Meet the Summer 2021 Camp Staff

Hello! My name is Karla Acuna. I am from Guatemala. I came to Chicago when I was 11 years old, and I have been living here for 6 years. Spanish is my first language, and I also speak English. Currently, I am a junior at Stephen T. Mather High School in Chicago. My academic interests are mathematics, science, and art. I find these subjects really interesting because I can keep adding knowledge about them, and they can be used in the real world. I love solving problems and creating new stuff!


Along with my academic interests, I'm involved in the Mather Varsity Soccer team. Next year I will also be on the Track and Field team. I hope to join more clubs next year at Mather High School. I would like to be in the Art Club, E-Sports Club, and National Honor Society. I am really excited to be a camp counselor this summer because I think it will be fun! It is exciting to get to work with new people and to meet campers. I look forward to creating fun activities. Being a camp counselor at Northwestern this summer will be a new experience for me, and I am happy to learn new things.

Xin chào everyone, my name is Nam Nguyen. I am currently a senior at Mather High School in the city of Chicago; Class of 2022. I was born in Vietnam and immigrated to the United States when I was 10, carrying with me another language alongside English. My academic interests consist of mathematics, science, engineering, English, history, and more. I am also involved with my school’s boys volleyball team, Vietnamese club, art club, taekwondo club, and especially with the Chicago Scholars team. Outside of school and work, I spend my free time enjoying video games, martial arts, cooking, and spending time with friends and family.


I am ecstatic to join the Northwestern Wildcat Science Camp team this summer! I am excited to be involved with research about pollinators, participate in team building activities, work with science equipment, and interact with staff members. But what excites me most of all is to be able to meet the campers! I hope to not only learn from the experience, but to show off what I know and to prove to the campers that they can one day lead as well.

Hello everyone! My name is Allison Grecco, and I am so happy to be on this year's Wildcat Science Camp staff. Prior to becoming a science teacher, I worked for Science in Society as a science education fellow, mentoring students in the Mather Science Explorers program..


I grew up in Minnesota, and moved to Chicago to attend DePaul University where I earned a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences with a concentration in Ecology and Evolution. Then, I went on to earn a Master of Science in Education and Social Policy from Northwestern University.


I love nature, and especially enjoy studying and learning about plants. I am very excited about this year's camp theme because I think the relationships between pollinators and flowering plants are fascinating! I look forward to working with counselors and campers to discover new things about the pollinators we observe at Northwestern.




Hi! My name is Dan Meyer, and I am delighted to be working on the Wildcat Science Camp! I am finishing my third year at Science in Society, where I manage the partnership we have with Mather and Lake View High Schools. Prior to joining Northwestern, I’ve spent most of my professional career in teacher education, focusing on scientific inquiry.

I received my Ph.D. from Cornell University, which is where I developed my interest in applying ideas from Science & Technology Studies to K-12 education. My central passion is figuring out creative ways to engage school students in activities that reflect the authentic practice of science. I’m excited about the opportunity to work with students in the Northwestern labs and use the Evanston campus as a field site.

I moved to Chicago about 15 years ago, and love Chicago, but will always be a New Yorker at heart.