Meet the Summer 2023 Camp Staff

Hi, My Name is Najma Mahamed and I'm a counselor for the 2023 Wildcat Science Camp. I’m an upcoming junior at Stephen Mather High School. I grew up in Minnesota but then moved to Chicago where I've been so far. I’m from an immigrant family who are from Somalia. I speak fluent English and Somali. My academic interests are Information Technology, business and creative writing. While, My personal interests include Writing,Reading, Online shopping and Guitar. I’m presently involved in the Environment and the Debate club at Mather High School. I’ve worked in the Environment , participating in numerous fundraisers for various causes, primarily related to science. Which is the origin of my attachment to science thereby, led me to the WildCat Science Camp. I’m looking forward to the trial and error experiments that we are learning from. Moreover, I’m excited to see the campers enjoy and learn from this Science Camp.

Hi, my name is Liya Waite-Ordonez. I’m a rising junior at Stephen Mather High School. This will be my second year as a teen camp counselor for the Northwestern Wildcat Science Camp. I’m excited to be back and meet the new campers. My time at this camp has helped develop my interest in science. So much so that I’m going on to take AP Chemistry next school year. My academic interests include science, creative arts, and math. My personal interests include knitting/ crochet and fashion. 

   Hello my name is Zuhayla I am currently an upcoming junior at Mather High School. This is my first year as a wildcat camp counselor. One thing that I love about science is chemistry because it is easy for me to understand and I love doing experiments. Something I enjoy outside of school is reading and doing art. When it comes to kids I would say I have a lot of experience. Having five younger siblings isn’t the easiest most times it feels as if I am their mother. My experience ranges from different age groups from 12 and under. The reason I am doing this job as a camp counselor is so I can gain even more experience with kids outside of my family. I would love to learn leadership skills and to overall enjoy this experience. I am very excited to meet the incoming campers!



Hello! My name is Taylor LeFevre and I am a counselor for the 2023 Wildcat Summer Camp. I recently graduated from Northwestern University this year, earning my bachelors degree in biological sciences with a concentration in evolution, ecology, and conservation biology. During my senior year at Northwestern I was president of the Transfer Student Organization and had the amazing opportunity to volunteer at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Outside of biology my interests include ice skating, swimming, playing video games, and baking. I’m looking forward to working with the campers this year, and helping them as they learn how to think like scientists and perform scientific investigations. 

Hi! My name is Dan Meyer, and I am delighted to be working on the Wildcat Science Camp! I just finished my firth 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.