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Meet Our Year-Round Camp Staff!

 

MaryAshley McGibbon, Director of Camps and Outdoor Education Ministries

MaryAshley McGibbon has been spending summers on the beautiful Guadalupe River since 2006. After 15 years working in YMCA camping, environmental education, and youth development, she is thrilled to be at Mo-Ranch as the Director of Camps and Outdoor Education Ministries.

“Ensuring that all visitors to Mo have time outdoors to connect with themselves, their communities, and the natural world is an awesome responsibility. The ranch has so much to offer not just from an educational standpoint, but also a spiritual one.”

Her favorite Mo-Ranch moments involve sharing some of our fantastic Texas Hill Country wildlife with students and guests, especially while bird watching or checking out the freshwater creatures living in the crystal clear river.

MaryAshley spends her free time with her family and many animals. She’s been riding horses her entire life and enjoys hiking, camping, and traveling with her husband Richard, and daughter Leona. She has a Masters in Animal Science from Sul Ross State University.

Nicole Conner, Outdoor Education and Camps Manager

Nicole Conner has been with Mo-Ranch since 2012 and started her time here with Mo as a Guest Services Manager. She enjoys communicating with our schools and camp families, listening to their requests and finding the best solutions for them to enjoy their experience with Mo!

Nicole is the mom of Matthew and Tiffany Weber; they can also be found around the Mo-Ranch Team. Matthew and Tiffany have attended Mo-Ranch Summer camp since they were 8 years’ old and have been working for Mo-Ranch every Summer since camp. Now you can find them on the riverfront Lifeguarding or on the Ropes Course with the ELP program.  Her favorite part of working at Mo-Ranch is meeting new campers and catching up with returning families.  Nicole looks forward to the return of camp and to see what new things will be coming to the program(s).

 

 

Billy Abbate, Associate Director of Summer Camp

A Mo-Ranch veteran, Billy first attended summer camp in 2006. He loved everything about the camp experience from the culture to the environment. “Attending summer camp helped build my confidence and surrounded me with people that I could look up to and learn from.” It was his experience that first summer that kept him coming back year after year leading to his enrollment in the Leadership Development Program. “My years as an LDP opened my eyes to a potential future in the camp industry and fostered my growing love for Mo-Ranch.” He went on to become a counselor during his college years. Billy graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a bachelor’s in psychology with an emphasis in Education. After graduation, he moved to the Hill Country to rejoin the Mo team full time in the Environmental Leadership Program as a Lead Field Instructor. “Camp fostered my love for the outdoors and ignited my passion for activities such as fishing, hiking, kayaking, and music that I now utilize professionally on a daily basis.”

During his time as a counselor Billy met his wife, Amanda. They got engaged and were married at Chapel on the Hill four years later in October of 2020. “I want to be a positive role model and make the difference in kids’ lives that I felt when I attended as a camper. Mo-Ranch serves not just as a workplace but as my home and I’m excited to set the table for the next generation of campers!”

 

Kaitlynn Bagwell, Associate Director of Day Camp

Kaitlynn has been coming to Mo-Ranch since 2010. She started working at Mo during the summer of 2017 with meeting services while in college. Kaitlynn became involved with the camp program in the summer of 2018. “Camp is something special and you can find lasting friendships while at camp.” Since 2018, she has held the leadership positions of head day camp counselor and the aquatics coordinator. Her favorite spot at Mo-Ranch is Chapel on the Hill. Kaitlynn graduated from Texas A&M University- Kingsville with a degree in education and a minor in music. She then came back to work as a field instructor with the Environmental Leadership Program after graduating. “I want to be able to be a listening ear for the kids that come to camp and I’m so excited to see what each summer brings!”

 

 

Summer Camp Staff

At Mo-Ranch Summer Camp, we work hard to create a memorable camp experience. Our secret weapons in achieving this are our counselors! They are the ones who live out our goal daily by implementing our exceptionally well-run programs, providing contagious fun and meeting campers wherever they are spiritually and socially. Our summer staff is selected carefully and intentionally. Many are former campers and returning counselors. All of our counselors are Christian role models for campers who have completed at least one year of college.

Counselors go through a rigorous background check, receive specific training in child behavior management, age level expectations, safety and emergency procedures and child abuse prevention. They are all first aid and CPR certified, with most also being lifeguard certified.

Before campers even get to camp, counselors spend staff training bonding, learning and getting to know Mo-Ranch Summer Camp. We spend time learning the Bible study curriculum, engaging in open discussions and getting to the heart of why we are here.

Click here to apply to be a summer camp counselor!

 

Summer Camp Staff Employment

Can you turn a rock into a fun game? Do you like listening to kids and their stories? Do you want to make a difference in someone’s life?

Being a counselor is one of the hardest jobs out there, but it is also one of the most rewarding! Find out if this is the right place for you!

We are looking for:

• Young adults who after long hours of kayaking, fort-building, swimming and engaging with campers, will stand up on stage and sing their hearts out to “Because I came to Mo-Ranch.”
• A time commitment of late May to late July, with some positions running through mid-August. Staff training is required for all staff, and occurs in late May.
• Mature people who have a high sense of morality, and strong integrity. You will be in charge of campers who are looking up to you; we want leaders that are great role models.
•  Young adults who are comfortable and confident in being servants. Your role is not only to facilitate activities, but to form relationships and make every camper feel loved and respected.

If this sounds like a job for you, please visit our summer camp employment page here!

Summer Camp Jobs

 

 

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