Introducing the New 2009 Camp Nubar Director Jennifer Omartian

AGBU Camp Nubar is pleased to announce that Jennifer Omartian will serve as the 2009 Camp Director. Jennifer first came to Camp Nubar, located in the Catskill Mountain Region of New York, in 1993 and she has returned yearly ever since. She began as a counselor for several years before going on to serve as Activities Director, Girls Head Counselor, and Assistant Director. No other director in the 46-year history of Camp Nubar has spent more time at the Catskill camp than Jennifer, which is a clear indication of her passion for the facility by idyllic Lake Arax.

Jennifer grew up in Longmeadow, Massachusetts, where she attended St. Mark Church in neighboring Springfield, MA. She graduated from James Madison University where she received her master's degree in Middle School Education. Jennifer now resides in Virginia and attends St. Mary Church in Washington, D.C.

The following is a short interview with the new Camp Director about the plans for summer 2009.

AGBU: What are your goals and hopes for the summer?

Jennifer Omartian: Preparation is crucial for a safe and fun season. I will ensure that counselors are prepared, qualified, and ready for another successful summer.

I hope to see campers and counselors work alongside one another, to grow as individuals and into one family. Campers learn from their counselors, but counselors learn from their campers as well. Every session has a unique blend of people from different places. I look forward to seeing how each session will create its own set of memories using the same resources and facilities.

AGBU: What are your favorite aspects of camp and do you have any favorite memories?

JO: I love the anticipation that surrounds camp. Throughout the year, campers and counselors anticipate the following summer, the friends they will be reunited with, the bonds they will form and the memories they will make. When camp begins, the campers and counselors anxiously wait for their favorite camp event, whether it is an evening activity, a carnival, or Color War. Throughout their camp careers, campers count down the summers until they finally become a counselor.

I also love seeing the camp family within the greater Armenian community. It is such a wonderful feeling to walk into church, a basketball game, or a picnic and see campers and counselors so eager to see each other and talk about camp.

My favorite camp memory was watching my very first group of G1 campers mature every summer and then serve as counselors.

AGBU: What is your current occupation and what do you enjoy about it?

JO: I teach sixth-grade social studies in Fairfax County, Virginia. I love the diversity at my school and the many challenges that it presents on a daily basis. I teach students from all over the world and it amazes me how they blend together and learn from each other while maintaining pride in their own identity. I see this same sense of pride in our campers. Camp Nubar excels at encouraging campers to build a sense of pride in their personal and community identities. I look forward to another amazing summer at Camp Nubar.

Founded in 1963, AGBU Camp Nubar is a first-rate modern facility that has been highly ranked by the American Camp Association, American Red Cross, and American Academy of Pediatrics. For more information about AGBU Camp Nubar, please visit www.campnubar.org, email campnubar@campnubar.org, or call 212-319-6383.