EVERGREEN Role Models
At Evergreen, role models are present in every part of the day. Counselors play sports alongside campers, steady the belay, teach the water-ski start, and stick around when it takes a few tries.
They set high expectations and match them with high support. That looks like a pump-up talk before a jump into the lake, a quiet check-in on the lodge porch, or a shoulder when a hard moment hits.
Staff coach on the field, listen at rest hour, and celebrate the small wins that build real confidence. They are strong and kind, and they show those traits can live together. On the lake and in the studio.
When problems pop up with friends, they help girls work it through when it arises instead of around it.
The message is simple: you are capable, you are cared for, and you can do hard things. Always.
SYLVIA VAN MEERTEN
Sylvia believes camp should be a place where girls grow into their strongest, most confident selves while being surrounded by kindness and care.
She knows Evergreen as more than just a few weeks of summer. It is a space where girls can try new things, take healthy risks, and learn how to support one another in ways that carry far beyond camp.
Throughout her career, campers have known her as a steady mentor, parents trust her thoughtful guidance, and her philosophy shapes Evergreen into a community where every girl feels seen and valued.
Her approach comes from decades of experience. After earning degrees in psychology, Sylvia built her early career in youth programs, autism, and family counseling.
At 25, she launched her own psychology practice, which has since evolved into ForumWithin, a leadership coaching company.
When summer ends, she helps families, executives, and YPO forums practice emotional intelligence, deep listening, and authentic trust-building.
Her camp roots run equally deep. Sylvia directed Dragonfly Forest, where she not only led the program but also trained counselors and staff to create supportive, inclusive environments.
At Evergreen, Sylvia combines her background in psychology and leadership with her love for camp to create a program where girls are challenged to grow, supported when they stumble, and celebrated for who they become.
Sylvia lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan with her { } and { }.
ALI BROCKMAN
Ali serves as Evergreen’s Family Engagement Coordinator, working closely with new families to ensure every child feels supported and connected from the very start.
Growing up at Camp Evergreen, Ali started as an 8-year-old camper in 1988. She spent eight summers as a camper and six on staff, eventually leading the Freshman Unit before returning years later as part of the leadership team.
Her professional background includes roles as Assistant Director of the Brimmer and May Summer Camp and years of experience teaching and working with children of all ages.
Ali’s deep knowledge of Evergreen’s history and traditions makes her a natural alumni liaison as well, keeping generations of families connected to camp.
A lifelong believer in the power of camp, Ali brings warmth, compassion, and a passion for relationships to everything she does.
She lives in Natick, Massachusetts, with her husband Scott and their daughters, Emme and Bess, both proud Evergreen campers.
VIOLET PIPER
Violet joined K&E as a CCA Fellow and quickly became an essential part of the leadership team, now serving as Program Director.
With a background in astrophysics (BA) and creative publishing and critical journalism (MA), she brings a rare blend of creative problem-solving, empathy, and a deep love for art, science, and learning.
Violet grew up at a YMCA sleepaway camp in Connecticut and attended performing arts high school. She once flew a Cessna 172 at aerospace camp in Daytona Beach and still loves high ropes and jumping off things.
What Violet loves most about camp is watching kids develop social-emotional skills. Her favorite moments include Lip Sync Night, after-dinner free play in the Hollow, milk and cookies, and the trip to Belle Island.
Pragmatic, visionary, and passionate, Violet lives by one belief: the real world doesn’t ask children what they think often enough. She wants campers to leave with lifelong friendships, inspired to try new things, and in a fulfilled flow state.