2020 Summer Sculling Interns
Each spring, we are excited to announce the sculling interns that have been selected for the upcoming camp season. The internship offers high school and collegiate rowers the opportunity to spend several weeks at Craftsbury, improving their own sculling and working to support the camps. Anyone who has attended a Craftsbury sculling camp knows what an asset the interns are: we are thrilled to read camper evaluations each week singing their praises, and we appreciate their endlessly helpful, positive presences just as much as the campers do.
The eighteen young rowers we are highlighting below hail from three different countries (Brazil, Canada, USA) and 11 different states (Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington). They made it through a competitive application process, and we were excited to welcome them to Craftsbury this summer. This year, the excitement has been dampened by the fact that we have had to cancel camps through July 3rd, 2020 and have suspended all registrations for 2020. Our disappointment at not being able to welcome guests for those camps is coupled with our disappointment at not being able to offer several of these students their originally scheduled internships. We hope that at some point, once it can safely happen, we can bring all of them to Craftsbury for the opportunity to learn, work, and scull with us on Great Hosmer Pond.
Returning Interns (click for bios)
Chase Ackerman June 19 – July 3
Chase is a rising junior at Purdue University, where he is studying to be an Industrial Designer. Chase started rowing at the end of 6th grade and rowing club since 9th. He fell in love with sculling in 10th grade, sculling for CRI and CBC around Boston. Chase came to Craftsbury as a camper before his senior year and it quickly became one of the most memorable experiences of his life. Currently, Chase is a varsity member of the Purdue Crew team, his family on campus. This will be his second year as an intern for Craftsbury and he can’t wait to return!
Ailise Powers May 26 – June 5
Ailise is a graduating senior from St. Lawrence University, majoring in history and government. A member of the varsity squad for all four years of her college career, she has four years of sweep rowing and a year of sculling experience. Originally from Richmond, Rhode Island, she intends to work with City Year in the fall in order to assist in Providence schools. In the meantime, Ailise stays active by hiking with her parents or running with her dog.
Ben Ramsdell August 2 – 14
Ben is from Cambridge, Massachusetts and is a rising freshman at Williams College. He was a runner for years, but with a family background in rowing, he changed sports his freshman year of high school. Since he started rowing at Community Rowing Inc. (CRI) in Boston he hasn’t stopped, and has become fully involved in rowing and its culture just like his father. Ben's dad grew up in Craftsbury, and Ben is excited to spend time interning again at the Center this summer.
Jack Taylor July 19 – 31
Jack Taylor graduated from Walter Payton College Prep in Chicago this year. He has rowed for the Chicago Rowing Foundation for four years, and has spent the last three years on their Varsity 8+. While Jack is a sweep rower for his team, some of his favorite rowing memories are learning how to scull at Craftsbury over the last three summers. Jack will be returning for his second year as an intern, and he is excited to come back to the Craftsbury community.
Ollie Young June 19 – 28
Ollie has finished his first year at Bates College after learning to row at Phillips Exeter. Unfortunately, the spring racing season never got going so he is looking forward to spending lots of time on the water this summer. He attended Craftsbury as a camper in 2018 and learned to scull and fell in love with it. During his high school senior spring he built a racing shell out of wood and rows it during the summer while home in Burlington, VT. Ollie was an intern last summer and is excited to return to Craftsbury again.
First-Time Interns (click for bios)
Anika Bandarpalle July 7 – 17
Anika is from Dallas, TX and learned to row the summer after 4th grade with Dallas Rowing Club, encouraged by her older sister. Throughout middle school, Anika rowed occasionally, then started training competitively in high school with DRC. Rowing was the first sport Anika fell in love with and is one of her passions despite not being able to compete anymore due to injuries. Now, Anika enjoys rowing leisurely and erging and lifting weights to stay in shape. This will be Anika’s fifth year spent rowing on Hosmer Pond, and her first year as intern. Some of her favorite times rowing have been in Craftsbury, both at Hosmer Point and the Outdoor Center, so she is excited to help other people experience that. Anika just graduated high school and will be attending George Washington University in DC in the fall, where she will study International Affairs on a Pre-Law track and hopes to join the club rowing team.
Olivia Brown May 26 – June 5
Olivia is a rising senior at Middlebury College, majoring in International and Global Studies with a focus in European Studies. She is a native of Boulder, CO, where she started rowing the summer after her sophomore year of high school, coming off of six years of synchronized swimming. In 2016, her team got its first-ever bid for the Head of the Charles, and she had the opportunity to go east for the second time ever to race in the junior 4+. She has raced for Middlebury in both sweep and sculling boats (though mostly sweep) since her freshman year, and she is stoked to improve her sculling and meet the Craftsbury community!
Carsten Carey June 19 – July 3
Carsten is from Sunderland, Massachusetts. Upon completing four years of high school varsity cross country, basketball, and track, he opted to enroll in a post-graduate year at Deerfield Academy to row competitively. After graduation, Carsten has chosen to attend and row for Dartmouth College in the fall. He learned to scull with the Pioneer Valley Riverfront Club's competitive sculling program last spring and summer. He first experienced the Craftsbury Outdoor Center in the summer of 2017 as a camper with their summer running program, and it was love at first sight. Carsten is excited to return to Craftsbury as a rower and meet lots of new and experienced scullers and coaches.
Alden Harring August 16 – 28
Alden is a rising junior at Middlebury College where she is on the premed track, majoring in Chemistry with a minor in History. Hailing from Carlisle, MA, she initially learned to row at the New Bedford Rowing Center before spending two summers in high school at CRI in Boston. After switching her focus from field hockey, she joined the Middlebury Crew team her freshman fall and has been rowing with the team since. During the summers, she rows with Westford Community Rowing. Off the water, she loves being outdoors skiing, hiking and biking. This is her first summer at Craftsbury and she cannot wait to meet rowers from all over and improve her sculling!
Alexandra Hart July 7 – 17
Alexandra is a recent graduate from The Hockaday School in Dallas, Texas and was recruited to row at Southern Methodist University. She started rowing her freshman year of high school on Founders Rowing Club, following in her sisters’ footsteps. She quickly fell in love with the sport. She has had the opportunity to compete in regattas such as Head of the Charles, Youth Nationals 2018/2019, and Club Nationals 2018. She hopes to pursue a major in psychology and public health and to make an impact on mental and physical health in the world. As a two-time camper, she’s excited for the learning opportunities this new position as an intern will grant her and can’t wait to be a part of the experience for all the campers!
Lily Haupt June 5 – 19
Lily is a rising senior at the Episcopal Academy in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. She began rowing competitively her freshman year of high school in the Novice 8+. She fell in love with the sport instantly, especially the process of improvement and working together as a team. In the summer, Lily joined the Fairmount Rowing Association and attended the Craftsbury sculling camp. Since attending the camp the past two summers, Lily has continued to scull for her school and club. She is very excited for the opportunities this internship holds and is eager to share her passion for sculling this summer at Craftsbury!
Vincent Hestad August 2 – 14
Vincent graduated from Summit Sierra High School, located in Seattle Washington, this past June and will be rowing for and attending the University of San Diego at the end of this coming August. Vincent has rowed for Mount Baker Rowing Club for the past 5 years. Outside of Mount Baker, Vincent has seen success while rowing for the USRowing U17 high-performance team as well as the Olympic Development Program. He is very excited to intern at Craftsbury and looks forward to developing his sculling.
Sophie Inkpen May 14 – 22
Sophie is currently studying medical sciences at Dalhousie University in Halifax, NS, but she is originally from Saint John, NB. She started rowing back at home on the beautiful Kennebecasis River with the Kennebecasis Rowing Club. She now trains with Team NS and the Dalhousie rowing team. Apart from rowing, Sophie is an outdoors enthusiast, relishing in the opportunity to get out on a hike or trail run or even just the daily bike ride to practice. She is also an avid baker and practitioner of yoga. This will be Sophie’s first time at Craftsbury and she can’t wait to meet everyone!
Mackenzie Keeley August 23 – September 4
Mackenzie is a rising senior at Yorktown High School in Arlington, VA. She rows on the Potomac River for her high school team in the winter and spring, and with club team TBC Racing in the summer and fall. Mackenzie has developed a passion for the sport and will have spent six seasons on the water by the start of camp. She frequently takes out sculls in her free time to hone her technique. Her goal is to help you develop the same passion for rowing she has!
Arthur Lins de Vasconcellos July 19 – 31
Arthur is from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He was first introduced to rowing in the sixth grade by his uncle, Gui Lins, who is a frequent attendant at Craftsbury. Since then, he started to row for one of the clubs in his town, Flamengo, and started rowing competitively in the ninth grade. He went to Craftsbury in his junior year in high school and completely loved the experience. Now a freshman at the Pontific Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, he’s been able to put all his mind to rowing, and hopes to learn a lot in this time he is going to be at Craftsbury.
Amanda Marks August 16 – September 4
Amanda is a rising junior at Middlebury College, where she is majoring in geology. She started rowing her freshman year with the Middlebury Crew Team. She also has some experience sculling during the summer in her hometown in Minnesota.
Jocalyn Ortega June 5 – 19
Jocalyn is a rising senior at Starr’s Mill High School in Fayetteville, GA. She is currently the Women’s Team Captain for her Peachtree City Rowing Club (PTCRC). Jocalyn first started rowing the summer before her eighth-grade year. She is part of the original group that was there when the club first started. Before rowing, she played many sports such as tennis, lacrosse, soccer and volleyball. When she tried this new unique sport, she instantly fell in love with it. She finds that there is no greater feeling than when you’re on the water, get that perfect catch, and feel that water run under your boat - it is truly magical. This past summer, Jocalyn went to the Ready Set Row Development Camp and competed in two races at Nationals (for the first time ever). She can’t wait to continue her rowing journey through college!
Will Robbins May 14 – 22
Will is from Halifax, Nova Scotia, and this will be his first summer interning at Craftsbury. Will began rowing with the Dalhousie Rowing Club team in 2017 before graduating to the Novice and Varsity squads. He quickly fell in love with the community and team environment offered by the sport, and currently trains with the Competitive group out of Halifax Rowing Club. On top of collegiate rowing, Will is studying Applied Mathematics and Computer Science at Dalhousie University with plans to continue into graduate studies, and hopefully more rowing as well! Outside of rowing and school, he enjoys spending time in the outdoors, running (he’d like to try a triathlon some-day), reading, and trying new coffee spots. He is very excited to share his passion for the sport with campers this spring along with meeting plenty of new people!