Alumni of Summer 2026
August 21, 2026
It’s the last day of summer camp out at Wheeler Farm, and we’d like to spotlight the many dedicated Wheeler alumni who have devoted their summers to working here as counselors, lifeguards, and division leaders. Many are returning staff—coming back to the Farm for up to six summers. We caught up with a few of them this week to ask them to ask what they’ve been up to outside of Wheeler, why they keep coming back, and why other alumni should join them! ☀️
Sydney Hall ’21 started working at Wheeler Summer right after she graduated. “I keep coming back because it’s so much fun and such an amazing environment.” She adds, “Also, the staff here is amazing — everybody is rooting for each other. I’ve grown in my leadership responsibilities over the years, and they’ve always championed that. I’m now a June Bug division leader, so I’m in charge of the three- and four-year-olds and all of the June Bug staff. I am also in charge of running the Providence bus. On average, I’m responsible for about 130 kids and 10 to 15 staff members.” Sydney’s camp leadership will serve her well in her next chapter. “I just finished a 4+1 program at Quinnipiac University, so I just got my Master’s in Teaching in Elementary Education. Working at a school is my next step!”
One of our most recent alumni summer staff members is Joy Flomo ’26, a rising freshman at the University of Rhode Island, majoring in Political Science and Studio Art. As a June Bug counselor, Joy explained, “My main reason for coming back to Wheeler to work during the summer was to spend a bit more time with my friends before we all left for college. While spending time with them, I’ve been able to make a whole bunch of new friends, meet a lot of new people, and it’s just been an amazing experience.”
Maintaining ties with the Wheeler community was equally important to Evan Atwood ’25. He spent his freshman year abroad in London through Northeastern’s London Scholars program and will be returning to the main campus in Boston for his sophomore year to study finance. Serving as head counselor for Middle 1 this year, Evan notes, “I’ve come back four years in a row because we’ve made a great community here.” He also praised the skill-building opportunities at camp: “I’ve learned a lot of great skills here, like CPR, how to work with children, and other important skills like organization and keeping count of people.”
After graduating from Stonehill College this past May with a degree in Healthcare Management, Erica Dabanka ’22 returned to support operations in the Wheeler Summer office. “I decided to come back to Wheeler for one last summer just to wrap up the five-ish years I’ve been here!” Following her final summer at the farm, Erica will move on this fall to work in administrative operations for a CNA organization.
Jasmine-Christie Durand ’25 is an incoming sophomore nursing student at Salve Regina University who hopes to become a pediatric or NICU nurse. She comes back to Wheeler Summer because of the community and, of course, the kids! She shared, “I work with the younger ones, from four to five years old, and love seeing them grow every summer. This is my fifth or sixth summer here since 2021, and I’ve gotten to see so many of these kids grow up.”
Lexi Miller ’23, group leader for Lower 4, will graduate in May with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Bard College, where she is also a starting forward on the basketball team, scoring 144 points and 225 rebounds last season! Reflecting on her next phase, Lexi shares, “I’m hoping to go into sports psychology. I played basketball at Wheeler, and I’m still playing basketball now. Sports have been a big part of my life, so I’m hoping to continue doing something in the sports field while connecting that with psychology.” (If there are any sports psychologists out there, let us know so we can connect you with Lexi!)
When we asked her why alumni should consider returning to Wheeler for their summer jobs, Lexi summed it up perfectly. “I honestly think coming to work here is a great opportunity. There are so many connections you can make — not only personal and friendship connections, but also connections that can help you in the future. It’s a great way to network and get to know people you may have never come across before.
“I also think it’s a great way to stay part of a community that served you for so long. You get the opportunity to give back to something that gave you a lot. It’s a really meaningful position to be in.”
We love seeing our alumni back on Wheeler campuses, bringing their incredible energy, care, and leadership to our summer programs. Here’s a big thank you to all of you!🌲✨ Stay tuned for our next post featuring alumni who were part of the Hamilton Summer Program!
