|
|
Candidate Bios
President-Elect [ duties ]
Secretary [ duties ]
Treasurer [ duties ]
Board of Advisors (two positions open) [ duties ]
Candidate for President-Elect
- Darcie Boschee (ND 1987; Staph 1991-1992)
Rhododendron. Fireflies dancing in the trees, wisps of fog overhead. Fractal geometry. Climbing a sheer rock face. Dissecting of a human hand. Kayaking down a rushing river.
These seemingly unrelated events seem to be a perfect combination only to a NYSC alumnus. Even though it’s been a quarter of a century (no, it can’t be!) since I was a North Dakota delegate to the camp, these events remain fresh in my mind. I was so taken by the NYSC that I applied to be on staph the next year. Sadly, I was turned down. However, persistence pays off, and I was eventually selected to be on staph in 1991 and 1992. (I still have my staph shirt!)
I loved West Virginia so much that I stayed there after the summer of 1992. For a few years I assisted the pre-camp staph assembled in Charleston, and in 1997, I went to work for Ron Pearson, Chairman of the NYSF. During my 11 years with Judge Pearson, I assumed greater responsibilities for the back-office portion of keeping the NYSC alive. These duties included Board of Trustees meeting arrangements and note taking, bookkeeping, Senate Luncheon arrangements, alumni database work, fundraising assistance, and myriad other tasks.
This cornucopia of experience, along with a pang at the loss of my intimate connection with the NYSC (I moved to Minnesota in 08), propels me to throw my proverbial hat into the ring for NYSCAA President-Elect. My experience allows me to communicate effectively with Camp Directors and the Foundation, successfully organize people and data, and aid in marshaling resources. In short, I can ‘git ’er done.’ Therefore I ask that fellow alumni elect me as President-Elect so I can assist the NYSCAA during a very important year, and in the years to come.
- Ryan Edel (IL 1998; Staph 2000-2002, 2008-09)
NYSC brought us together as a geographically diverse and intellectually energetic group of people - definitely the most exciting group I've ever known. Yet as we've continued on in our lives, it's these barriers of geography and advanced careers which make our meetings all too rare.
If selected as the President-Elect, my goal would be to expand our online social networking so that delegates across years can meet each other, and then use these new connections to help camp alumni begin meeting regularly and in-person. I'd like to recruit individuals living across the country to host small NYSCAA events. Monthly dinners, or even just a couple folks meeting at Starbucks, can help us remind each other of how important the NYSC connection remains.
For myself, the few reunions and mini-reunions I've been able to attend have been truly wonderful experiences. It's the conversations, the "that was the year we..." stories - they keep science camp alive in the heart. It's a connection that isn't quite possible online, a connection that can sometimes fade if you go for too long without it. I'd like us to expand these relationships to reach more alumni more often. Eventually, we should reach the point where, when you move to a new state, the first question you ask is "On which day of the month do the science campers around here hang out?"
We'll start on Facebook. We'll recruit people in large cities who like to sit around and drink coffee. Then we'll venture outward into the places where there are fewer alumni and the coffee is scarce. (Yes, it's scary out there, in central Illinois...but that's where grad school has brought me as of late. I'm convinced there are alumni living somewhere within the boundaries of the circumference created by multiplying my one-hour driving radius by two pi. I just have to find them. And also a Starbucks.)
Fortunately, this is a direction we've been moving in for a long time. The annual reunions, the regional mini-reunions, the frequent posts to Facebook - as an Alumni Association, we are in a very good position. This process will continue (and, fortunately, you don't have to elect me for these campaign promises to happen - we're already on the right track.)
What I can do is help the process move a little faster. And my hope is that, by helping out, I'd also be able to develop more lifelong connections of my own. And I know there are dozens of people - hundreds, perhaps even 5,000 or so - who feel the same way.
- Janell Lehmann Lovelace (MO 1986; Staph 1990, 2005-2008)
I was a 1986 delegate from Missouri, and have had the pleasure of being on staph in 1990 and 2005-08. I previously served a term as president of the NYSCAA, representing our organization on the NYSF Board of Trustees during the exciting meeting when we signed an intent to purchase land from the Canaan Valley Institute. I helped organize the 2002 alumni reunion, and have been to many other reunions over the years. There are wonderful things going on these days with the NYSCAA (and the NYSF) as we approach Science Camp's 50th Anniversary, and I would like to continue to contribute to this organization in the years to come. I believe that the alumni have a lot to offer each other and I'd like to do all I can to help us all become and stay connected. I love Science Camp!
I received a B.S. in Computer Science from Duke University with a second major in Physical Anthropology. Until the birth of my son Bram, I worked as a software engineer for companies including GE and Decision-Science Applications, and I now work part-time for SciFiGenre.com. I just completed my 18th year singing in the Duke Chapel Choir, serving as an officer for at least 10 of those years. I have been involved for several years with Durham Savoyards, serving as social chair and webmaster. In recent years I have also been involved with my son's Boy Scout troop, North Carolina Nearspace high altitude balloon launching group, the National Association of Rocketry, the North Carolina Geocachers Association, Odyssey of the Mind, and the Triangle Troglodytes caving club. I am an amateur radio operator (KI4BZG), an occasional net controller for the local Skywarn spotters network of the National Weather Service, I volunteer as a ham with local charity events, and will be a part of the K2BSA amateur radio staff at the Boy Scout National Jamboree in West Virginia in 2013. I am a life member of the International Jugglers Association, and enjoyed sharing this and many other of these hobbies in the form of seminars with delegates over the years. In my spare time, I love to read and to travel, and have visited 49 states and 16 countries.
Candidate for Secretary
Candidate for Treasurer
- Michelle Clauson LaRue (SD 1985; Staph 1987-1989)
I can’t imagine what my life would be like had I not become part of the Science Camp family around 25 years ago. I am incredibly fortunate to have such tremendous friends and memories, and I see the position of Treasurer as an ongoing opportunity to give back some of what I’ve gotten. The 50 year reunion in 2013 is an important opportunity for alumni to gather and revitalize their connections to NYSC. It will be critical to manage our financial resources in an efficient, timely basis and I am committed to providing this service if I am selected. Thanks - see you next year in WV!
Candidates for Board of Advisors (BOA)
- Shakeel Dalal (IN 2005)
I have previously served on the Board of Advisors in 2007 at the request of our late friend and supporter of NYSC, Omar Ahmad (FL 1982). As Science Camp approaches its 50th anniversary and with the upcoming 2013 West Virginia reunion, I would be honored with your vote to help steward this organization into the future.
- John Reinert Nash (NY 1987)
I was a delegate from New York in 1987, and I have attended several reunions over the years. My three weeks in West Virginia were critical to appreciating that the human side of science was every bit as important as the technical side. Interacting with the delegates and staff and realizing that there were lots of people out to do great things in science with their lives gave me insights that I draw on to this day. Since “Science is easy, people are hard,” I would like the opportunity to give back to the NYSCAA and help with the important support that they give the camp and its alumni/ae. I bring to the position communication, technology, and imaging science skills. Thank you for your support!
- David Olson (MN 1984)
Why do I want to serve on the board? I cannot express how much being a part of NYSC has meant to me. I was reminded last summer when I was fortunate to help plan and participate in the Alumni reunion in Minneapolis. Old friends were there as well as new ones I had never met before. As alumni, whether a delegate or staph, we have all had our hearts touched by the magic of waking in the morning where the rhododendrons grow. I want to work with the officers and board members to ensure that no one loses that connection. Besides that, it is a great excuse for my family when they ask, “Why do we have to go to the 50th reunion?”
- Erin Richardson (Staph 2005-2006)
Thinking about camp always puts a smile on my face - particularly when I think about the wonderful people who donate their time, money, and enthusiasm to provide this indelible experience for a very lucky group of high school seniors. I am running for the Board of Advisors because I want to help ensure not only that Science Camp continues for generations to come, but also that former campers and staph can maintain their connections and enrich each others lives. I believe my energy, organizational skills, and event logistics experience will make me an asset to the Alumni Association, and I look forward to assisting the Association in any way I can.
Vote now! All votes must be received by 11:59 PM EDT on Wednesday, September 12, 2012.
Note: Voting is now over.
|
Back to Top