2026 Adventure Camp Counselors

Natalia Zielinski is pursuing her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Northern Illinois University (NIU) with a specialization in developmental psychopathology. Her research interests center around acculturation and ethnic identity, particularly among immigrant families. Natalia earned her Bachelor Science degrees in Molecular-Cellular Neuroscience and Psychology from Loyola University Chicago. During her undergraduate career, Natalia conducted research on the intersection of language and hand gestures, particularly focusing on how bilingual children and young adults interpret and use co-speech gestures. Following her time at Loyola, Natalia worked as the research coordinator for Chicago Center for Evidence Based Treatment’s (CCEBT) Multi-Family Therapy for adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa. Natalia is a returning counselor at Adventure Camp, a 5-day school simulation exposure therapy program to treat selective mutism, a fear of speaking a school setting. Over the past two years, Natalia has also served as a clinician in NIU’s Psychological Services Center (PSC) conducting psychodiagnostics assessments and providing treatments rooted in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Based Therapy (ACT). After experiencing the joy of helping children use their brave and watching their confidence grow at Adventure Camp last year, Natalia couldn't wait to return for another Adventure Camp summer. Natalia’s experiences have shaped her passion for working with families and children, and she is eager to meet all the brave campers this summer!

Talz Leman is pursuing her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Washington State University. She earned her B.A. in Psychology from Stanford University, with a minor in Creative Writing. Before beginning her doctoral training, Talz worked alongside leading researchers in child and adolescent psychology as a research coordinator in the UCLA Child OCD, Anxiety, and Tic Disorders Program and as a research assistant in the University of Iowa ADHD and Development Lab. She has first-authored and co-authored multiple peer-reviewed publications on topics including ADHD, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), Tourette syndrome and tic disorders, body-focused repetitive behaviors (including hair pulling and skin picking), and child development. Her current doctoral research focuses on youth peer functioning and social systems. Clinically, Talz has experience providing therapy and neuropsychological assessment services to children, adolescents, and college students. Last summer, she served as a counselor at Camp Baker, an intensive Summer Treatment Program for children ages 6–12 with ADHD and related conditions. This summer, she will complete a clinical rotation at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital, continuing her advanced training in pediatric mental health. Beyond her clinical and research work, Talz is the founder of RandomKid, a nonprofit organization she launched as a child that inspired young people around the world to create positive change in their communities. Through this work, she has traveled internationally sharing her message, "The Power of ANY One," encouraging young people to recognize that a single act of courage or kindness can make a meaningful difference. Talz is excited to bring her passion for helping children grow in confidence to Adventure Camp, where she looks forward to supporting campers as they practice brave communication, build meaningful connections, and discover what they are capable of.

Fatima Jatoi is pursuing her PhD in clinical psychology at Northern Illinois University (NIU), specializing in trauma and developmental psychopathology. Her research at NIU currently focuses on promoting resilience among youth who have adverse childhood experiences. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in psychology with two minors in neuroscience and counseling education from the University of South Carolina. In her undergraduate experience, she was part of an intervention research team to increase physical activity and promote positive mental health among elementary school children, where she worked with youth to encourage engagement and cooperation, while also using observational coding to assess child behavior. Additionally, she collaborated within a parenting intervention study to promote ethnic-racial socialization strategies within Black and Latinx families. Currently, Fatima serves as a clinician at NIU’s Psychological Services Center, where she conducts psychodiagnostic assessments with children and adolescents and provides evidence-based treatment, including cognitive behavioral therapy and exposure therapy, to adult clients. In addition to her clinical experience, Fatima’s research on promoting resilience among youth complements Adventure Camp's mission of helping children discover that bravery grows through practice. Adventure Camp is a 5-day school simulated exposure-based therapy program to treat selective mutism, which is a fear of speaking in select settings (e.g., school) despite speaking in other settings (e.g., home). Her commitment to promoting resilience inspired her to pursue Adventure Camp Counselor Training to deepen her understanding of selective mutism and learn specialized, evidence-based strategies to help children build confidence and use their voice. She is excited to support the Adventure Camp 2026 campers as they face their fears, build resilience, and find their voice through evidence-based exposure therapy. Fatima loves working with kids and is very excited to be part of the Adventure Camp team!

Alexis Jankowski earned her Master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling from Boston College and her B.A. in psychology from Salve Regina University in Newport, RI. A Massachusetts native, Alexis stayed in Boston following completion of her degree to conduct technology-informed smoking cessation research at Boston University's Goldman School of Dental Medicine. Soon after, Alexis moved to Illinois to pursue her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Northern Illinois University, where she provides evidence-based therapy and psychodiagnostic assessments at NIU's Psychological Services Center. She is a member of NIU’s Anxiety Disorders Research Lab, where her research focuses on evidence-based interventions to treat social anxiety and related mental health challenges. Because many children with selective mutism also experience social anxiety, which is a fear of negative evaluation, Alexis’ research interests are a natural fit for Adventure Camp, a 5-day school-simulated exposure therapy program to treat selective mutism, which is an anxiety disorder characterized as a fear of speaking, typically occurring in the school setting. The overlap of social anxiety and selective mutism is well documented in the research literature. Differentiating between them can be especially challenging in very young children. Although they are distinct anxiety disorders, they often co-occur and share common patterns of anxious avoidance. Fortunately, as children learn to face feared situations through evidence-based exposure therapy, improvements in one often lead to improvements in the other. This connection motivated Alexis to pursue Adventure Camp Counselor Training to gain specialized knowledge and hands-on experience helping children with selective mutism use their voice in meaningful real-world situations. She is excited to support campers this summer as they face fears, practice brave communication, and discover that their voice is stronger than their anxiety.

Hannah Dobbs is pursuing her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Northern Illinois University (NIU) with a specialization in trauma psychology. Her research interests center around risk and resilience factors for the development and maintenance of trauma-related disorders, as well as considering how positive psychology and lifestyle interventions may promote wellness. Hannah earned a Bachelor of Science degree with honors in psychology from High Point University in North Carolina. During her undergraduate career, Hannah conducted research on learning and memory-strategies in children, as well as the relationship between childhood trauma and nonsuicidal self-injury. Currently at NIU's Psychological Services Center, Hannah provides psychodiagnostic assessments and evidence-based therapies, such as Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Cognitive Processing Therapy, to children and adults in the DeKalb community. This experience has fostered a passion and appreciation for working with and helping children and families, as well as providing exposure-based treatment. Hannah is excited to expand her training through Adventure Camp Counselor Training while supporting children at Adventure Camp, a five-day, school-simulated, exposure-based therapy program that treats selective mutism, an anxiety disorder that renders a child mute in select settings (particularly at school) despite speaking comfortably in other settings (such as at home). She looks forward to helping campers discover their own resilience as they take brave steps outside their comfort zones, building confidence one success at a time. Fun Fact: Hannah graduated from Timothy Christian Schools in 2020. What she may not have realized as a student was that each summer, those same classrooms became the setting for Adventure Camp, where children with selective mutism learned to overcome anxiety. This year, she returns to her alma mater as an Adventure Camp counselor, coming full circle by helping write the next chapter of that story while continuing her own journey toward becoming a clinical psychologist.

Jodi Wickenkamp is a dedicated and seasoned Speech and Language Pathologist. She earned her B.S. in Speech and Language Pathology and Audiology in 1998 and a M.S. degree in Speech and Language Pathology from Illinois State University in 2000. For the past 25 years, Jodi has worked in the public school setting focusing on optimizing students’ ability to communicate with confidence. Throughout her career, Jodi has supported students with a wide range of communication needs, always bringing warmth, patience, and deep professional knowledge to her work. She currently works in an elementary school where she focuses on a wide range of speech and language abilities, with a passion for speech sound disorders, childhood apraxia of speech, language processing, and selective mutism—which is the fear of speaking in specific social situations, especially school, despite the ability to speak. She was the MTSS Social Emotional Learning Lead at her school implementing a new PBIS system and coordinated SEL programs school-wide. At a district level, she has presented on “Speaking without Fear” to encourage teachers to use proven techniques to lessen speaking anxiety in their classrooms. Jodi recently started a private clinic focusing on early intervention and childhood apraxia of speech. Her experience across both school and clinical settings gives her a well-rounded understanding of how communication challenges affect children in everyday life and how to support growth in meaningful ways. Jodi is especially motivated to participate in the Adventure Camp Counselor Training and serve as a counselor at Adventure Camp, an intensive exposure therapy program that simulates the classroom environment to treat selective mutism. She is eager to deepen her understanding of how to support students with selective mutism in the school setting and bring practical, evidence-based strategies back to the children, families, and educators she serves. She values the opportunity to learn and grow this summer!

John Naret completed his master’s degree in social work at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He earned his bachelor’s in sociology while minoring in philosophy at Eastern Illinois University where he was a Truman Scholar nominee. He currently works as a school social worker at the elementary level in the southwest suburbs of Chicago. His firsthand experiences within the school setting has made him realize the importance of collaboration between service providers, parents and administration to better assist students. He has become a fierce advocate for school social workers to be present in every school district nationwide - from the wealthiest district to the poorest. John has grown more curious about the science behind emotion-regulation, behavior disorders and anxiety, making him seek effective interventions for students with persistent behavioral and emotional challenges. His interest has led him to seek training pertaining to selective mutism through Adventure Camp Counselor Training, a program that aims to train school providers, like John, on how to support students with selective mutism. Selective mutism is a fear of speaking in specific settings, such as school, despite speaking (sometimes abundantly!) in comfortable settings, such as at home. By participating in Adventure Camp, a 5-day school simulation exposure therapy program, John aims to better support affected students at his own school and share this knowledge with colleagues to help all students facing anxiety-related issues. John previously helped campers find their brave in Adventure Camp 2025 and Winter Adventure 2026. This quote by Albert Einstein helps him adopt a growth mindset - “Any fool can know. The point is to understand.”

Ana Bogdanovich is pursuing her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Northern Illinois University. She is originally from Seattle, WA, and received her B.S. in Psychology from Hillsdale College in MI. Ana then worked for two years as a Research Assistant through Butler Hospital and Brown University in Providence, RI, on studies investigating non-invasive neuromodulation for OCD and PTSD. Over the past two years, Ana has worked as a practicum clinician at NIU's Psychological Services Center providing evidence-based therapy and psychodiagnostic assessments. She is a member of the OCD and Anxiety Lab at NIU, and her research focuses primarily on OCD-related phenomena, although her clinical interests are much broader, including her interest in selective mutism, which is a fear of speaking despite having the ability to speak and oftentimes presents in the school setting. This brought Ana to Adventure Camp, an intensive exposure-based school-simulation treatment for children with selective mutism. Ana completed the Adventure Camp Counselor Training and participated as an Adventure Camp Counselor in 2025. In addition, she Co-Facilitator for Courage Club this past fall and winter at ATSA, and served again as a Counselor for Winter Adventure in January 2026. Ana is thrilled to be returning to Adventure Camp for another summer of brave encounters! She finds exposure to be an empowering and life-changing intervention, and looks forward to helping campers face their fears this summer.

Alicia Lloveras earned her Bachelor's degree from Carthage College in Exercise and Sport Science and K–12 Education, with a concentration in Physical Education and minors in Spanish and Health. She is bilingual in Spanish and English and is a middle school Physical Education and Health teacher at a public school in the northwest suburbs. Alicia is also certified in Adapted Physical Education (CAPE), having completed specialized training to design and implement inclusive physical education programs for students with diverse physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional needs. Her teaching experiences span elementary, middle, and high school settings, where she worked with diverse student populations, including students with disabilities and Spanish-speaking learners. Through her teaching experiences, Alicia observed the impact anxiety can have on students and developed a strong interest in supporting their social-emotional well-being. She is particularly interested in exploring how sports and physical activity can help reduce anxiety and build confidence among students. Her interest extends to supporting children with selective mutism, an anxiety disorder in which individuals are unable to speak in certain situations despite having the ability to do so. For many students with selective mutism, participating in group sports or physical education can be especially challenging. Alicia's goal is to create an inclusive and supportive environment where all students, particularly those with physical, cognitive, or socio-emotional needs, can participate fully, develop confidence, and experience success through movement and physical activity. Her passion for sports, commitment to inclusion, and dedication to student well-being inspire her work as a Counselor at Adventure Camp, a five-day, school-based intensive exposure therapy program for children with selective mutism. As a bilingual English- and Spanish-speaking counselor, she helps Adventure Camp reach and support an even broader community of children and families. Alicia strives to be the kind of educator who listens, builds meaningful relationships, and ensures every student feels valued, supported, and included. Her enthusiasm, compassion, and dedication make her a valuable member of the Adventure Camp Team.

Kenna Ebert is pursuing her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Northern Illinois University (NIU) with a focus on anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Her research interests include risk and maintenance factors for anxiety disorders and OCD, particularly the role of trauma, stress, and emotion regulation. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, IA. Before beginning her doctoral training, Kenna worked as a Youth Service Worker in the Intermediate Care Facility for Intellectual Disability at Tanager Place in Cedar Rapids, IA. Following this, Kenna worked as a Research Coordinator for the Anxiety and Behavioral Health Clinic at Florida State University, managing a variety of anxiety and PTSD research projects and coordinating the anxiety treatment clinic. Kenna moved to Illinois to pursue her Ph.D. at NIU not only to continue her research in anxiety disorders and OCD, but also to gain doctoral training to treat these disorders. At NIU’s Psychological Services Center (PSC), Kenna provides psychodiagnostic assessments and cognitive behavioral therapy to individuals in the DeKalb community. She is passionate about exposure-based therapy and how empowering it can be. Given her strong clinical and research interests in anxiety, Kenna is excited to expand her training through Adventure Camp Counselor Training while supporting children at Adventure Camp, a five-day school-simulated, exposure-based therapy that treats selective mutism, an anxiety disorder that renders a child mute in select settings, particularly at school, despite speaking comfortably in other settings, such as at home. Kenna looks forward to helping campers build confidence, face their fears through brave communication, and discover the freedom that comes with finding their voice. She is eager to be a part of the Adventure Camp team and meet all the brave campers this summer!