Meet the Staff of ABC Camp 2011!

Please say hello to our new and returning staff for ABC Camp 2011!

Adrianne Klein

I'm Adrianne, a southern California girl by birth, a midwesterner at heart, and an adopted Crimean! I teach English in Simferopol, Crimea, which I love, and I'm thrilled to be returning to ABC Camp this year. I look forward to spending time with all our wonderful campers and counselors in the beautiful city of Kharkiv.

Alison Cumbow

Hi! I'm Alison, and I am a 23-year-old Florida native. I graduated from the University of Kansas in journalism and Spanish. I live in Kharkov, and I absolutely love it -- I adore my students and teaching. I tell really corny jokes, talk way too much, and I love meeting new people! I am looking forward to ABC Camp so much! I've heard it's a Peace Corps service-changing experience, and I can't wait to be part of it. See you all soon! :-)

Ira Rybochka

"Hello, my name is Ira. I'm a student of  V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University! I study at the department of foreign languages and learn English and German! I also started learning Spanish and I have to say, I really like this language! In the future I want to become an interpreter, learn as many languages as I can and have an opportunity to travel a lot! Looking forward to the camp this summer, because that is the most exciting experience,which a person can get! Stay positive!"

Ira Tomenka

 I am not that serious as I may look like on the picture. I love crazy people who make others smile and feel happy. I am fond of learning languages and playing the piano. My dream is to go to Madrid  one day!

Karina Kozlova

My name is Karina. I was born in Kharkiv, I've been living here since I was born. I think Kharkiv is the most beautiful I've ever seen! I like travelling with my friends, I like laughing with my friends, I like spending summer nights with my friends, I love my friends! I've got 2 dogs which I saved from living outside 3 years ago. They are the best dogs and the best friends in the world for me! I love summer and bright sunshine, because I've met so many people with sunny smiles in ABC Camp last summer!

Lee Ballard

Lee Ballard was born in New Jersey but grew up in Durham, North Carolina. He started playing the violin when he was seven and has continued in music ever since, also learning the guitar, piano, and drums. Lee is also interested in languages and speaks German, Spanish, and Russian. Before Peace Corps, Lee earned BA in Music from Davidson College, an MA in Linguistics from the University of Florida, and spent two years living in Germany, one as a Fulbright fellow.

Masha Drobotun

1. I've studied 5 foreign languages. I'm a poliglot:))

2. I have a perfect sense of rythm!

3. I seldom have nightmares

4. I like marshmallows

5. I enjoy sneezing :)

Megan Trout 

My name is Megan Trout and I come from Faribault, Minnesota. I graduated from Northwestern University outside Chicago, Illinois where I studied Spanish and International Studies. I love to travel and have been to 29 countries in my life - including recently traveling to Turkey, Egypt and Russia. I live in Velyka Lepetykha in the Khersonskaya Oblast and teach English to 5th-10th graders. I am currently learning how to play the bandura and I love living in Ukraine! 

Natasha Fateeva

I'm  a student of Kharkiv National Pedagogical University

 What I like: ballroom dancing, Finland, Finnish language, active life style, babanas, crazy people. But what I like most is ABC Camp for it's craziness, creativity and awesome people!! 

Nathan Hendricks

Nathan Hendricks hails from Atlanta, Georgia, and yes, he has an adorable southern accent. He graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in linguistics, which is the study of a bunch of dead languages. He has only used this degree once in his life, while watching an episode of True Blood. Nathan is the middle of five children. When asked what his younger brother should be named, he replied, “Sebastian Alexander.” When asked about his younger sister, he said, “Woodenhead.” 

Nicole Porter

Hello! My name is Nicole Porter, and I’m currently a Peace Corps Volunteer living in the Donetskaya oblast. I joined the Peace Corps for many reasons, but none are as dominant as my desire to connect with people in meaningful ways. Prior to Peace Corps, I obtained a master’s degree in library and information science and was employed at a local ecological organization that I love. I was also working and volunteering at my local library, watershed group, and an outdoor education project. Other claims on my time include dj-ing an eclectic music show at our county public radio station, hiking and kayaking, gardening, knitting, and (shock) reading.

Nitai Vinitzky

I was born and raised in woods of Northern California. I have a strong passion for the outdoors, and enjoy spending a lot of time in the woods back home. My hobbies include, playing soccer, snowboarding, rock climbing, and surfing. I am a big kid, I love playing and learning new games. Furthermore, as a photojournalism major,  I am constantly looking to find cool new things to photograph, and love going exploring in new places in order to find the best picture. I cannot wait for this summer to begin-- and of course to be part of ABC Camp. See you at camp! 

Oksana Demchenko

So, about me.

The first thing that people like to joke about is that I've tried every possible hair color within 3 years. I like travelling very much and having met the New Year on Goverla, fell in love with western Ukraine... As for social activities, I'm a chief editor of a students' newspaper in Nikolaev and a director of charitable rock festivals. I like snowboarding, hand-made, play guitar and so on and so forth:)

Pat Smith

Hi everyone! My name is Pat Smith. I'm originally from Stillwater, Minnesota, U.S. of A. I've been working in Stakhanov, Lugansk Oblast, Ukraine for the past year. I was fortunate enough to work at ABC Camp last year and it was definitely one of the highlights of the summer for me. ABC Camp really brings out the best in everyone. I met so many great campers and staff and had a great time working with and learning from all of them. I can't wait to see what new adventures this year brings!

Sam Choi

The single most important and influential thing in my life is Jesus Christ. I laugh like no other. I love music, literature, and sports. I like to have good philosophical conversations but I also find silence to be a virtue. 

Samantha Kyrkostas

Samantha K.  wakes up every morning dreaming about ABC Camp.  Originally from New York, she now has more friends in Ukraine than she does back home. (So much for the Empire State!) Her favorite day of the week is Thursday and she thinks that 17 of anything is a lot. On her dream vacation, she would like to hike the GR20 in Corsica and then catch a ferry to Inishmore to bike around and sit at the edge of the sea. She likes whipping things up and writing things down. She’s also counting down the days ‘til ABC2011 and can’t wait to see you there! 

Sara Wenger

Sara W. is from Ohio and currently lives in Odeska Oblast. She enjoys hanging out with the babas; gossiping about the village, feeding her chickens, and embroidering. Sara looks forward to seeing everyone from last year and organizing the most dynamic lessons ABC has seen yet.

Tiago Forte

Tiago Forte was born in California to his great surprise, since he neither surfs, nor plays beach volleyball, nor is cool. As a child Tiago loved to garden, play soccer, and bake tasty desserts, skills which he has fortunately not carried over to the present as they would interfere with his current passion for looking at funny animal pictures on the internet. Today, he enjoys “liking” his own Facebook updates, developing new facial expressions, and watching others struggle to write about themselves in the third person, which presents him no difficulties since he always refers to himself this way. Most impressively, Tiago is an exceedingly humble man whose notorious generosity is surpassed only by his legendary commitment to world peace.

Vadim Kiyashko

My name is Vadim. I am a hardcore Techie who studies Engineering and CAD at  Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute. As a FLEX (American exchange program) alumni, I sometimes find myself torn between two cultures, Ukrainian and American. I like to jam out and make guacamole.

Whitney Farmer

I am from Hot Springs, Virginia. I graduated from the University of Virginia in 2009 with a bachelor's degree in English and History. Currently, I teach English as a Foreign Language in the city of Kharkov in Kharkov Gymnasium #82. In my free time, I like cooking, reading, and reading craft blogs. I like to play sports and I love to be surrounded by energetic and inspired people.

Kaity Hauter


My name is Kaity, I am from Virginia and I currently live in the Khersonska oblast. As you can see from my big smile I REALLY LOVE camp. Outside of loving camp I spend my free time as an English teacher and enjoying Ukrainian candies.  I also have developed a fondness for borsch. 

Yevheniy Kal'nyk


Hey! I'm Yevheniy and I come from Poltava. I currently study Applied Linguistics at V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. I really enjoy traveling to different places, meeting new people, journalism, chocolate chip cookies and Funky Chicken! I like my day being busy and sometimes easy =)
ABCamp will be something really crazy and positive that will charge everyone with a powerful energy to make some improvements to this here world :)
I'm really looking forward to this best-in-the-Universe summer in ABC! 

Gena Steitsuk

Was born in Odessa and was given the name "GENA" (that's not abbreviation so don't try to decode it), then lived in Niko-city (Nikolaev) now study in Kyiv institute for translators and interpreters (KITI). Now I'm on the 4th course trying to get bachelor's degree. There are many thing I really like. I like new acquaintances and meeting new people, acting the fool, playing guitar,cooking, massage, listening to music; I love good jokes and banters and people with good sence of humour.
So camp, stand still ready! This summer we'll rock this camp together.

Anya Telesh

Hello everybody! My name is Anya, I'm a student of Black Sea State Univercity named by Petro Mohyla, which situated in my native town - Mykolajiv. Style of my life it`s very active life. I couldn`t image my life without public activities, without travelling, without different project`s and of cours without my friends. I was in staff team last year and ones of the most bright moments of last summer happened with me here. I miss about positive, friendly, funny, crazy and lovely atmosphere of ABCamp, so I decided to take part in his camp again! :)