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group of adoptees laughing together at adoptee camp

Meet Holt’s 2022 Adoptee Camp Counselors

After two years of online camp, our team can’t wait to get to know our campers in-person! If you’re going to camp this summer at any of our four locations — Oregon, California, Wisconsin or New Jersey — you can get to know your counselors ahead of time here!

Every year, Holt Adoptee Camp is one of the highlights of our summer! A week of Holt Adoptee Camp will be one of the best experiences of your life. You’ll have the chance to try new things, make new adoptee friends and discuss issues that are important and unique to adoptees. No matter which location you attend, you’ll fill your days playing group games and sports, swimming, eating great food, creating arts and crafts, and exploring your adoptee identity.

And one of the best parts? Building friendships with other adoptees — and your counselor! Meet the 2022 Holt Adoptee Camp counselors below!

ashley adams 2022 holt camp counselor

Ashley Adams – South Korea

Hi, my name is Ashley! I am a South Korean adoptee and a returning camp counselor from 2019. I have two Aussie Corgis and seven brothers and sisters. I love collecting sunglasses and have recently started playing Pokémon Go and Minecraft again. I can’t wait to meet everyone and hopefully see some old faces!

headshot of emily mahler 2022 holt camp counselor

Emily Mahler – China

Hello! I’m Emily! I am a Chinese adoptee and I grew up in South Jersey with three brothers adopted from three different countries. Being outside and enjoying nature is one of my favorite things to do, aside from spending time with family and friends. When the weather isn’t so cooperative and I’m stuck inside, I enjoy baking and learning to play different instruments. I am super excited for my second summer with Holt Camp as a counselor, and I’m even more psyched to meet everyone in person this year!

headshot of fen truitt 2022 holt camp counselor with dog

Fen Truitt – China

My name is Fen Truitt and I was adopted from China. I am a rising sophomore at Oregon State University. An interesting fact about myself is that I am still in contact with my foster family in China. I am excited to be part of 2022 Adoptee Camp because this is my first camp and I will be able to meet many new adoptees and build a sense of community with others. I can’t wait to meet new people and make new friends from across the country!

headshot of gabriela 2022 holt camp counselor in front of sunset

Gabriela Claravall – China

Hi, my name is Gabriela! I’m so excited to serve as a camp counselor for Holt Adoptee Camp. I was adopted from Hunan province, China. I am currently a senior at the University of Washington, Seattle campus, studying public health: global health, medical anthropology and global health: anthropology of globalization. My ultimate goal is to become a public health practitioner and medical physician. Some of my hobbies include playing tennis, skiing and hiking. In my free time, I enjoy watching Netflix, hanging out with friends and family, and traveling. A fun fact about me is that I have hugged a giant panda in China before! I look forward to meeting everyone and helping to make camp as fun as possible!

headshot of joli hanlon camp director

Joli Hanlon – China

Hello! My name is Joli Hanlon and I am the Holt Adoptee Camp director. I was adopted from China when I was five years old. I am from Madison, Wisconsin and graduated from Lawrence University in 2017. I am very excited to be returning to in-person camp. I look forward to seeing returning campers and staff, as well as meeting all the new faces. I can’t wait for 2022 Holt Adoptee Camp!

Katelyn Dixon – China
Hi! My name is Katelyn and I am a Chinese adoptee from California. Currently, I work as the post adoption programs lead at Holt. My hobbies include salsa dancing, playing volleyball, and trying new food. I am excited to experience my first in-person camp with you all. I can’t wait to hang out, have fun and be with other adoptees!

headshot of matthew beyer 2022 holt camp counselor

Matthew Beyer – South Korea

Hi! My name is Matthew and I was adopted from Seoul, South Korea when I was six months old. I am 18 years old and will be starting my college career at The College of New Jersey in the fall, majoring in psychology. This will be my first time at Holt Camp. I went through a different adoption camp growing up and I can’t wait to be on staff for 2022 Holt Adoptee Camp! I am very excited to meet everyone and have fun this summer!

headshot of nell kirby 2022 holt camp counselor

Nell Kirby – Thailand

Hey, my name is Nell! I am 20 years old and I am currently studying at Arizona State University where I am learning to become a board-certified music therapist. I play the violin, piano, guitar and ukulele. In high school, I was a pole vaulter and I was also a competitive gymnast for 13 years. Some of my hobbies include ceramics, singing and songwriting and playing with my cat named Enigma. I’m so excited to meet all of you this summer!

headshot of sammie 2022 holt camp counselor

Sammie LaFramboise – China

Hi, I’m Sammie and I was adopted from China at 13 months old. I was a Holt camper for six years. I just graduated high school and I am going to attend University of Nebraska-Omaha to major in biology. I’m so excited to be a Holt counselor this year! My interests include photography, writing, hanging out with friends, music, sleeping and traveling. Holt Camp has always been an important part of my life and I am so excited to give back!

headshot of shali holt camp counselor wearing college shirt

Shali Rader – China

Hi everyone! My name is Olivia Shali Rader. (I go by Shali, which is my Chinese name). I just finished my freshman year at Mississippi State University and am majoring in Asian studies with a minor in marketing. I was adopted from Yangjiang, China at 8 and a half months old by a single mom and I grew up in Franklin, Tennessee (about 20 minutes south of Nashville). While I have attended many different camps over the years and have worked as a junior counselor, this will be my first experience at a Holt summer camp, and I am so excited! I love playing ultimate frisbee (I played in high school and am now on my college team), music, baking, my two dogs (a black lab and a shih tzu), hanging out with friends, being part of the Vietnamese Student Association in college and bubble tea! I can’t wait to meet all of you and make some fantastic memories this summer!

headshot of Shravani holt camp counselor

Shravani Williams – India

Hi, my name is Shravani Williams and I am an Indian adoptee. I was 4 years old when I got adopted. I am from Mesa, Arizona, but before that I lived in India for eight years. I am currently in college at Northern Arizona University. I hope to be a high school English teacher one day and teach in both English and Spanish. I have many hobbies but my favorites are singing, painting and baking or cooking. A fun fact about me is I am extremely double jointed! Some advice I would give to adoptees is to let yourself feel whatever it is you are feeling. You are allowed to be confused and feel multiple emotions. Just know that you are loved by your friends, family and the adoptee community. I can’t wait to be your Holt camp counselor at 2022 Holt Adoptee Camp!

headshot of skylar unger holt camp counselor

Skylar Unger – China

My name is Skylar Unger, and I was adopted from Shaanxi, China at 11 months old. I recently graduated from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst with a B.S. in communication disorders and a minor in Chinese. I’m so excited to get to connect with other adoptees this summer and get more involved in the adoption community. During my undergraduate experience, I was on the e-board of my university’s Adopted Student Advisory Panel for three and a half years. I love fostering community and conversation among the adoptee community and I can’t wait to continue do so this summer.

trent jones camp counselor holding up piece of driftwood

Trent Jones – South Korea

Hey everyone! My name is Trent and I’m a South Korean adoptee. I’m from Council Bluffs, Iowa and I currently live in Omaha, Nebraska where I am a P.E. teacher. In my free time, I enjoy eating, listening to music, working out, playing video games and hanging out with friends. I have been a part of Holt Camp for quite a while now — I was a camper for eight years and this will be my second year on staff. I can’t wait to meet all of you this summer and make lots of great memories!

headshot of zane cleghorn holt camp counselor

Zane Cleghorn – China

Hello! My name is Zane and I am adopted from China. I call Washington State my home but I go to college in Montana. I really enjoy the outdoors, and tennis, hiking and ice skating are some of my favorite things to do. I love listening to music and cooking different kinds of food. I am very excited to be a camp counselor for 2022 Holt Adoptee Camp this summer and getting to know other fellow adoptees. I look forward to making many great memories with you all. See you soon!

three girls smiling for camera

Registration for Holt Adoptee Camp is now open!

At camp, adoptees have the chance to try new things, make new friends and share their experiences with other adoptees! This program is available to all domestic, international, transracial or transcultural adoptees, ages 9-17.

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