Arrested Development.

Where is your favorite spot at camp:

- I like the forest in the back of camp because of how open it is.

What is your dream Job:

- At the moment, it would be leading trips for ALPs.

If you could have dinner with any three people, dead or alive, who would they be and why?:

- My mother’s side of my family including my great grandfather, great grandmother and grandfather. I was never able to meet them at an age where I would remember them or have any meaningful interactions. 

What is the best Christmas/Hanukkah present that you've ever gotten:

- My first pair of traditional cross country skis.

What are/were your favorite subjects in school:

- I generally like literature classes and history. I’ve also been taking pilates classes this year which are very enjoyable.

What are your top three movies of all time:

- Paris, Texas, A Prairie Home Companion and Badlands

What's your go-to pie at the Norske Nook:

- I honestly am not much of a pie fan. My favorite backed good, however, is poppyseed bread.

What sports teams do you root for:

- I do not follow sports unfortunately.

Share a random or little known fact about yourself:

- My first job was operating a mechanical bull. 

2018 Staff Spotlight - Jake Kraemer

Its the big ten for Jake Kraemer. Jake is finishing up his senior year at Deerfield High School.He's  been hanging out a lot and spending time with family and friends as high school comes to a close and as he prepares for his AP Exams. He's sad that his DECA career is over, but happy that he finally placed first at State in my category, Hotel and Lodging Management.

Jake will be headed off the Duke University after camp. He spent his first season as a Blue Devil Basketball fan, and while he's still not over the Kansas loss, he is excited for the White Sox season. At camp you'll find Jake teaching log rolling and arts and crafts.

More about Jake

What is your favorite camp meal?
- Any soup

If you could be any animal (besides a human), what would you be and why?
- A squirrel - my reflexes and athleticism would be unmatched

What is your guilty pleasure tv show(s):
- Big Brother

Where is your favorite spot at camp:
- Fun Bug bench

What is your dream Job:
- Biomedical engineer

If you could have dinner with any three people, dead or alive, who would they be and why?:
- Kanye West - I admire his boldness, Chance the Rapper - I admire his humanitarian work & Giannis Antetokounmpo - I find his life story interesting

What is the best Christmas/Hanukkah present that you've ever gotten:
- My 1917 White Sox Jersey

What are/were your favorite subjects in school:
- Biology & Engineering

What are your top three movies of all time:
- Wall-E, National Treasure & Paul Blart

What's your go-to pie at the Norske Nook:
- Butterfinger - is there even another acceptable answer?

What sports teams do you root for:
- Chicago White Sox, Duke Basketball & Milwaukee Bucks

Share a random or little known fact about yourself:
- I learned to solve a Rubik's cube at camp

2018 Staff Spotlight - Isaac Ellis

Isaac Ellis may win the award for the person who lives closest to camp (that is, outside of our few staff members who live in the Hayward area). Ike goes to the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, MN and spent HS in Superior, WI. He moved around quite a bit growing up, living in California, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming and Colorado.

Ike has been swimming competitively much of his life. He started teaching swimming while in high school and taught at the Superior, WI YMCA. After camp Ike is moving to Montana. He's transferring to Montana Tech to study Petroleum Engineering.

More about Isaac

How did you learn about North Star and why did you apply?
- There was a booth set up at my school and curiosity struck me too stop by and talk. I spent a lot of time when I was a kid going to summer camps and I remember how cool my counselors were, and I decided I wanted to be one.

If you could be any animal (besides a human), what would you be and why?
- I would most defiantly be a turtle. Turtles are known to be some of the fastest swimmers, and they are also super chill.

What is your guilty pleasure tv show(s):
- The Office

What is your dream Job:
- My dream job is to be a coach of a swim team, or an astronaut.

If you could have dinner with any three people, dead or alive, who would they be and why?:
-  Bonnie and Clyde: Find out where all of there hidden  treasure is. Neil Armstrong: Find out what it was really like to be and space. Franklin D Roosevelt: He was a great leader, I could take some notes and lessons on how to become a better leader.

What is the best Christmas/Hanukkah/holiday present that you've ever gotten:
- My very first pair of skis that got me into the sport of freestyle skiing.

What are/were your favorite subjects in school:
- Science, Math and History

What are your top three movies of all time:
- The Goonies, The Sandlot & Unbroken

What sports teams do you root for:
- Boston Red Sox, Green Bay Packers, Manchester United, Minnesota Wild

What noteworthy/random/menial jobs have you held?
- Being a landscaper for a elderly couple, part of the job is to feed there snakes every day.

What did you do last summer?
- Taught swim lessons, went to Montana, had fun.

2018 Staff Spotlight - Nick Rivera

 1st year staff member Nick Rivera is a native of the Windy City. His family hails from Puerto Rico but he's lived in Chicago his whole life. He went to Pritzker HS where he played several sports. His favorites are football, baketball and baseball. He played a year of Division 3 Football at Concordia.

Nick if finishing up his junior year at Western Illinois University in Macomb, IL. There he's studying general studies and Recreation, Park and Tourism Administration.

More about Nick

How did you learn about North Star and why did you apply?
- I first learned about North Star when I met Dan Lichtenstein at an internship fair at Western Illinois University. I nervously walked in not knowing what to expect and Dan quickly approached me talking about North Star along with all the benefits they provided. I immediately gained interest in this camp because I really felt it would be the perfect fit for me and it would be the first time I would work in a city other than Chicago. The main reason I applied was because I felt Dan really cared about getting me onto the North Star team by keeping in contact with me via text or e-mail, and I felt this was a great opportunity to gain build relationships with other people in the RPTA field.

If you could be any animal (besides a human), what would you be and why?
- If I could be any animal I would probably be a lion because they are living their best life under the sun, eating meat , and sleeping. Plus I can't think of any animal that would attack and eat a lion which would be a big benefit to live life with no worries.

What is your guilty pleasure tv show(s):
- Being a 90's baby I still love watching cartoons such as Spongebob, Fairly Oddparents, and Hey Arnold. Some other shows I enjoy are Scream, Shameless, and Riverdale which is meant for an older audience.

What is your dream Job:
- My dream job has always been to be a professional baseball or football player. I stopped playing these sports after my freshman year of college to focus more on school and I choose RPTA as a minor because I would love to work with children teaching them the sports I love. This was another reason why I felt North Star would be a perfect fit for me because I would be doing all of this plus different activities such as arts and crafts, and I always wanted a job where it doesn't feel like "work".

If you could have dinner with any three people, dead or alive, who would they be and why?:
- If I could have dinner with any three people they would be my father, Russ, and LeBron James. I choose my father because I have yet to meet him and now that I am 21 years old I would want him to see how well my mom raised me and show him how much of a better man I've become over the years living in a single parent household. I choose Russ because I would like to just hang out with him and listen to his music. His music has put me in such peace and he is all I listen to when writing papers or studying.  Last but not least, I would want to have dinner with the King just to say I did since he is one of the greatest players to play the game of basketball.

What is the best Christmas/Hanukkah/holiday present that you've ever gotten:
- The best Christmas present I have ever gotten was my ps4 this past Christmas. Ever since I got my ps4 all I do is play fortnite and 2k18 after I finish my homework just to relax and distress.

What are/were your favorite subjects in school:
- In elementary school my favorite subject was science because I was always interested in how the world worked along with learning about possible life outside our planet. Another class I really enjoyed was my art class because that was the time you could use your imagination and just create whatever you wanted as long as it was appropriate.

What are your top three movies of all time:
- My top three movies of all time would have to be Step-Brothers, The Goonies, and Jurassic Park (the original).

What sports teams do you root for:
- Born and raised in Chicago, I root for the Chicago Cubs, Bulls, and Bears no matter how bad or good they are.

What noteworthy/random/menial jobs have you held?
- A job I am really proud of working was I taught 3rd and 6th grade summer school. I loved knowing I had impacted these young scholars lives along with getting them to love school and doing their work. This job impacted my life as well knowing I can change lives and help kids do better for themselves.

What did you do last summer?
- Last summer I worked long hours in a hot sports factory lifting boxes and picking orders. It's not something I would like to do for the rest of my life so having the opportunity to work at North Star and having that as a possible career choice is really exciting.

2018 Staff Spotlight - Noah Sherman

Its the Big Ten for Noah Sherman. Noah is graduating from Oak Park River Forest High School and plans on studying Jazz Drums in College. Music is a big part of his life as Noah. He is in his own band but also plays percussion with other groups as well. He's active with Ping! an organization that provides instruments and music lessons to the families of Oak Park and River Forest who are economically disadvantaged. Noah is president of the Student Board and recently ran an amazing spring benefit concert for Ping!

At camp Noah is a counselor, instructing climbing and riflery. A few Fridays during the summer Noah, along with a crew of camper assistants makes Challah for the entire camp.

More about Noah

What is your favorite camp meal?

- Mac'n'Cheese with sausages

What is your guilty pleasure tv show(s):

- Naked and Afraid

Where is your favorite spot at camp:

- The Fun Bug swing

What is your dream Job:

- Professional Jazz Drummer

If you could have dinner with any three people, dead or alive, who would they be and why?:

- Dan Lichtenstein , Elvin Jones (drum role model), Martin Luther King Jr.

What is the best Christmas/Hanukkah present that you've ever gotten:

- A percussion Set in 3rd grade

What are/were your favorite subjects in school:

- Math and Wood Working

What's your go-to pie at the Norske Nook:

- Strawberry Rhubarb

What sports teams do you root for:

- The Bulls and The White Sox

Share a random or little known fact about yourself:

- I had a Challah business in 6th and 7th Grade.

2018 Staff Spotlight - Bryce Fenlon

Since the end of last summer a few things have changed in my life. I graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Madison in December, with a Bachelor’s degree in Conservation Biology. I have also moved back home to Rochester, Minnesota in order to cut costs and live with my family for a little bit. It’s always nice to be back home, even if most of my time is monopolized by hunting for a full-time job and starting a career. Since being home I have started working for Huntington Learning Center as an academic subject and ACT tutor specializing in the life sciences, math, and physics.

I just recently wrapped up a trip to Hungary to see my girlfriend, and I plan to go again for a month when camp is over this year. Hopefully I can get that tourist visa changed to a work visa, as I will also being searching for employment there throughout the year. However, future planning aside, I am so excited to be coming back to camp this summer! I have some fun ecology programs on the drawing board, so come check it out!

More about Bryce

What is your favorite camp meal?

- Every Friday night meal. The sense of camaraderie is so amazing every week.

If you could be any animal (besides a human), what would you be and why?

- A pangolin. Most importantly because they are one of the most heavily trafficked animals on the planet, and secondarily because they are impossibly cute.

What is your guilty pleasure tv show(s):

- I have recently been binge-watching Blue Bloods on Netflix. Gotta love a serial crime drama.

Where is your favorite spot at camp:

- I am going to have to say that my favorite spot at camp is right by the water in the counsel ring, where a bench dedicated to Vicky now lies. It’s beautiful and calm there.

What is your dream Job:

- Conservation and/or ecology teacher. I already get pretty close to that at camp!

If you could have dinner with any three people, dead or alive, who would they be and why?:

- I am going to have to say Elon Musk, Stephen Hawking, and Robert Goddard. I would love to hear their individual opinions on the future of space travel. Musk and Goddard are/were considered pioneers in space travel (during their respective eras), and Stephen Hawking, though recently deceased, worked on, and many would say defined, the cutting edge of theoretical physics. It would be interesting to get them in the same room together and see where the conversation goes.

What is the best Christmas/Hanukkah present that you've ever gotten:

- My favorite presents that I have ever gotten are books. Nothing special, I just absolutely love to read.

What are/were your favorite subjects in school:

- My favorite subjects in school were ecology, biology, physics, and math.

What are your top three movies of all time:

- Blade Runner (though Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, the Philip K. Dick novel on which it’s based, is better), Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, and The Godfather.

What's your go-to pie at the Norske Nook:

- I’m going to have to say the peanut butter cup pie.

What sports teams do you root for:

- I am a Wisconsin fan, through and through. Packers, Badgers and Brewers.

Share a random or little known fact about yourself:

- After all the biology and ecology that I have learned, I still enjoy learning about different programming languages. I am currently working on Python to supplement my thorough understanding of R.

2018 Staff Spotlight - Jacob Hruska

Jacob Hruska grew up in Mora, MN which is actually less than two hours west of North Star. He grew up hunting and fishing, so it makes sense that he's going to be one of our trip leaders this summer.

Jacob is at Minnesota State University in Mankato, where he's majoring in Recreation, Parks and Leisure Studies. He's a big climber and works at the campus climbing wall where he's the head route setter. He's worked at other camps as well as the local rec center. He's an experienced outdoorsman, having taken plenty of trips on the North Shore of MN as well as climbing trips all over the place. 

More about Jacob

How did you learn about North Star and why did you apply?
- I learned about North Star Through a Recreation Career fair on campus at MSU Mankato.

If you could be any animal (besides a human), what would you be and why?
- I would want to be a wolf, because they are strong, majestic, and wise.

What is your guilty pleasure tv show(s):
- My guilty pleasure tv show is The Big Bang Theory.

What is your dream Job:
- My dream job is to be a professional rock climber.

If you could have dinner with any three people, dead or alive, who would they be and why?:
- I would have dinner with my great grandma so that I could listen to the some stories about growing up in the 1920’s and 30’s. Next would be president John F. Kennedy because he seems like he was a wise and smart leader of our country that would be amazing to talk to. The third person would be Sheldon cooper from big bang theory because he would be funny to talk to.

What is the best Christmas/Hanukkah/holiday present that you've ever gotten:
- Rock climbing gear.

What are/were your favorite subjects in school:
- Outdoor recreation and PE

What are your top three movies of all time:
- Avengers, goonies, grown ups

What sports teams do you root for:
- I don’t follow any sports teams but if I was to watch football or hockey I would say the Wild and the Vikings.

What noteworthy/random/menial jobs have you held?
- I worked at a camp ground in Mora, Minnesota as a cook and at ITS at MSU Mankato.

What did you do last summer?
- Last summer I worked as a lead facilitator on a high ropes course.