There’s nothing like a summer in New England – the Atlantic breeze, the bustle of coastal towns, and of course the occasional (or not so occasional) lobster roll. And who better to share the adventures of a quintessential New England summer than this next batch of leaders? Kevin Deng and Alyssa Dorman will be navigating the cobble-stoned streets of Nantucket, riding the waves on the inter-island ferry, and guiding their group to the very best beaches on the Vineyard this summer on our Cape Cod & the Islands trip. Indeed, it’s a tough job, but someone has to do it! And heading just up the coast in Maine will be Rhiannon Bell and Miles Bent. These two writing wonders will be teaming up to lead our Maine Coast College Essay program – acting as leaders, friends, and mentors to our students as they work to develop their college essays.

KEVIN DENG

Kevin Deng is fun, energetic, and extremely bright – and a perfect leader for this summer’s Cape Cod & the Islands trip! A graduating senior at Bates College in Maine and a proud resident of Braintree, Massachusetts, Kevin is the second of four, two sisters and one brother. His siblings taught him patience, cooperation, responsibility, and the importance of making sacrifices; so it’s no surprise that Kevin is one of the sweetest guys we know! It’s an understatement to say that Kevin has a wide range of interests. He has dabbled in figure skating, football, rugby, and has even learned how to work aerial silks! At Bates, Kevin studied Biology, and outside of the classroom, you were likely to find Kevin running an event with Asian-American Students In Action, a club he founded to bring a supportive and a cohesive environment for Asian Americans onto Bates’ campus. Kevin also was very active with the Bates Outing Club where he rock climbed, surfed, and ice climbed throughout Maine’s beautiful outdoors. In addition, Kevin served as a mentor in the College Access Mentoring Program at the Lewiston, Maine Middle School, where he helped with homework, and participated in outdoor group activities. Kevin’s adventurous spirit, and fun-loving personality is infectious, and he looks forward to getting to know his Apogee students this summer!

ALYSSA DORMAN 

Cape Cod & the Islands phenom Alyssa Dorman comes to Apogee as a rising Junior at Pennsylvania’s Franklin & Marshall College, where she double majors in Environmental Studies and Business. A native of Cheltenham, a leafy suburb outside of Philadelphia, PA, Alyssa loves hanging out with both of her parents. As a result, Alyssa has an “old soul,” and enjoys nothing more than drinking a cup of coffee while enjoying classic jazz and rock (BB King and the Beatles are some of her favorites). At F&M, Alyssa’s interests in environmental and social justices absorb much of her time both inside and outside of the classroom. She can also often be found working for the Community Sourced Agriculture program for the Lancaster Farm Fresh Co-operative or at the F&M Sustainability Center. Alyssa is not all work and no play however; she enjoys reading, running, cycling, yoga, dancing and spending time with friends. She also has big plans for her Junior year at F&M where she hopes to spend her spring semester in Freiburg, Germany. On top of it all, Alyssa has plenty of experience with kids; for the past two summers, Alyssa was a counselor at LifeSeeds, working closely with kids from the Philly area as a mentor, teacher, and friend. We are so excited to have Alyssa on our Cape Cod & the Islands trip this year to share her warm, happy personality with her students.

RHIANNON BELL

Rhiannon Bell comes to us from outside of Raleigh, North Carolina, where she grew up fostering a love for music, the outdoors, and community service. A graduating Senior at the University of Richmond, Rhiannon is extremely service-oriented, and has participated in numerous community service projects in Tennessee, Costa Rica, and throughout North Carolina. Rhiannon was particularly impacted by her time working as a staffer for the Appalachia Service Project where she helped to repair substandard homes for families in rural Tennessee. Her love for volunteering inspired her to spend a semester away from Richmond during her Junior year in Hyderabad, India. In India, Rhiannon continued her studies in Philosophy, Politics, Law and Economics (PPLE) and Journalism (her two majors at UR), and got involved with a non-profit called Sankalp, which provides legal services, counseling, and shelter for victims of sexual abuse. Back in Virginia, Rhiannon stays busy as she sings in an a cappella group, the Sirens, advises students in the Writing Skills Center, and acts as editor for an on-campus newspaper and magazine. Additionally, she serves as the co-president of UR’s Omicron Delta Kappa Honor Society, a fraternity of honor students and UR student leaders. Rhiannon is a outstanding role model, incredible writer, and an ideal leader for this summer’s Maine Coast College Essay program!

MILES BENT

We are thrilled to have Virginia native Miles Bent join the Apogee team this year to lead our Maine Coast College Essay program! Miles is the oldest of three siblings, and is very family oriented. When deciding where to go to college, Miles chose to stay close to home and attend Washington and Lee University in his hometown of Lexington, Virginia. His decision to stay close to home was influenced not only by his family, but also by his love of the Blue Ridge Mountains and his desire to play varsity soccer at the college level. While he remains close to the hills of Lexington, Miles is well-traveled, and has spent time in France, Greece, and Puerto Rico. Additionally, when Miles was in sixth grade, his family spent a year in Florence (his father is an art history professor at W&L), where he learned to speak Italian and independently navigate the streets of Italy at the age of 12. Miles is currently a rising Junior, studying English and Politics, and is going to be an invaluable addition to our MCCE program with his great love for the writing and editing process. Miles began his passion for writing in high school where he was worked as an assistant at a local monthly newspaper, The Advocate. He got even more ink on his hands when he worked as a writer and editor for his high school newspaper. Miles also has had plenty of experience working directly with teenagers both as a lifeguard and as a soccer coach. Miles is very excited to meet his students and help them develop their creative ideas and hone their college essays, all the while along the beautiful coast of Maine!