CategoriesUncategorized by

Bold & Ready: Shelly Landau Renews Wilderness First Aid to Strengthen Nakanawa’s Safety Legacy

Shelly Landau recently returned from CU Boulder, where she recertified with the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) Wilderness First Aid program. This two‑day course prepared students to assess, treat, and make critical decisions for injured or ill people in remote environments—skills that fit hand‑in‑glove with Camp Nakanawa’s long commitment to safe outdoor adventure.

Shelly Landau recently returned from CU Boulder, where she recertified with the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) Wilderness First Aid program.
Note Taking
Shelly's studious scribing during the two day event.
NOLS Handouts
Illustrations of specific wraps for injuries while in the wild.
Workshops
First person POV at the National Outdoor Leadership School Wilderness First Aid

Shelly brings this knowledge back to camp to help educate and train her fellow counselors. During counselor training, Shelly and Margaret Matens give “an overview of basic hiking first aid while at Nakanawa,” which reminds everyone that our safety practices are rooted in the real places our girls explore—from trails around the lake and the Dam to nearby Cumberland Cove, “only a 15 minute drive from camp… at the edge of the Cumberland Plateau.” Using slides filled with familiar photos and stories, Shelly walks counselors through the everyday issues we’ve quietly managed for generations: dehydration, sunburn and heat illness, insect stings and ticks, blisters, and the occasional sprained ankle.

 

She gives simple but powerful habits—packing water, hats, sunscreen, insect repellent, and closed‑toe shoes; drinking before you feel thirsty; and treating every sting with care, including knowing when an epi‑pen and 911 are needed—showing how good planning makes adventure possible. In this way, today’s training echoes the example set in the 1920s by Col. Rice, who first inspired our Bold & Ready outdoor education by leading campers on long trail walks from camp to Cumberland Cove, where they camped out and explored the Plateau. His spirit of preparation, resilience, and love for the woods still motivates us every time we lace up our boots and head down the trail with our girls.

 

Shelly, Margaret, and the entire Bold & Ready team continue Nakanawa’s long history of pairing outdoor exploration with thoughtful, up‑to‑date safety. For more than a century we’ve taken girls into the woods, along the trails, and out onto the water, always with trained counselors, on‑site nurses and doctors, and clear protocols guiding each step. As Shelly says, we are “really looking for some young blood to start taking this on,” and we are still seeking active, enthusiastic Bold & Ready counselors who feel called to carry this legacy forward for the next generation of Nakanawa girls. That legacy continues in our Bold & Ready program, where campers hike to places like Cumberland Cove, play in the waterfalls, and learn to love wild spaces—backed by leaders who know that “YOU set the tone” and that true boldness grows best in a carefully tended, safe environment. Wo‑He‑Lo!

CategoriesAnn & Pepe Perron by

Ann & Pepe Honored with Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Philanthropy

Ann and Pepe have always shown us what it means to carry Nakanawa’s spirit of service and leadership out into the wider world, and now that light is being seen and celebrated beyond the shores of Lake Aloaloa.

The Tennessee Board of Regents has honored Ann and Pepe Perron with the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Philanthropy for their decades of vision, generosity, and hands-on support of Roane State’s Diane and Jay Brown Campus in Crossville. Since 1995, they’ve helped remove barriers for local students by backing the first permanent campus facility, championing expanded health science and nursing programs, and offering matching gifts to grow a new health science wing. Through The Ann and Pepe Perron Annual Scholarship more than $240,000 has been given for students, they continue to build pathways for the next generation—just as they have always encouraged campers to be brave, kind, and ready to lead for decades.

Please join your Nakanawa family in celebrating Ann and Pepe’s remarkable example of living out camp values in their community, and in cheering them on as they help shape so many young lives for the better. Read more about this special honor and their incredible impact here.

CategoriesUncategorized by

Best Ever Service Weekend:

Senior Dining Hall Mural Restoration

Though we have standard Service Weekend projects (wood burning name tags, cutting team ties, sweeping cabins), we often complete a unique task. One year, we finished restoring the mural in the Senior Dining Hall, a piece of history that every camper remembers. 

In 1934, the Valkyrie team gift to Camp was Masonite panels on which counselor Edith “Ely” Mahier drew a panorama depicting Valkyrie Rock on one end and Amazon Rock on the other. In addition to the lake, cabins and key buildings, she included Colonel Rice, Annie Hayes and Mrs. Martin. Along the lower edge, Ely added native Tennessee plants and wildflowers. She selected Senior campers to help fill in the colors. They spent weeks painting the mural and were allowed to sign their names. When the old Dining Hall was replaced, Ely’s mural was carefully saved and installed in the building we know today. 

Ely’s Mural Restored: Fast forward to 1979-80, a gap year I spent at Nakanawa while my husband Jack finished a master’s degree at Tennessee Tech. One project on Mitch’s list was a restoration of Ely’s mural. Its colors had faded over the decades in the weather. Working in mittens during wintry months, I retraced Eli’s outlines and added back bright camp colors. The scenes came to life with white-white shirts, true red and blue ties, green canoes and colorful details. I added a legend to record a bit of the history. 

Service Weekends Matter! 2010 provides an example of a particularly worthwhile Service Weekend for our mural. Across the bottom of the panels, the Tennessee plants and flowers, along with the artists’ names, had also faded beyond recognition. A group of artistic Service Weekend volunteers repainted the Tennessee flora I had come to know and proved their sleuthing skills on missing artists’ names. 

Nakanawa catalogs from the 1930s helped us “break the code.”  We made a list of fragments we could decipher: “First name starts with G or C and ends in a T! Last name ends in LY!” We cheered as we solved the puzzle, identifying and repainting every name, including that of Elisabeth Mitchell, a camper at the time of the mural’s creation.

One July Reunion Weekend years later, I noticed an older Nakanawa alumna studying the mural. Her mother had helped paint it, and she hoped to find her name. Sure enough, there it was, bright and clear!  She took a photo of the mural and a close-up of her mother’s name. That encounter shows how Service Weekends matter. 

– Margaret Matens

CategoriesUncategorized by

Heart and Soles: More Than Just a Pair of Shoes

Sloan Mulloy, TR ’19, found a way to incorporate a special Nakanawa symbol into an exhibition for her graduate program. What may at first glance look like an ordinary pair of shoes holds a much deeper meaning for her. The exhibition was curated by the NYU Costume Studies’ Exhibition Praxis class. DIY Grrrl: Constructing, Disrupting, and Reclaiming Girlhood in the 1990s pairs archival material with contemporary works that demonstrate how girls and young women engage with do-it-yourself practices to form both personal and collective identities. According to Sloan, “From the beginning of this process, we as a team were always focused on the theme of girlhood and its expressions in material form. My memories from ten summers at Nakanawa helped shape this exhibition; during my Tent Row summer, I asked all my friends to sign my sneakers as a way to commemorate my last year as a camper. When we were first brainstorming ideas of what objects we wanted to include in our exhibition, I brought in a picture of my shoes to show the team. My professor fell in love with them and thought they embodied our ideas of girlhood and DIY, and our team decided they needed to be included in the show. I find it so special that these shoes were with me throughout the entire process of creating this exhibition, and they truly serve as a testament to Nakanawa’s role in the experiences of girlhood.” The display includes the description below:

Vans (1966 – present)
Signed Sneakers belonging to Sloan Mulloy, 2019
Cotton, rubber, plastic
Personal Collection of Sloan Mulloy

This pair of size 5.5 high-top sneakers features the signatures and drawings of nearly thirty teenage girls. Created over the course of a four-week summer camp session, the act of inscription transformed these shoes into a repository of their memories. Both a personal object in their own right and a historic relic frozen in time, this pair of shoes embodies collective memory, the desire for close-knit connection, and an expression of female friendship.

If you find yourself in New York City before March 7, you can visit the exhibit at 80WSE Gallery at 80 Washington Square E, New York, 10003. 

CategoriesUncategorized by

Alumnae Spotlight: Laura Layman Lazarevich

When the South Loudoun Youth Chorale (SLYC) dismisses for the evening, the energy spilling out of the rehearsal space is palpable. Students hum melodies as they shuffle out the door, still buzzing from practice. For Artistic Director, Laura Layman Lazarevich (TR 03), this is the clearest sign that the organization she co-founded just three years ago has become something more than an after-school program. It’s a community.

With Elizabeth Tual Hobbes and Catherine McPhillips Inge in 2000.

Laura, a former high school choir teacher with fourteen years of experience, launched SLYC at a pivotal moment. In the years following the COVID-19 pandemic, school choir programs across Northern Virginia were struggling to regain their footing. Enrollment had dipped, student confidence had faltered, and many music educators were facing unprecedented challenges rebuilding the collaborative culture essential to ensemble singing.

“I realized that to truly support students and strengthen school programs, we needed an opportunity for young singers to connect outside the school day,” Laura said. “They needed a place where they could feel safe, grow their confidence, and develop as musicians.”

That realization became the foundation for SLYC. Today, the nonprofit serves 165 students in grades 3–12 across six ensembles, supplemented by summer camps and audition workshops aimed at broadening access to music education. The organization’s mission rooted in four values, Serve, Lead, spread joY, and Care, reflects Laura’s own upbringing and early exposure to the power of collective singing.

Raised in Charlottesville, Virginia, she grew up in a deeply musical family and spent nine summers at Nakanawa as a camper and three years as a counselor thanks to the women in her family who paved the way. Laura’s grandmother, Page Hart Boteler (TR 42 & 43), her mother Alice Boteler Layman (TR 69), and her two aunts, Louise Boteler (TR 70) and Laura Boteler Butchko (TR 76) were all Nakanawa girls. Laura credits her years at camp for “helping shape my leadership style and my understanding of what young people gain from shared musical experiences.” 

Playing cards on the Crow’s Nest, making up a form swimming song to the tune of the alphabet song with Catherine McPhillips (“Breast stroke, side stroke, elementary back, this is why we love Camp Nak!…”) and being crowned prom king and queen with Garland Quinn, “are some of my most treasured memories from camp,” Laura shared.

Career photo @choirwithlaura

She was a member of Octet alongside her sister, Martha Layman McKechnie (TR 06), taught choir and glee club, and embraced the close-knit environment that encouraged personal growth alongside artistic development. “Those traditions and values stuck with me,” she said. “They’re part of why I believe so strongly in the role the community plays in music-making.”

Laura has attended reunions, Service Weekend, and Mother-Daughter weekends with her daughter Claire (TR 35), sister Martha and niece Louise McKechnie (TR 36.) Her daughter and Martha’s daughters (including Page McKechnie, TR 41) will become fifth-generation Nakanawa campers, continuing the Boteler tradition. Laura’s nieces, Lindsey and Christina Butchko (TR17) filled the gap between Laura’s camping years and her daughter’s first summer. Seems there always was and always will be a Boteler at camp! 

Tent Row 2003 – I am in the middle row center with braided pigtails.

Away from rehearsals, Laura leads a busy family life. She and her husband, Pete, a civil engineer, are raising their two children. Carson is a fourth grader who enjoys piano and sports, and Claire is a second grader who divides her interests among gymnastics, animals, and singing. Their family spends much of their time outdoors, traveling, and staying active, often juggling a hectic but fulfilling schedule. 

As SLYC expands, its role in the region’s musical landscape continues to evolve. Laura and her team are already looking ahead, aiming to increase outreach, support more schools, and provide additional pathways for young musicians to grow. “Seeing these kids thrive reminds me why this work matters. Music builds resilience. It builds community. And right now, that feels more important than ever.” 

Amazon Mariela in 1990
CategoriesAlumni, Amazons, Newsletters, The Valkazon, Traditions by

Alumnae Spotlight: Mariela Moscoso

The echoes of campers laughing and the sunlight shimmering on Lake Aloaloa carry more than
nostalgia for Mariela Moscoso, TR 90. Those echoes carry the voices of three generations of
women whose lives were shaped by the same summer magic.

Originally from San Juan, Puerto Rico, Mariela’s journey to Nakanawa began long before she
was born. “My mother passed on the tradition to me,” she recalls warmly. “And she inherited it
from my grandmother. I’m a third-generation Amazon. That connection makes our bond to
camp even more special.”

Mariela spent “six unforgettable summers” at Nakanawa. “I loved tennis, horseback riding, and
arts and crafts,” she says, smiling at the memory of her hand-made lap desk and her first cross-
stitch project. “And Casey’s leadership and Jeep’s fabulous sense of humor made everything
magical for me.”

The memories she treasures most are soulful. “Singing under the stars by the campfire, the thrill
of riding horses in open fields, and the excitement of getting the yearbook with everyone’s
addresses. Those small, perfect moments shaped me.”

Mariela’s path led her to The Catholic University of America, where she earned a BA in
Archaeology and a Minor in Art History, followed by a Masters in Arts Education from NYU.
Her professional life has been an extension of what Nakanawa taught her — leadership,
creativity, and service.

She has spent years uplifting young voices through the arts and engagement in cultural diversity
as Executive Director of YEAH! (Youth Empowerment through Arts and Humanities), as a
youth advocate at Monroe Harding, and as a champion for Latino communities with HOLA
Indiana. “My love for developing storytelling, culture, and community was fostered at camp,”
she reflects. “Art builds confidence, empathy, and connection, the same values I learned at
Nakanawa.”

After fifteen years in New York City, Mariela moved to Franklin, Tennessee, in 2017 and now
calls Spring Hill home. There, she and her husband are raising their two children, a son in high
school and a daughter preparing for her fourth summer at camp, plus two cats who, as Mariela
jokes, “rule the household.”

Returning to camp as an adult felt like stepping back into a cherished photograph for Mariela. “I
was not able to attend camp as a counselor, but after we moved back to the area, I was overjoyed
to stop by and show my family where I spent so many summers; and my favorite return to camp
was dropping our daughter off for her first summer.”

Even years later, Mariela keeps in touch with camp friends through reunion chats and old photo
swaps. “We may not see each other often, but the bond is still there,” she says. “Those
friendships and the lessons behind them last a lifetime.”
Between her work, her family, and her love of tennis and gardening, Mariela continues to live
out the spirit of Nakanawa. “Camp taught me to find joy in community and confidence in my
voice,” she says. “Now I try to pass that same spark to every young person I meet.”
For Mariela, the magic of Nakanawa isn’t just a childhood memory, it’s a legacy, stitched
carefully into every story she tells, every lesson she teaches, and every song she sings beneath
the stars.

CategoriesAlumni, Amazons, Camp News, Counselor, Traditions by

Cindy Dubose – A New Chapter for Camp Nakanawa

The Executive Director Search Committee has spent the past few months meeting and interviewing a talented pool of candidates. While their respective backgrounds and experience were varied, they all shared one important trait: love and respect for Nakanawa, her traditions and her values. We are grateful for those who expressed such a deep commitment to camp and are fortunate to count them as part of our Nakanawa family.

On behalf of the search committee, we are excited and honored to officially welcome Cindy Alexander Dubose ’86 as our next Executive Director. As a former camper and longtime counselor, she brings a deep love for camp and a spirit of mentorship to help counselors and campers experience their best selves through camp and throughout the year.

You can learn about Cindy below and will hear more from her throughout the year. Thank you for your shared enthusiasm as we carried out this important search.

The Executive Director Search Committee

Pamela Griffith Pabian ‘03 and Alex Seblatnigg ’88, co-chairs

Wyeth Burgess ‘75

Ginny Bass Carl ‘79

Georgia Graham Mattern ‘81

Lori Wagner ‘86

Cynthia Alexander DuBose grew up in deep South Texas along the border with Mexico.  Her experiences in the small town of Edinburg taught her to enjoy the sights, sounds and tastes of many cultures and appreciate the beauty of nature. Her mother, LuAnn Alexander, was a Nakanawa counselor in the 1950s and encouraged Cindy and her older sister, Sharon, to join the fun at camp.  In 1980 as a Junior Camper, Cindy first experienced the joy of a summer at Nakanawa. As part of Tent Row 1986, she was elected Amazon Secretary. While attending the University of Texas at Austin, Cindy served three summers as a cabin counselor while teaching tennis and sailing at Nakanawa. She returned to camp in 2015 as a tennis counselor. Since 2016, Cindy has served as Junior Camp Head Counselor for the Two- and Four-Week sessions.  

For 30 years Cindy taught social studies, served as an instructional leader and coached tennis in Texas public high schools. She recently retired from her role as Instructional Dean for Lady Bird Johnson High School in San Antonio. During her teaching career, she received several recognitions including Johnson Campus Teacher of the Year, Lady Bird Johnson Legacy Award and McAllen ISD District Technology Teacher of the Year. Her husband David also recently retired after serving as a Licensed School Psychologist in several middle and high schools for over 30 years in the San Antonio area. Cindy and David have been married since 2008. They both share a love of working with students of all abilities and all ages. The DuBose family would not be complete without their dog, Lulu, an energetic six-year-old Vizla who is definitely going to enjoy her time at camp. She looks forward to making many new friends at Nakanawa.

Cindy loves all things outdoors and looks forward to being in the beauty of the Cumberland Plateau. She grew up playing tennis and other sports. Recently, she has caught the golf bug and competes in LPGA Amateur events and her team has qualified for several national tournaments. At camp, Cindy loves opportunities to sail, canoe, hike, fish and simply watch the starry sky at night. 

Cindy is a natural camp counselor. She can plan a day of activities then pivot when rain threatens to cancel the fun. Her talent for making learning experiences fun is rare. As part of the Nakanawa leadership team for the past decade, Cindy considers herself fortunate to have been mentored by the outstanding leaders that have shaped Nakanawa’s transition to a non-profit organization. She is grateful that Karen, Ann and Pepe have generously shared their knowledge and expertise regarding camp. Cindy looks forward to working with the Nakanawa Board of Directors, leadership team, staff, alumni, parents, counselors and especially the campers to build on Nakanawa’s strong history to provide a joyful and transformative experience. Her favorite line is “Nakanawa girls can do anything”. She believes camp prepares young girls for life’s challenges and offers lasting relationships that will carry them through good and bad times. Cindy is humbled and excited to continue the traditions of camp, serve our Nakanawa community and provide summers of joy for many years to come. 

“Nakanawa girls can do anything.”

– Cindy alexander dUBOSE
Hats Off for Karen
CategoriesKaren's Corner, Newsletters, The Valkazon by

Hats Off to Karen Rathgeber Hale Campaign

The “Hats Off to Karen Hale” campaign has been a joyful outpouring of gratitude, with a sea of hats—caps, visors, cowboy hats, and everything in between—tipped in Karen’s honor. It has been moving to see so many current campers, alumnae, counselors, staff, and families pause and send their love and heartfelt messages to Karen as she steps away after a lifetime of commitment to Camp Nakanawa. Each tribute is unique, but every single one brims with appreciation for Karen’s courage, humor, hospitality, and unwavering dedication.

With well over 25 hat tips pouring in from Tennessee to Texas and far beyond, this campaign is a true reminder of how many lives Karen has touched. Click to see the video tributes and relive the Nakanawa spirit we all share.

mothers and daughters sit on the crows nest
CategoriesLake Aloaloa, Mother-Daughter Weekend, The Valkazon by

Discovering the Spirit of Nakanawa: Mother-Daughter Weekend Memories

What a weekend! 

With 75 campers, 68 mothers, grandmothers, aunts, and friends, and 28 smiling staff, camp was alive with laughter and fun. Families enjoyed horseback riding, a lively Nature class featuring Toadally Awesome, the toad, Charlie the snake, and baby raccoons, plus camp songs, arts & crafts, and—of course—s’mores! The highlight was a spirited mother–daughter game of Double Trouble that had everyone cheering. New friendships were made, memories were shared, and the camp spirit shone brightly all weekend. Best of all, the weekend sparked 15 registrations for the 2026 camp season!

A big thank-you goes to Blair Mayfield Rissing, Ashley Thomas Smith, and Samantha Lunn for their wonderful planning and leadership. Special thanks to the campers and counselors who gave their time and energy to lead activities and groups—you made the weekend truly unforgettable! And a heartfelt thank-you to Chris and Nicole Deluzain Dezendorf TR ‘89 for cooking such delicious meals that kept everyone fueled and happy.

All attendees reported that they enjoyed MDW, and 100% would recommend MDW to others. Mothers’ comments included enjoying “spending time with my daughter and making new friends. Her favorite was the nature lessons.” Other highlights were “Canoeing and swimming, evening entertainment, time at the Crow’s Nest.” Our staff were just as positive: “This MDW went so smoothly, well paced and with genuine hospitality all around. Keep it just like this one!” 

Mother Daughter Weekend 2025 was a great success! Every Senior cabin was in use, and the sunset cookout was picture-perfect. First-timers did not want to go home. 
Stay tuned next spring for registration details! Mother-Daughter Weekend returns September 18-20, 2026, inviting new and returning families to experience our special camp community.

I think this MDW went so smoothly, well paced and with genuine hospitality all around. Keep it just like this one!

– MDW Staff

#CampNakanawa #MotherDaughterWeekend #SleepawayCamp #OvernightCamp #ResidentCamp #GirlsCamp #Tennessee #FamilyCamp #NewFriends #HorsebackRiding #CampTradition #SmoreFun #CabinLife #CampSongs #CampRegistration

Camp Nakanawa, Tennessee sleepaway camp, overnight girls camp, mother-daughter camp event, horseback riding camp Tennessee, Nakanawa traditions, girls summer camp, camp registration dates, family camp Tennessee, best girls camp TN
Britney Sink
CategoriesUncategorized by

“How do you do, dear Britney, how do you do? Is there anything we can do for you?”

With tremendous excitement we introduce to you Camp Nakanawa’s Director of Development, Britney Sink! Were it July in Mayland, Britney Sink might hear the above ringing through the dining hall –with the clinking of glasses — to greet her at her first meal at Camp. Alas, it is September, we are not at Camp, so this introduction will have to stand in for our singing. 


Britney has more than sixteen years of experience driving growth, engagement, and impact for purpose-driven organizations. Her superpower is strategy. Skilled in both high-level planning and hands-on execution, Britney is a natural problem solver, known for taking complex challenges and turning them into clear, actionable solutions. Passionate about building stronger, more effective nonprofits, she thrives where she can apply her expertise to create sustainability.


A graduate of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, with degrees in International Studies and Spanish, Britney received her Master of Public Service degree from the University of Arkansas William J. Clinton School of Public Service. Britney has served on various nonprofit boards and enjoys being involved in her community. She has been recognized in Knoxville Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” and is a graduate of Leadership Blount and Leadership Knoxville. Originally from High Point, NC, Britney, her husband, and their daughter just moved to Greensboro, NC from Knoxville, TN.


Britney has been working with the Nakanawa Board and has met with our development committee. She has jumped right in and is excited to get to know more of the Nakanawa community. Those of us who have already had the pleasure of working with Britney cannot say enough good things about what she has contributed, in a very short time, to Camp’s mission and development strategies. We are so fortunate to have her join our team.

 

When asked what drew her to Camp Nakanawa, Britney replied, “I want to support and promote the development of women and girls so they have the best chance to make an impact in our world. Camp Nakanawa is building up girls in such a meaningful way, and I’m excited to use my skills to share that impact. With greater support, we can grow even further.” She added “Everyone I’ve met speaks about Camp with such passion. I’ve been impressed by the commitment of the board and alumnae who give their time and energy to make sure each summer is the best one yet. It’s clear Camp Nakanawa is a special place people care deeply about and are proud to carry forward.” WoHeLo, Britney!