MEET OUR STAFF

Cary Hendricks

Executive Director of Laity Lodge Camping Programs

DISTANCE RUNNER
FIRST TO CRACK A JOKE
COOLEST KIND OF SCHOLAR THERE IS

Cary is the Executive Director of Laity Lodge Camping Programs, serving campers and families in the same Canyon where his own family began.

Beginning in 1985, Cary spent the 13 summers in the Canyon as a camper, then a program crew member, and finally a counselor at Echo Valley where he met his wife, Jenny (Allenbaugh) Hendricks. They even worked some of the early Family Camp camp sessions at Echo Valley in the 1990s.

Due in large part to these experiences, Cary pursued a career in relational ministry, spending eight years on Young Life staff as an associate area director and area director in both Texas and Illinois. During his time in Illinois, Cary also served more than four years at a Presbyterian church as the youth and college ministry director. In 2017, he completed a Master of Arts in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary and is currently working toward a Doctor of Ministry in Leadership Development at the same institution.

Cary has been with the Foundation since 2013, first as a Director of Echo Valley, and from 2015 to 2021 as the Senior Director of Laity Lodge Family Camp. Cary and Jenny have been married since July 1999, and their three kids—Seth, Stella, and Sloane—have been fixtures in the Canyon and in Kerrville for many years.

Dayton Whites

Director of Singing Hills

SECOND GENERATION LLYC LIFER
HARDWORKING PROBLEM SOLVER
LOVER OF GAMES AND GOOD TIMES

Dayton’s history with LLYC goes way back. In fact, his history began here. His parents met at camp and were on staff in the 1980’s. Dayton grew up hearing stories about camp and was eventually a camper for three years at Echo Valley. He went on to spend many summers on staff. He was on Program Crew. He was a Singing Hills Counselor for two summers. He was on leadership staff as a PC Boss, and he was a Guy’s Director for two summers. After he graduated from Texas A&M with a degree in Biomedical Sciences, he became an LLYC intern for a year in 2013. The next summer he followed in his parent’s footsteps by marrying his camp sweetheart, Rachel, and they both took jobs in San Antonio. It didn’t take long, though, for them to find their way back to Kerrville to work for the organization that has meant so much to them and has been such a part of their story.

From 2016 to 2019, Dayton worked at Laity Lodge Family Camp managing operations and program staff. Since 2020, Dayton also worked in the Foundation’s Risk Management Department creating trainings and working with programs. He’s excited to pour what he’s learned from those experiences back into Singing Hills. Dayton’s deep knowledge of camp serves him well as he works to lead and serve those call Singing Hills their second home.

Dayton enjoys all things outdoors, loves to play games of any kind, works constantly on his 1907 fixer-upper home, and kills time with his friends, his dog, Mack, or by enjoying a good story. Dayton and Rachel have a little boy named Danny, whom you might see running around camp if you are lucky!

Amy Rickabaugh

LLYC Assistant Director, Singing Hills

PASSIONATE OUTDOORSWOMAN
DRY-WITTED SKIT-MASTER
READER, THINKER, ADVENTURER

Amy Rickabaugh was born in Austin, Texas but spent most of her formative years in San Antonio, where her parents call home. She has one brother who lives in Fort Worth. She graduated from Baylor University, where she studied communications and photojournalism. 

Being outside is one of Amy’s very favorite pastimes, as she loves trail running and riding her bike, followed by any water activity under the sun. She also enjoys reading, and two of her favorite books are Let My People Go Surfing by Yvon Chouinard and American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins.

Amy previously served as an LLYC counselor, a media director for two summers, and a programmer, all at Echo Valley. She loves LLYC because it has fostered so much growth in her life over the years. She is looking forward to further growth for herself and for everyone who joins us at camp in summers to come!

Mike Mrosko

Director of Echo Valley

Mike Mrosko, pronounced Mer-ah-skoh, grew up exploring the vast flat horizons of Amarillo, Texas, which instilled in him a deep sense of curiosity and adventure. He received his B.S. in Marketing, recognizing you can use these skills everywhere. Mike learned early on that the best memories often come after a shared adventure recounting the stories around warm campfires. He’s been blessed to create inspiring stories and meaningful experiences for others pursuing camp ministry for the last 19 years. It is his joy and delight to bring these experiences with him to the Foundation.

Mike has a deep love and passion for people with disabilities, chronic, and terminal illnesses. One of his favorite quotes comes from Helen Heller who said, “A bend in the road is not the end of the road. Unless you fail to make the turn.”

As for his personal life, Mike is blessed to call a true hero his wife, Cristal, who is an RN. Her kindness and laughter brighten the world around her. They have three incredible little ones, two boys aged seven and four, and a little girl who is two and rules the nest. They love the great outdoors and are on a quest to visit every national park before the kids turn 18.

Mike finds joy in the small things, loves to laugh, and tries to find inspiration in everything. His hobbies include hiking, fly fishing, hunting, and the continual search for the perfect campsite.

Mike’s role brings together his passion for youth, camping, and a real lasting relationship with Christ.

Caroline Travis

Assistant Director, Echo Valley

Caroline Travis graduated from Texas A&M University in 2018, along with her husband, Conner. Shortly thereafter, she began developing Young Life youth ministries, youth development resources, and conservation resources in the Big Bend area of far west Texas. Caroline and Conner moved back to the Texas Hill Country with their two-year-old son, Darson, who loves all things nature, animals, music—and his cowboy hat!

Fun facts about Caroline: she has nine siblings, and she eats her cereal with sparkling water.

Caroline said, “I got to see the lives of many of my friends—and even family members—enriched and transformed by the LLYC experience. So, I am extremely honored and humbled to be a part of this mission, learning and growing all the while.”

Kris Cyprian

Director of Food Service for Laity Lodge Camping Programs

MOTORCYCLE-RIDING EXECUTIVE CHEF
HARD-WORKING CULINARY MASTERMIND
HERO TO ALL HUNGRY CANYON GUESTS IN THE SUMMER

Kris Cyprian grew up in Sacramento, California, and is the oldest of two siblings. He received his B.S. in Culinary Management from The Arts Institute of Houston and an MBA with a concentration in Finance from Ashford University in San Diego, California.

Kris started his career at the Houston Country Club and later transitioned to professional sports, working with Chef Rey Darthord, cooking for the Houston Astros, Houston Rockets, and Houston Dynamo. He also spent a year cooking abroad in Germany.

Kris also worked in Sports & Entertainment at Texas State University and as Chef de Cuisine at LSU Club at Union Square. His role gave him the opportunity to cook for famous alumni that went to LSU, such as Hall-of-Famer Shaquille O’Neal, Governor Jon Bel Edwards, and Don Lemon.

Kris is a part of the American Culinary Federation (ACF), where he has served on the National Internal Audit Committee, is a Certified Executive Chef (CEC), and is in the process of studying and practicing toward becoming a Certified Master Chef (CMC).

In his free time, Kris enjoys riding his 2018 Harley Davidson Road Glide Special. He’s also a part of the San Antonio chapter of National Association of Buffalo Soldiers & Troopers Motorcycle Club, a nonprofit organization that does local outreach, community work, and provides scholarships.

He is excited to get to know camp kitchen staff and work with them. He looks forward to talking with campers and families as he sees them around our Ranch Houses. And we all look forward to benefiting from his culinary expertise as he helps provide top quality food service to LLYC and LLFC campers and staff.

Keonna Collis

Registrar

Anna Sitzes

LLYC Associate

QUEEN OF GIGGLES
STUDENT OF HISTORY AND NUTRITION
PROUD MEMBER OF CLAN SITZES

Anna Grew up in Denton, Texas, with three sisters who she loves VERY much. She has been coming to LLYC every summer since she was 7 years old. Throughout her summers on staff she has been a counselor at Singing Hills, a cook at Echo Valley, a Work Crew Boss, a Canyon Club Boss, Roundup Coordinator, and a Girls Side Boss. Because she has seen so many sides of camp she brings lots of great knowledge and experience to our team. She lived in Oklahoma City for four years after graduating high-school and got a degree in History from Oklahoma City Community College. She is currently working toward a B.A. in History from the University of Central Oklahoma. Roll ‘Chos!

Anna joined our team after spending a year doing administrative work at a nutritionist’s office in Austin where she enjoyed getting to learn more about that field of work. She loves LLYC because, for her, it has been a place where she has been able to grow, shift, and mold her faith while being wholly accepted no matter the stage she is in. She looks forward to getting to love, serve, and facilitate a safe space for kids to experience their Creator during their time out in the canyon.

Anna often finds herself reading, spending time outside, and watching women’s college volleyball. Her favorite team is definitely the 2022 national champions, the University of Texas! If you are lucky enough to hang out with with Anna anytime soon, she’s always looking for more book recommendations and excuses to get outside!

Miranda Reeves

LLYC Associate

CONNECTION SEEKER
HOBBY COLLECTOR
SOURDOUGH BREAD MAKER

Miranda grew up in Plano, Texas. She graduated from Texas A&M University with a B.S. in Allied Health and a Psychology minor. In college, she spent a lot of her time volunteering in an after-school program for elementary aged students that focuses on spiritual and community transformation in Bryan. She spent two summers as a counselor at Singing Hills and absolutely fell in love with Laity Lodge Youth Camp. Her favorite part of camp is the relational ministry and meaningful conversations that occur so naturally within the walls of the canyon.

She’ll tell you that getting to spend the day outside doing various activities alongside campers and counselors is a dream come true, and that she learns more about faith, life, and God’s character from the way campers and friends view the world than anything else!

Learning new things is something that makes Miranda really excited, so she tends to pick up hobbies pretty regularly. Some of her hobbies include painting, photography, and lately sourdough bread baking, although she says she hasn’t quite mastered that one just yet. She has a dog named Willa who she does just about everything with, and she has horses at home in Plano.

She is excited to work at her favorite place, getting to know potential LLYC summer staff through the recruiting and interview process, and working closely with them in the summers.

Blayze Sykes

LLYC Associate

Blayze grew up in Sonora, Texas, where his parents own a restaurant. He has two older sisters who are married and have recently blessed him with two baby nephews. Blayze graduated from Texas Tech University, where he received his bachelor’s degree in Finance. Amidst the season of graduating and figuring out next steps, he felt called to move to Kerrville and work for a place that is very near and dear to his heart.

Growing up, Blayze enjoyed being involved in his small Baptist church, going to Laity Lodge Youth Camp in the summers, and playing sports and hanging out with friends during the school year. Throughout his time in college, he was on leadership for his church’s college ministry and played an active part in his Christian fraternity, BYX. These ministries and organizations have immensely grown Blayze in his faith and shaped the person he is today.

For fun, Blayze loves watching and playing tennis. He also plays pickleball (the easier version of tennis), so if you ever want to play, let him know! Reading and chatting with friends are some of his favorite pastimes, specifically at coffee shops or somewhere near a body of water.

Blayze said, “I am very excited to work for a place that has been such a constant in my life.”

Luke Molak

LLYC Associate

Luke is from Austin, Texas, and he grew up going to LLYC, along with his two younger brothers, Colten and Jack. He worked five summers out at LLYC doing various jobs before becoming an associate.

Luke enjoys playing basketball with friends and has been trying to learn the guitar again. He also enjoys being outside, going camping or fishing, and being surrounded by good company, including his Labrador named Buck.

Luke said, “I have loved my summers working at LLYC, specifically Singing Hills, and have had the most impactful times not only for my relationship with the Lord but in helping to guide the campers with their own understanding and development with Him. I believe so deeply in the good work this camp does for so many, myself included.”