Want to become a Camp Counselor, too, and write for us?
E-mail us with your pitch(es) at submissions@thethirlby.com or use our submission form here.
Natalie Geisel, Lead Camp Counselor
Natalie Geisel • she/her • is a senior at The George Washington University studying women’s, gender, and sexuality studies with minors in English and communication. Her love of writing sprouted from starting her fashion blog in high school, and her current written work focuses on topics of LGBTQ+ content, culture, and identity. Launching and managing Camp Thirlby was out of interest in intersecting gender and sexuality into the world of youth and wellness, hoping to add marginalized voices, like her own queer one, to an underrepresented community. When she’s not writing, she spends her spare time at dance rehearsal, attending local indie shows in the DC area, or finding the best cafes that serve oat milk. She’s passionate about inclusive sex education and sustainable fashion and thinks everyone should be, too. You can view all of her written work on her website.
Luna Homsi
Luna Homsi • she/her • is a recent Anthropology graduate from the University of Maryland. She believes the world is made better and brighter when people share their experiences. Her main academic/research interests are in health equity and social justice. Feel free to connect with her on Twitter!
Jocelyn Diemer
Jocelyn Diemer • they/them • is extremely excited to be heading to the University of Victoria in the fall, where they will study writing and English literature. An eating disorder survivor, Jocelyn loves to talk and write candidly about their complicated relationship with her body. When they’re not fawning over middle-aged actresses or writing a piece of top-notch journalism for their local newspaper, Jocelyn loves to annoy their friends with niche memes and random historical facts.
Shira Strongin
Shira Strongin • she/her • is a third year student at the George Washington University majoring in Political Communications with a minor in Human Services and Social Justice. Originally from Southern California, Strongin is an award winning advocate and writer who took her personal experience living with rare diseases and founded Sick Chicks, a 501(c)3 non-profit dedicated to uniting and empowering women with varying illnesses and disabilities. In her free time Shira can be found driving all the way to Charlottesville for concerts, putting too much sriracha on food, and crying over fictional characters.
Geordon Wollner, Arts & Graphics Counselor
Geordon Wollner • she/her • a curious creative and avid daydreamer, is currently pursuing a degree in Retailing & Consumer Behavior, with a Certificate in Studio Art, at the University of Wisconsin. Both in- and outside of the classroom, Geordon has focused her attention on developing new relationships and experiences with her community in creative environments. She is constantly seeking opportunities to collaborate and thrives off of serendipitous moments.
Aiyana Ishmael
Aiyana Ishmael • she/her • is a fourth year Broadcast Journalism student at Florida A&M University. There, she works as the Editor-in-Chief for their campus magazine, Journey. She loves to write and create content that highlights the diversity in black women. Her passions include fashion, sports, and fighting for equality. One day, she hopes to work in the editorial industry and break some of the current barriers that are keeping young, talented black kids out.
Julia Carmel
Julia Carmel • she/her • is a recent graduate from Binghamton University. As a journalism student, she became fascinated with how art and technology alter our social landscape, and her work centers around human connections that can be found at the intersection of identity and culture. She’s currently the communications intern for the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, but you can usually find her reading in public parks, eating Takis, and dancing at free concerts. You can check out her other work on her website.
Emil Yvon
Emil • they/them • is an east coast based illustrator. As an undergraduate studying Art History and Studio Art, they take interest in comics and comic history, as well as gender studies and abstract drawing. Outside of school and work, they enjoy caring for their plants, making pesto, cherishing their friends, and collecting Hello Kitty memorabilia. You can find them on instagram at @emilcyvon and visit their website here!
Grace Kwan
Grace Kwan • she/her • studies Sociology and Professional Writing & Communication at the University of Toronto. Her speculative short fiction and prose poetry have appeared in several print anthologies and magazines. Her writing on media, culture, and social justice can be read on various online publications, including Camp Thirlby. Grace also blogs.
Colleen Grablick
Colleen Grablick • she/her • is a rising senior at George Washington University studying Journalism and English with a minor in creative writing. Colleen believes in using narrative voice as a tool for advocacy and change, and enjoys long form journalism that illuminates the injustices in our world. In her creative pieces, Colleen tries to reach inside herself to craft honest and personal work. Feel free to check out her website to read both her published and personal pieces.
Natalie Olivares
Natalie Olivares • she/her • is studying Gender, Sexuality, Feminist, and Social Justice Studies and Art History at McGill University in Montreal. She is a photographer and poet; more of Natalie’s work can be seen on her blog, Confessions of a 21st Century Chick. Natalie has radical feminist and queer centered views with an intersectional lens. She loves dogs, the ocean, R&B music and plants. She is optimistic and pessimistic about the future, given our current socio-political state, but is grateful to be a part of the inclusive-media revolution!
Iyana Jones
Iyana Jones • she/her • is starting her graduate program in Media Studies with New School. She found her passion for writing in high school for writing for the school paper and now has expanded her interests to lifestyle, pop culture, and identity. Her goal is to write as the missing first generational black female voice she wish she had found earlier in life. Outside of writing, she's likely to be found feeding stray cats or watching bad MTV shows unironically. You can read more of her work on her blog here.
Elena Phethean
Elena Phethean • she/her • is a junior from Pleasantville, NY studying Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies and Community Health at Tufts University. There, she is the co-coordinator of Tufts Sex Health Reps, a student group bringing comprehensive and inclusive sexuality education and sexual assault prevention to campus. She also loves music and sings with her a cappella group, the Tufts Jackson Jills. As a queer woman, she is especially passionate about women’s/gender minority health and queer sexual health outcomes, as well as working with survivors.
Victoria Middleton, Astrology Counselor
Victoria Middleton • she/her •is a third year student at The George Washington University studying journalism and mass communication with a minor in women’s, gender and sexuality studies. She discovered her love for writing as a little girl, typing fairytale stories on her parents old Dell and printing them out before taping them into glitter-glue-encrusted cardboard covers. These days, she thinks honest and fully developed stories about women are even better than fairy tales. When she’s not scheming against the male hegemony of the media industry, she can be found thrifting, watching cult films and TV and badly dancing to good music. She has been known to get overly excited about intersectional feminism, astrology and David Lynch.