OUR STAFF IS COMPRISED OF CARING PROFESSIONALS

Our camp counselors are experienced professionals who return each summer bringing stability and years of experience. About half of our staff are teachers during the school year and return each summer to help make each camper’s summer experience a safe and memorable one. The other half is comprised of new and returning college students. Some of which are studying to become teachers. Our campers are welcomed each day by a smiling face of a counselor.

The idea for A Step Ahead Day Camp came because we wanted to provide children with an opportunity to stay active both mentally and physically throughout the summer by providing a variety of field trips and camp activities. Our favorite part is seeing the kids’ excitement when they are going somewhere new or trying a new activity for the first time. We are really proud of how our camp has grown over the past six years, and love thinking of ways we can improve from year to year.

We’re looking forward to another exciting summer at A Step Ahead Day Camp!

JOIN OUR STAFF

DOUG GOLLIHER
DOUG GOLLIHERCo-Owner and Administrator

Doug has a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from Edgewood College and a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership. He has been working with children for the past 18 years and has owned and operated A Step Ahead Day Camp for the past 12 years. He is currently a third-grade teacher at Royal Oaks Elementary School and has also taught in second, fourth, and fifth grades.

Doug is married with two children. He enjoys spending time with his family, watching sports, and golfing in his spare time. He strives every day to provide a positive experience for each child that comes to A Step Ahead Day Camp.

JOEL SCHIRMER
JOEL SCHIRMERCo-Owner and Director

Joel grew up in New Holstein, Wisconsin and moved to Madison in 1997 to pursue his teaching degree at Edgewood College. He graduated in 2002 and has been teaching at Royal Oaks Elementary School in Sun Prairie for the past 21 years, both in first and fourth grade.

Joel is married with two campers, one entering fourth grade and the other in first grade. He enjoys sports, camping and playing board games. Joel is very proud of the variety of experiences A Step Ahead Day Camp gives kids during the summer and is excited to start his 12th year of camp!

Jamie Reynen
Jamie ReynenDirector
This is Jamie’s 8th year at A Step Ahead. Jamie grew up in Columbus and then attended Winona State University. During the school year, she works at Royal Oaks Elementary as a 3rd grade teacher. She loves planning field trips and activities for the campers. Jamie is excited for the 2024 summer!
Amber Dorman
Amber DormanDirector
This is Amber’s 7th year at A Step Ahead. Her favorite thing about camp is getting to work with all different ages of campers. During the school year, she works at Prairie View Middle School as a 7th grade Literacy teacher.
Izzy G.
Izzy G.
This will be Izzy’s 5th summer at A Step Ahead. She was one of the original campers when camp started! Izzy graduated from Deforest High School in 2021 and is currently attending UW-Eau Claire, majoring in Elementary Education with a minor in mathematical problem solving. She loves working with kids and helping them all have a great experience at camp! One of her favorite things about camp is creating meaningful relationships with the campers and watching them grow! Izzy’s favorite activities at camp include pool days, field trips, and bowling. Izzy enjoys crafting, being active, and spending time with friends and family in her free time. This summer she looks forward to meeting all new campers and catching up with previous ones too!
Jennifer K.
Jennifer K.
This will be Jennifer’s 3rd year at A Step Ahead. Jennifer grew up Sun Prairie and graduated from Sun Prairie High School in 2021. She is currently studying Elementary/Middle Education at UW-LaCrosse. Her favorite things about camp are the field trips and connecting with the campers. A fun fact about Jennifer – she loves to travel and explore new places. In her free time, she enjoys reading, cooking, traveling, and spending time with family and friends. This summer, she is looking forward to meeting new campers and reconnecting with previous ones!
Natalie T.
Natalie T.
Natalie is heading into her 4th year working at A Step Ahead. She is studying elementary education and Spanish education at UW-Eau Claire. Some of her favorite things at camp include field trips, swimming, and just hanging out and getting to know the campers! Natalie grew up in Sun Prairie and graduated from SPHS in 2020. In her free time she likes to spend time with friends and family, read, go golfing, and shop. A fun fact about Natalie – she spent a semester in Valencia, Spain working towards her Spanish education degree. Natalie is so excited for camp this summer and can’t wait to meet so many new kiddos!
Gavin C.
Gavin C.
This is Gavin’s 2nd year at A Step Ahead! His favorite things about summer camp are playing basketball with campers on the black top, meeting new faces, seeing familiar faces, and pool days! Gavin attends UW-Whitewater and is pursuing a degree in Phys. Ed. Gavin likes to watch the Bucks and talk to friends in his free time. A fun fact about Gavin – he has 5 sisters! Gavin grew up in Janesville and attended Craig High School. He can’t wait to have fun with campers this summer!
Tesa L.
Tesa L.
This will be Tesa’s 3rd summer here at A Step Ahead! She is studying Elementary/ Middle School Education at UW-La Crosse. A fun fact about Tesa – she works at the daycare on campus and enjoys working with kids of all ages. Tesa grew up in Sun Prairie and graduated from SPHS ins 2021. Her favorite things about camp include pool days, visiting different parks, and making memories with campers! In her free time Tesa enjoys being outside, crafting, and spending time with her friends, family, and her dog. Tesa is excited to meet new campers and reconnect with returning campers this summer at camp!
Braden R.
Braden R.
This is going to be Braden’s 5th year working at A Step Ahead. He is a pre-business and finance major at MATC and is hoping to transfer to UW-Madison in the fall. He grew up in Sun Prairie and graduated from SPHS in 2021. Braden is also the Camp’s Waterfront Supervisor. His favorite things about camp are getting to know new faces and all of the fun field trips that happen during the year. In his free time he enjoys hanging out with friends, going up to his cabin, and golfing. A fun fact about Braden – he has been to Hawaii and swam with dolphins with his family!
Cora A.
Cora A.
This will be Cora’s second year working at A Step Ahead. She is going to be a senior in high school where she is an avid member of band and drama. A fun fact about Cora – she has been stung by a jellyfish in Florida! Her favorite part of camp is club days even when they get messy making slime. In her free time, she enjoys reading, traveling and hanging out with friends. Cora is so excited for summer to roll around and can’t wait to make even more fun memories!
Rachel K.
Rachel K.
This will be Rachel’s 7th year at A Step Ahead. She is currently a second year first grade teacher in Madison and graduated from Indiana University in 2022. She grew up in Sun Prairie and went to Royal Oaks Elementary School, PVMS, and SPHS. Her favorite things about camp are pool days, bowling, and creating friendships with campers and counselors. In her free time, she enjoys watching shows and sports, reading a good book, and spending time at the lake. A fun fact about Rachel – her favorite color is green! This year, she is looking forward to seeing familiar faces, meeting new campers, and all the fun adventures on our field trip days. She is excited to spend another summer at the best camp there is!
Lauren H.
Lauren H.
This will be Lauren’s 2nd year at A Step Ahead. She grew up in Columbus and graduated from Columbus High School in 2022, and now is a Sophomore at UW-LaCrosse, majoring in Elementary Middle Education with a Dual Certification in Special Ed. Her favorite thing about camp is going bowling with the kids and getting to know all their interests throughout the summer, as well as spending time with the other amazing staff members! In Lauren’s free time, she loves to be outside, either hiking or in the water, as well as spending time with friends. A fun fact about Lauren – working at camp encouraged her to switch her major to education! She is super excited to see some familiar faces and be back at camp for another summer!
Miles A.
Miles A.
This will be Miles’ 2nd year at A Step Ahead. He is attending Madison College for Cybersecurity and will further his education at University of Maine at Presque Isle. He grew up in Sun Prairie and went Royal Oaks Elementary School, PVMS, SPEHS, and SPWHS and was one of our original campers! His favorite thing about camp is spending time at the bowling alley and the pool with the kids and counselors. In his free time he loves spending time outside backpacking, hiking, and rock climbing. A fun fact about Miles – he has been rock climbing for 10 years and pole vaults! Miles is looking forward to reconnecting with campers as well as meeting new campers this summer. He’s excited to spend another summer with A Step Ahead Day Camp!
Peyton B.
Peyton B.
This will be Peyton’s third year at A Step Ahead. She’s currently a sophomore at UW-Madison studying Elementary Education with a minor in Special Education. Peyton loves working with ASAD campers and staff to make summers full of fun! Her favorite field trip is bowling! In her free time she enjoys grabbing coffee, shopping, spending time with friends, and attending concerts! Peyton is so excited for another year at camp and is looking forward to seeing all the campers!
Sophia G.
Sophia G.
This is Sophia’s 2nd year at A Step Ahead. She was one of the original campers when camp started and will be Senior at Deforest Area High School. Sophia’s favorite part of summer camp is getting to know so many different campers. In her free time, Sophia enjoys spending time with family and friends, baking, and playing tennis. A fun fact about Sophia – she has been a state tennis qualifier for the last two years. Sophia is is looking forward to seeing previous campers and getting to know new campers this summer.
Izzy P.
Izzy P.
This is Izzy’s second year working at camp. She’s going to be a senior in high school where she participates in dance and theatre. A fun fact about Izzy – she’s been to Turks and Caicos! Her favorite thing about camp is getting to spend time with all the kids and participate in activities/field trips with them. In her free she likes to listen to music, hang out with friends, and go on hikes.
Aubrie D.
Aubrie D.
Kevin N.
Kevin N.
Lauren B.
Lauren B.