VetSummerStaff bios and profiles
The heart of our veterinary medicine and zoo camp programming is our staff. Highly trained, with real-world experience, the staff are the heart and soul of the program.
Tiffany
Camp Director
Tiffany is a Mother, Educator, and Camp Director. Tiffany has had the privilege of being a Theater Educator in the public and private sectors for over 20 years. She has directed over 40 productions. She has worked in camps for over 20 years in some capacity. She has directed camps for over 5 years. She is excited to be working with VetSummer for the third summer. Tiffany has an Undergraduate degree in Education and Communications from Oral Roberts University and a Masters Degree in Theater from Montclair State University. She currently works full-time as a Theater Arts Educator at a performing arts High School in New Jersey.
Emma
Program Manager
Emma was born and raised in Virginia. She moved to New York in 2017 to study Music and Theatre and has lived here ever since. Emma’s camp experience started as a child, attending summer camp at the Frontier Culture Museum of Virginia, and then later being a volunteer staff member when she aged out. She spent much of her high school and early college years babysitting and being a private nanny, before becoming an Assistant Daycare teacher. After that experience Emma discovered VetSummer’s sister camp “Summer Culinary” in 2019, and was hired as an RA at the New York location. Emma rose quickly through the ranks over the years and is now a Program Manager for VetSummer Zoo Camp and Summer Culinary, and the Vice President of Operations. Emma’s favorite animals are Koalas, Otters, and Elephants. She also has a pet Betta Fish, Joey! (See his bio below)
Autumn
Camp Teacher
Hello! I’m Autumn, like the season 🍁, and I’m currently a third year vet student at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. I started my journey into VetMed when I was a senior in high school, and have loved getting to learn about so many different kinds of animals! In VetMed, you meet so many wonderful people, and get lifelong friends and mentors. My interests are wildlife and exotic animals, zoo camp, surgery, shelter medicine, and working with clinics that provide free services to low-income and homeless communities. This past summer I had the joy of working as a teacher for middle school students at VetSummer in New York, and I had a ton of fun teaching VetMed and Animal Science to the kids, and getting to explore New York!
Our zoo camp mascots, pets and the real bosses of the program:
Fawnifer Elizabeast
In the summer of 2018 the world was blessed with a small red Miniature Pinscher named Fawnifer Elizabeast. Fawn spent her early days romping and playing with her twin brother Golly, who she still has a relationship with to this day. In December of 2018 Fawn met her human companion Nicholas Link, director of campusNYC. Nicholas took her into his life and home and now they live together in Detroit Michigan.
Outgoing and friendly Fawn is a special little dog. Having traveled from the east to west coast, Fawn has endeared herself to people and pets all across the United States. She loves music and owns several denim jackets which proudly display patches of her favorite bands. Giving her a unique punk rock style rarely seen among small dogs. Her punky denim jackets may look intimidating, but once you get to know her she is sweet and kind.
Long walks and car rides to the park are Fawns favorite pastimes. She appreciates the sights and smells, as well as meeting other dogs on their daily walks. When not enjoying walks she spends her time at home relaxing in a sunny spot. She also takes delight in protecting her abode from local squirrels and cats with her small, yet commanding bark.
Fawn loves treats and will walk around on her hind feet to impress anyone who may have a snack for her. She digs spending time at a local tavern in which people discard peanut shells on the floor. Here she searches through the shells to find any peanuts that may have been left behind. Fawn believes this to be her job, and accepts table scraps from patrons as her payment.
Loving and small, Fawn develops beautiful friendships with everyone she meets.
Joey or “Joseph .B.R. Fish”
Joey or “Joseph .B.R. Fish” for long, is not your typical betta fish. Born in Coney Island, he was adopted by a former “Summer Culinary” camper on July 4th, despite it being against the rules to win anything alive at the carnival. His original owner took magnificent care of him for his remaining week of camp, but couldn’t bring him on the plane. So despite his Resident Life Director (also our VetSummer Program Manager, Emma) being annoyed at the camper breaking the rules and winning the fish in the first place, she took Joey in as her own, and he has lived with her ever since.
He has beaten all odds for a Coney Island Carnival Fish, and is now 7 months old when most of them don’t even make the train ride home. He is outgoing, loves to greet Emma when she comes home, and loves to meet new friends. He likes Spongebob, and was so excited when Emma bought him Spongebob’s pineapple as a decoration, and is waiting for Squidward’s House to get delivered as a very late Chanukah present. His favorite foods are Shrimp Flakes and he loves Freeze Dried Bloodworms as a treat. He loves to listen to Alanis Morrisette and Count Basie, and also enjoys the occasional podcast.
Miso
Meet Gertrude “Miso” Murphy. Miso is a 3 year old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. She loves chasing squirrels, going on sniff patrol, and mostly loves snuggling and sitting in our laps.
Steve
Steven L. Hernandez was brought into this world on a chilly February day in 2012. Overcoming all odds as a young lad, he was taken in by a local rescue in the fall of 2015. An adorable long haired chihuahua who is small, happy, and a big ball of fur, he charmed his human Becky, and it was love at first sight.
Quiet and scared of everything, most people would describe Steve as a cat. He enjoys naps, butt scratches, and guessing which hand is hiding his treat (with 80% accuracy). Throughout the years, Steve has developed a caring, loving, yet grumpy personality. He protects Becky from anyone who gets too close and must fall asleep next to her each night. He loves to argue because he’s too short to jump on the couch and he doesn’t like young pups or Becky’s niece. Drawn to the older crowd, Steve is wise beyond his years.
Steve is the best furry companion. He has perfected the sad puppy dog eyes for each time Becky is leaving and is so excited when she returns he can’t help but arf! He has various bow ties and sweaters that leave him looking exceptionally dapper. He may be small but he leaves a big impression on the hearts of all that meet him.
Staff Job Descriptions:
Camp Director: Accountable for everything
Health Director: Lives in the residence hall to provide 24/7 supervision. Accountable for the health and well-being of each person. Certified as an EMT or better, the HD’s job includes to handle meds and boo-boos.
Res Life Director: In charge of dormitory life. roommates, evening activities… the RD is really about building community, where the students feel safe, protected and empowered to become more self-expressed and responsible.
Instructors: Deliver our proprietary veterinary medicine and zoo camp curriculum. Typical profile is someone in school to get their DVM.
RAs: Resident Assistants, camp staff who live in the dorms, handle evening activities, accompany field trips, and be around.
Find out more about the dorms and locations HERE
Community and Connection
More than just academics. Our program is about transformative academic enrichment and personal growth. We are out to make THE difference with each and every student.
Responsibility and Teamwork: Essential to our program is the sense of personal responsibility we instill in each student. Part of that is achieved through teamwork, certain aspects or projects in the curriculum that require students to work in pairs.
Community: Our students are all cut from the same cloth. Our zoo camp program provides a place where they can find their people; where they can be themselves; and where we live in a created environment. Our whole vibe is created and delivered inside the Community that we create together with our students. Indeed, as parents, we see the personal growth as critical so we work very hard to create the community which provides that context.
Find out more about our Academics HERE.
Premier experiential hands-on veterinary medicine summer program for any student who loves animals!