Lone Star Leadership Academy Staff

Directors
Kristi Baker
Mike Benson
Julie Chappa
Timmothy Hypolite
Mark Lederman
Paul Montreuil
Clyde Parham
Denise Parham
Lisa Sniggs
Rex Stephenson
Terri Stout
Facilitators and Assistant Directors
Adrienne Abrahamson
Shawn Allen-Wade
Conner Ayers
Shea Bloemhof
Marliese Bordman
Willhemina Brantley
Mark Chavez
Terrence Cochran
Jonathan Craig
Melissa Cruz
Rochelle DeLozier
Christian Ditumbule
Brian Evans
Marian Fleischman
Lindsay Gallagher
Diamond Hugh
Tiffanie Jarrett
Amanda Jeansonne
Blaike Johnson
Hope Johnson
Colby Kennedy
Candice Kumor
Stephanie Lyons
Toyor Malveaux
John McConnell
Katherine McGregor
Michael McNeal
Rebecca Moreland
Chris Narro
Mitchell O'Briant
Wanna Pierce
Billy Pritchett
Stephanie Salinas
Jana Schreier
Danyell Shaw
Jenny Smith
Ryan Weiss
Danielle Welch
Youth Facilitators
Lone Star Leadership Academy Alumni Council members have the unique opportunity to return on camps as Youth Facilitators. As Youth Facilitators, these young leaders serve as mentors to the campers, assist the adult Facilitators, and assist camp Directors behind the scenes. Click here to learn more about the Alumni Council and Youth Facilitators.

Vaibhavi Addala
Vaibhavi is an 11th grader in Eanes ISD and a first year Alumni Council member.
I had an exceptional experience when I attended the Lone Star Leadership Academy as a rising freshman in the summer of 2019; it allowed me to break out of my sheltered bubble and meet people from all over Texas, all while learning about the great state I get to call home and improving my leadership skills. Since then, I have been able to work on these skills and refine them through my experience as a member of the Alumni Council; I know that working as a Youth Facilitator will be a very rewarding way for me to not only get a similar experience as the one I got in 2019, but also grow my leadership skills in a new way.

Anya Aggarwal
Anya is a 9th grader at The Hockaday School and a third year Alumni Council member.
Being a Youth Facilitator and Service Project Coordinator has allowed me to exchange ideas with people outside my usual context and envision myself as part of a bigger world. My experience in the Lone Star Leadership Academy for the past five years and with the Alumni Council for the last three, has given me invaluable exposure to so many students and facilitators from all over Texas. I look forward to returning as a Youth Facilitator to share the work I have started in advocating for education and also inspire others to make powerful change in every way they can.

Megal Alla
Megal is a 10th grader at St. Stephen's Episcopal School and a third year Alumni Council member.
As a camper, I was inspired by my Youth Facilitators to improve my leadership skills, and they inspired/shaped me into the leader I am today. Likewise, I extremely enjoyed being a Youth Facilitator last year, and I hope to inspire campers in the same way my Youth Facilitators inspired me.

Sonal Alla
Sonal is an 11th grader at St. Stephen's Episcopal School and a third year Alumni Council member.
I would like to be a Youth Facilitator because I love mentoring younger students and offering insight. As a camper, I recall that one of my favorite parts of camp was getting to meet the Youth Facilitators. They made a huge impression on me and I still keep in touch with some of them. They offered me guidance and expertise, and I was also able to relate to them since they had already been in my place a few years before. As a Youth Facilitator, I hope to provide the same support to younger students.

Madeline Baek
Madeline is an 8th grader in Carroll ISD and a first year Alumni Council member.
I want to be a Youth Facilitator because I love helping others and seeing them having a great time. It makes me smile knowing that I set an example for them and I'm a leader to them.

Samantha Billings
Samantha is an 8th grader in Keller ISD and a first year Alumni Council member.
During my time at the camp, I realized that within one week, you can make amazing connections. This made me want to be a Youth Facilitator since I would be able to spend time with everyone and help younger kids. My youth facilitators told me about how much fun it was, getting to know everyone, learning their story, and getting to help them learn and grow. Also, this summer, I was planning on being a camp counselor or volunteering since I love helping with younger kids and getting to know them.

Brandon Botyos
Brandon is a 9th grader in Denton ISD and a fourth year Alumni Council member.
I want to be a Youth Facilitator because I have already been a Youth Facilitator once before and it was a very fun experience. I got a lot more experience being a leader and having responsibilities in a group. I made a lot of connections with the adult facilitators, and I learned a lot from them as well.

Brianna Botyos
Brianna is a 9th grader in Denton ISD and a fourth year Alumni Council member.
I want to be a Youth Facilitator because I love to help young people learn how to be a leader while being a leader myself. I was a Youth Facilitator last year and I absolutely loved being able to learn more about myself and being a better leader.

Addison Bouillion
Addison is a 12th grader in Georgetown ISD and a second year Alumni Council member.
After many attempts of going to different overnight summer camps, I never found one that I truly loved attending until the Lone Star Leadership Academy. This was the first summer camp that I was actually excited to attend and it was the only summer camp that I ever returned to the following years. I loved attending and meeting new people from all across Texas, and I want to be able to provide that same experience for all of the students planning on attending the camp. This camp provided me with so many fun memories and friends and I love being able to return that experience to others!

Annalise Breyer
Annalise is a 9th grader in Round Rock ISD and a fourth year Alumni Council member.
I have participated in the Lone Star Leadership Academy camps four times, including once as a Youth Facilitator. I really enjoyed these experiences and thought that they helped me grow my leadership skills a lot. I have always enjoyed leading a group, and being a Youth Facilitator lets me do that. I also want to give back to the program with this opportunity.

Elizabeth Brown
Elizabeth is a 9th grader in Klein ISD and a third year Alumni Council member.
I want to be a Youth Facilitator because I love to help others get out of their shell. I was a very shy kid when I first started this program and I had people to help me become who I am today. I want to be that person for someone else.

Reese Cockrum
Reese is a 9th grader in Quinlan ISD and a first year Alumni Council member.
The opportunity of teaching younger students by being a Youth Facilitator will make me able to put all that I have learned with the lessons and service project into the real world. I also want to teach the younger students on how to become a leader and not be afraid to be themselves. The first time I attended the camp I was really nervous to be who I am until the Youth Facilitators showed me that no matter what it is okay to be yourself.

Freya Dolman
Freya is an 8th grader in Aledo ISD and a first year Alumni Council member.
I want to be a Youth Facilitator because when I first attended Education in Action the facilitators that I was lead by impacted my desire to mentor students like they mentored me.

Ethan Farhoudi
Ethan is an 8th grader in Kerrville ISD and a first year Alumni Council member.
There are a multitude of reasons why I want to be a Youth Facilitator for the Lone Star Leadership Academy. I have had previous experience leading my peers, and I want to be able to use the skills I have learned from that and from Education in Action to better the education of others. Moreover, I am working towards being able to use the leadership skills that I have learned with my experience at the Lone Star Leadership Academy more in the real-world, even after my time is over at Education in Action.
For starters, during the 2020-2021 school year, I had the opportunity to have first-hand experience in leading, communicating, organizing, and collaborating with team members and teachers as a robotics team captain. I believe that with my experience from both Education in Action and from leadership responsibilities I have taken on in my hometown, I have been empowered to make a difference as a leader in people's lives. I believe that being a leader and Youth Facilitator at the Lone Star Leadership Academy is the next step in being a successful leader.
Furthermore, the skills I will learn from being a Youth Facilitator will give me more opportunities to be a successful leader, even when I am no longer an Alumni Council member. These skills will then be able to manifest in my future career through coordination, collaboration, and organization of events or gatherings.
In conclusion, I want to be a Youth Facilitator is because of the skillset that I can grow and improve and carry with me as a leader, no matter where I go.

Ethan Ganham
Ethan is a 10th grader in Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD and a fourth year Alumni Council member.
I want to be a Youth Facilitator because I greatly enjoyed being an attendee at the camps and very much enjoyed looking up to the Youth Facilitators. I would like to be able to be that role model to other leaders and for them to be able to look up to me as well.

James Gonzalez
James is an 8th grader in Clear Creek ISD and a first year Alumni Council member.
I want to be a Youth Facilitator because, as a third year Lone Star Leadership Academy participant, I have gained so much knowledge from the facilitators, and I want to share that knowledge with current participants.

Kristopher Hodgin
Kristopher is a 10th grader in Katy ISD and a fourth year Alumni Council member.
I want to be a Youth Facilitator because this camp has meant so much to me every summer and it makes me proud to share this with the next generation.

Timothy Jenkins
Timothy is a 10th grader in Belton ISD and a fourth year Alumni Council member.
I am interested in being a Youth Facilitator because I want to be the same kind of example, mentor, and leader to others just as Youth Facilitators have been for me throughout all my leadership camps. I want to pass on all that I have learned and gained through the experiences I've had and the relationships I have made.

Tucker Keeney
Tucker is an 8th grader in Pleasant Grove ISD and a first year Alumni Council member.
I want to be a Youth Facilitator so that I am able to help give campers the
same amazing experience as I had last year.

Kristyn Lacki
Kristyn is a 10th grader at Liberty Classical Academy Homeschool Co-Op and a first year Alumni Council member.
During my time as a Lone Star Leadership Academy participant, I enjoyed my educational experience immensely. As a member of the LSLA Alumni Council, I love the concept of giving back to this program by helping to instill the same curiosity and excitement for learning I experienced as a participant.

Paisley Lewis
Paisley is an 8th grader in Henderson ISD and a first year Alumni Council member.
I want to be a Youth Facilitator because I loved my camp experience. I've grown a lot since camp in many ways I never thought I would. I would love to go back and help other campers discover a part of themselves they did not know was there before.

Charlize Lopez
Charlize is a 10th grader in Fort Bend ISD and a fifth year Alumni Council member.
I want to be a Youth Facilitator because I want to help young leaders develop themselves. I can best do this by applying the knowledge that I’ve gained from the Alumni Council and from going through all the previous camps.

Aiken Madan
Aiken is a 10th grader at St. Thomas' Episcopal School and a second year Alumni Council member.
I want to be a Youth Facilitator to refine my leadership abilities, discover new ones, and possibly divulge my weaknesses. I hope, not only to practice leading or help with leading a group of people, but to also analyze how individuals in a group of people interact with each other when trying to achieve a mutual goal and to use those interaction dynamics to help the group work better together and achieve greater cohesion.

Lana Nguyen
Lana is an 8th grader in Fort Bend ISD and a first year Alumni Council member.
I want to be a Youth Facilitator to inspire students to continue growing, learning, and achieving and to help me to strengthen my leadership skills. As a Youth Facilitator, empowering others to be strong leaders and reach their full potential will be my number one priority. I also want to be inclusive and make sure everyone feels a sense of belonging.
Kaila Pierson
Kaila is a 10th grader in Katy ISD and a first year Alumni Council member.
There are many reasons that I want to be a Youth Facilitator, but the most prominent reasons are my love for history, my desire to make connections across the state, and the prospect of being able to learn valuable skills in leading others. First of all, I want to become a Youth Facilitator as this camp has provided me the opportunity to go to many museums and historical sites across Texas that I otherwise wouldn't have been able to experience. My area of interest for my future career path is a historian, archaeologist, or museum curator and Lone Star Leadership Academy has allowed me to see a wide range of museums, information, and jobs that has fueled my passion for history and culture. By becoming a Youth Facilitator I want to continue to experience these museums and look into other jobs under my field of interest for when I go to college. Secondly, I want to be a Youth Facilitator because I want to make connections across the state. From past Lone Star camps, I have met people from all over the state and have continued to keep in contact with many of my old group mates years later. By becoming a Youth Facilitator I want to be able to make connections with more students and staff of the sites we visit as these connections can be useful when applying for college, finding jobs in my field of interest, and getting professional advice from those much more experienced than me. Lastly, I want to be a Youth Facilitator because I want to improve my leadership skills in the areas that I am lacking and to be able to apply them to a wide range of situations in my personal life. Currently, I am a Taekwondo athlete and am looking to begin instructing other Taekwondo classes. To do so, I want to be able to improve my patience and develop a more confident, loud voice so that I can be more confident in speaking up. This experience will be a perfect place to work on my leadership skills as it provides a healthy environment where I can learn from the other facilitators around me without fear of messing up or being embarrassed.

Aubriana Ramirez
Aubriana is an 11th grader in Industrial ISD and a second year Alumni Council member.
I want to be a Youth Facilitator because I want to enhance my leadership skills and help others become leaders

Kathrine Ramirez
Kathrine is an 11th grader in Industrial ISD and a second year Alumni Council member.
I want to be a Youth Facilitator so I can use the leadership qualities I learned from my previous LSLA experiences and to set an example to the other fellow leaders.

Mia Sandate
Mia is a 10th grader in Ector County ISD and a fifth year Alumni Council member.
I want to be a Youth Facilitator as I greatly enjoy attending the Lone Star Leadership Academy summer camps and this past year I enjoyed even more serving as a Youth Facilitator. I have learned a great deal and enjoy passing on that knowledge other students. As a Youth Facilitator I will guide and encourage the young campers. I will pass on what I have learned from my past years a s a camper and Youth Facilitator. I want all campers to feel welcome and to enjoy the experience.

Natalee Scholl
Natalee is a 10th grader in Dripping Springs ISD and a second year Alumni Council member.
I would like to be a Youth Facilitator because I really enjoyed my time as a Youth Facilitator last year. I also enjoy using my leadership skills that I have learned in the past to be a good role model for the students at the camp. I care about making sure that all of the students have a great time like I did whenever I first went to camp. I also want to make sure that everyone is included at all times during the camp.

Avery Sutton
Avery is a 7th grader in Birdville ISD and a first year Alumni Council member.
I want to be a Youth Facilitator because I want to help the campers feel comfortable while they are away from home. I also want to help lead the way for them to learn greater leadership skills.
Yeva Tcharikova
Yeva is a 10th grader in Round Rock ISD and a second year Alumni Council member.
I love any opportunity to serve my community, and I think it's important to teach children how to be not only a good person but a great leader. I went through these camps as a child, and I've gained so many skills that have helped me get through school. Other kids should get the same opportunity and it would be amazing if I could give that to them.

Ryder Trent
Ryder is a 9th grader in Dripping Springs ISD and a first year Alumni Council member.
The Youth Facilitator position interests me because it will help me to become a better leader. In fact, the position will improve on my strengths and how I affect those around me. The camp experience will also show me the ups and downs leaders face. This will help shape me to become someone who is better prepared for the world and its challenges.

Kenzie White
Kenzie is a 10th grader in Columbia-Brazoria ISD. Kenzie wants to be a Youth Facilitator to help students develop their leadership skills. The campers have such different talents and watching them go from being very shy to leading their group because she helped makes her feel great. Kenzie has been a member of the Lone Star Leadership Academy Alumni Council for three years.