Our Staff

Who We Are

Our team is dedicated to empowering youth to inspire community change. Each member contributes expertise in their subject fields and has a passion for inspiring youth to grow into the leaders of the next generation.

If you’re interested in teaching or volunteering please email us: info@missionbasecamp.com

Lexy Bernal
Office Manager
at Real Estate Agency
Board Member

Hea Kim
Media Director
at Edge City Church
Co Founder of Basecamp

Shibu Thomas
Vice President
at Morgan Stanley
Board Member

Christine Kumar,
MSN, RN, FNP-BC
Co Founder of Basecamp

2024 Teachers

  • Yumi is an accomplished software engineer with almost a decade of experience who is passionate about creating accessible, equitable software and increasing diversity in the tech industry. Her journey in engineering started at the Rochester Institute of Technology where she earned her B.S., and has spanned across universities, startups, and large corporations -- including her current role at Google. In her free time, Yumi enjoys learning new languages, trying new foods, and rock climbing; she's incredibly excited to be contributing to Mission Basecamp.

  • Nick Hansen grew up in Lynbrook, NY, and later moved to East Rockaway at the age of 9. Raised Catholic, he was introduced to a Pentecostal Church at 15 by friends Binu and his brother Shibu, which deepened his faith. At 22, Nick began working with an HVAC company, specializing in air conditioner repair and maintenance. He then joined the FDNY at 24, serving as an Emergency Medical Technician for 6 years.

    At 30, Nick established H&R Cleaning Services, a residential and commercial cleaning business which he operated for 2 years. During high school, Nick met his wife Kaylyn, and they started dating in 2003. They now reside in Oceanside, NY, with their two children, Harrison and Rosaleigh.

  • Chang Ju pursued computer science throughout high school and college, and is currently working as a software engineer. His passion for this field stems from his love of problem-solving and debugging code. When he’s not immersed in a game, you'll often find him developing my own projects from scratch.

  • Larry is the founder of Good Creation, a neighborhood printing and embroidery shop dedicated to providing vocational training and job opportunities for underserved communities. He strives to be a supportive mentor, inspiring individuals to uncover and pursue their purpose.

     In his personal life, Larry enjoys crafting the perfect cup of coffee from scratch, delving into autobiographies, and listening to podcasts. At home, he cherishes moments with his wife, two children, and their playful poodle. During the summer, his family's favorite activity is watching the sunset at Bar Beach.

  • Clai Williams has served in youth ministry for over 15 years and is currently the Long Island Youth For Christ Hempstead City Life Director, partnering with The Salvation Army to reach 11-19 year olds with the Gospel. He is driven by a passion to see young people discover the purpose that God has for them through a relationship with Jesus. Clai’s focus is to serve students holistically- helping them fulfill their potential in education, relationships, and overall wellbeing. He is both a Husband and new Father of two little ones. 

  • Justin is a 2D visual artist specializing in animation. Graduating from the School of Visual Arts NYC with a degree in Animation, he has mastered various facets of the craft including storyboarding, story pitching, production, sound design, key animation, in-betweens, and final composition, adhering closely to the principles of animation. His expertise lies in character design and composition, with a keen interest in television animation, feature films, advertising, and children's illustration.

    Beyond his artistic endeavors, he dedicates himself to teaching animation and vocational skills to special needs children at an institution tailored for their needs.

  • Kenrick Henry was born in Trinidad and Tobago and moved to the US with his family in 1973. He attended Valley Christian College in Pennsylvania and later studied Air Conditioning and Refrigeration at Technical Career Institute in NYC. Kenrick worked in General Building Maintenance for over 30 years before retiring. Currently, he serves part-time at CCNG and as Facility Manager at Edge City Church.

Past Teachers and Interns

  • Terry Pena

    Financial Teacher | 2023

  • Mitchell Lo

    Financial Teacher | 2023, 2021

  • Fern Rashkover

    Public Speaking Teacher | 2023

  • Gabriella Reyes

    Small Group Leader | 2023, 2021

  • Yumi Kim

    Coding Teacher | 2023, 2002

  • Ji Young Kim

    Coding Teacher | 2023

  • Grace Dai

    Graphic Design Teacher | 2023

  • Brandyn Chan

    Self Care Teacher | 2022

  • Elliot Urgent

    Music Production Teacher | 2022

  • Liz Ramjit

    Video Editing Teacher | 2022

  • Anthony Gomez

    Photography Teacher | 2021

  • Brian Hsieh

    Graphic Design Teacher | 2021

  • Isha DeGuzman

    Graphic Design Teacher | 2022

  • Eric Kim

    Carpentry Teacher | 2021

  • James Min

    Carpentry Instructor | 2021

  • Kenrick Henry

    Carpentry Teacher | 2021

  • Nicole Vasquez

    Basecamp Intern | 2021

  • Christine Vasquez

    Basecamp Intern | 2021

  • Alice Lee

    Business Teacher | 2019

  • Lionel Li

    Business Teacher | 2019

  • Jennifer Chen

    Sustainable Craft Teacher | 2019