Elyssa has been a proud member of the NJY Camps community since her first summer at Nah Jee Wah in 1999. She spent 6 years as an 8 week camper, attending Cedar Lake & TAC, and seven years as a Nah Jee Wah staff member in various roles. She is currently honored to serve as the youngest member of NJY’s Board of Directors, and as co-chair of the newly established NJY Camps Alumni Association. Camp was a vital part of Elyssa’s development and she is thankful to be able to give back to a place that gave her so much. Her summers at camp and participation in youth & teen programming at JCC Metrowest strongly influenced her connection to the Jewish non-profit space. She would not have been able to participate without access to scholarship funds, and is committed to ensuring future campers can do the same.

Outside of camp, Elyssa is the Middle School Program Manager for NJ LEEP, a non-profit organization focused on college access & success serving low-income & First Generation middle and high school students from the greater Newark area. She is also currently completing a two-year public policy fellowship with Leadership Newark to deepen her connections to the community where she lives and works.

Prior to her time at NJ LEEP, Elyssa was a school counselor in various districts across Morris & Somerset counties. She has maintained a commitment to serving others throughout her adult life, previously volunteering as a crisis counselor on the Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network Online Hotline and as a group facilitator with Good Grief, Inc., in their In Community program. Additionally, Elyssa is an AmeriCorps alumni, having served with the NJ Coalition Against Sexual Assault working with colleges and universities across New Jersey on prevention education & survivor support services. She holds a Masters in Counseling from Montclair State University, and a BA in Human Services from George Washington University.

Elyssa lives in Newark, NJ and enjoys exploring public art, New Jersey Devils hockey, and spending time with friends.