Campfire Chat 🔥
Get to know the incredible leaders helping make camp memories at Vivo.
Tenea Hansen: Inclusion Facilitator
Tenea is celebrating two years at Vivo and is returning to the Camps team after spending time in Guest Services.
A recent graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Tenea brings a wealth of experience working with children, including supporting campers through Vivo Camps and the Society for Autism Support and Services. When she’s not at Vivo, you can find her playing recreational volleyball, practicing piano, or getting lost in a good book.
What’s the most rewarding small win you’ve witnessed at camp?
One camper from Spring Break Camp immediately came to mind.
“She was really nervous about being at camp for the first time,” Tenea recalls. “She was usually the first camper to arrive each morning, which gave us some one-on-one time before everyone else arrived.”
Over the course of the week, those quiet mornings turned into something special.
“I got to watch her come out of her shell. We bonded over games we’d both played, and little by little she started interacting more with the other campers. By the end of the week, she was having so much fun. Seeing that transformation was incredibly rewarding.”
What’s your camp alter ego?
If you’ve spent any time around camp sing-alongs, you know that campers can become very attached to certain songs.
“One week, my group absolutely would not stop singing Let It Go from Frozen,” she laughed. “We sang it over and over all week long.”
The result?
“By the end of the week, I definitely felt like a Disney Princess—minus the singing voice, because I’d completely lost it.”
What’s the most ridiculous thing you’ve done for camp spirit?
Camp counselors are known for going the extra mile, but learning more than 20 car logos might be a new one.
“At a previous camp where I worked with children on the autism spectrum, one of the kids I supported loved cars and car logos,” Tenea says. “I learned how to draw and identify more than 20 different logos so we could play together.”
Before that summer, Tenea only knew a handful.
“Now I know way more car logos than I ever expected to!”
What song instantly puts you in camp mode?
For Tenea, camp memories go back long before becoming a counselor.
“My family went camping all the time when I was growing up. Whenever we camped with my grandparents and cousins, all the kids would sing Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow as fast as we possibly could.”
There was one catch.
“We’d always stop at ‘Fire! Fire! Fire!’ and then start over even faster. Eventually we’d be laughing so hard we couldn’t get the words out.”
We’re so excited to have Tenea helping to create unforgettable summer memories for campers this year. If you see her around Vivo, be sure to say hello!
