Meet Our 2025 Co-Head Counselors: Sydney & Virginia

Sydney and Virginia met at a Camp Riva-Lake Mother-Daughter Weekend when they were seven years old. From that day on, they’ve been best friends—and their camp journey has been intertwined ever since.

They started in Farsite as Munchkins, with Erica Hilmas - our current Camp Co-Director - as their first counselor. At the time, Erica seemed like a grown-up (she was 17), and the magic of camp quickly took hold.

Thirteen summers together later, they’ve come full circle—now stepping into leadership roles as Co-Head Counselors for 2025.

Over the years, both Sydney and Virginia took on leadership roles as Munchkin Captains and later as song leaders—Virginia for the Olympians and Sydney for the Marathons. These experiences helped shape them into the leaders they are today.

As counselors, they returned to Farsite to guide younger campers, just as they were once guided. Their friendship carried through the school year too—with their moms becoming friends, and plenty of visits and trips keeping them connected even off-season.

Now in college—Sydney at the College of Charleston and Virginia at the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga—they still make time to keep in touch with calls, texts, and visits during breaks. Their story is a perfect example of how summers at Camp Riva-Lake create lifelong friendship.

Among the many gifts that they bring to CRL is their laughter - they love to laugh. Their laughter and easy way of connecting with campers will make this a summer that will not be forgotten. We’re proud to have them leading our staff this summer.