Beyond Akeela is proud to boast 1 adult for every 3 teens on the program. More essential than the number of staff is the quality of personnel that we employ. At Beyond Akeela, every teen benefits from the care, spirit and skills of each staff member. We undertake extraordinary lengths to find the best of the best, to ensure that teens have a confidence building and transformative experience. They approach each summer with the energy, dedication and sense of humor that make it evident how much they enjoy and truly “get” Beyond Akeela teens!
This incredible group of people includes experts in the fields of child development, psychology, special education, therapeutic interventions, and health care. All of this combined expertise helps ensure that every Beyond Akeela teen receives an individualized coaching plan to help them thrive socially and build skills that will help them launch into college.
Beyond Akeela Directors
Kevin and Kristin Trimble live in Philadelphia, PA with their twin boys, Arlo and Simon, and their dog, Laney. Kevin has worked at Akeela for over ten summers. He started in 2009 as an Accounting Intern and has spent his other summers as a Program Director, Head Counselor, and Beyond Akeela Director. In October 2013, he joined Akeela’s full-time staff and is now the year round director of Beyond Akeela. He is responsible for everything Beyond Akeela, including camper and staff recruitment, program planning, staff training, and parent communication. When he’s not working on camp, he enjoys playing basketball, golf, and traveling to see friends.
Kristin joined the Akeela team in 2015 as a counselor, and has spent every summer since engaged in the Akeela community, including several seasons as a Beyond Akeela Head Counselor. When she’s not at camp, Kristin is a school & mental health counselor at a middle school in Philadelphia. She obtained her graduate degree in Counseling Psychology from Temple University, and has focused her career on high school aged students. Kristin brings her counseling expertise to camp and focuses on the social and emotional well being of our teens. During the off-season, Kristin works closely with Kevin to build the Beyond Akeela curriculum and meets with each new family. When she’s not focused on camp, Kristin enjoys playing in a local volleyball league (with Kevin!), exploring Philadelphia, and finding new recipes to try at home!
While Debbie & Eric (Camp Akeela’s Directors) spend their summers at our camp program in Vermont, they are intimately involved in all aspects of Beyond Akeela. In addition to pre-summer planning and logistical support, Debbie and Eric are in constant communication with Kevin, Kristin, and their team throughout the summer. The heart and soul of Akeela is truly infused into Beyond Akeela!
Camp Akeela Directors
Eric Sasson has over 30 years of camp experience, at some of the Northeast’s finest camps, including Camp Walt Whitman, Camp Wingate*Kirkland and Camp Mah-Kee-Nac. He has been a full time camp professional for nearly 20 years and is an active member of the American Camp Association. Eric earned a BA in Math from Haverford College and a Masters in Education from Harvard University. Outside of the camp world, he has extensive experience working with children and young adults in a variety of settings.
Debbie Sasson has been spending her summers at camp for more than 25 years. She has a BA in Psychology and a Masters in School Counseling from the University of Rochester. After 3 wonderful years as a middle school counselor in Belmont, MA, she returned to school and earned her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Yeshiva University in May 2008. She works as a full-time director of Camp Akeela, a position to which she brings extensive knowledge of the fields of child, adolescent and Family-Systems psychology.
Debbie and Eric met at a summer camp and have been partners in camping ever since. They have each held virtually every job available at camp, from bunk counselor and swim instructor to unit head and camp director. Throughout their careers, Debbie and Eric have always found themselves gravitating towards the “quirky” kids. Opening Akeela enabled them to create an empowering community for boys and girls who thrive in traditional camp setting with a little extra social support.
