Camp Daybreak Profile: Erica Boudette

Camp Daybreak Profile: Erica Boudette
Year Started at Camp Daybreak: 2010

Vermont’s population is aging and development of our workforce in health and human services is critical. The State of Vermont has made this one of their top strategic goals.

Camp Daybreak is not only an award winning program for kids, each year we welcome nearly 100 volunteers who are trained and inspired by their experience at Camp Daybreak. Many leave the experience with a passion to commit their careers and lives to the care of others.  

Volunteers often return to Vermont to become medical professionals, educators and clinicians. Folks like Erica Boudette, a Vermont native who started volunteering at Camp Daybreak in 2010, credit Camp Daybreak with helping to guide their professional path. After graduating from Occidental College in California, Erica returned to Vermont looking to start a career and was referred to Camp Daybreak by her sister Katiya who had volunteered in years passed.

“After my first few days at camp, I felt like I had never belonged somewhere so completely. I was surrounded by other individuals who shared my values, who were working in fields I was interested in, and who were extremely compassionate, skilled and understanding. Talking with all the volunteers really affirmed for me that my passion was to work with individuals who need extra support.”

When Erica returned home from her experience at Camp Daybreak she began working at the Howard Center. Over six years later, she is still there, now as a Care Coordinator for children with developmental disabilities or mental health needs and loves it! In her role she is able to work with many kids with needs similar to our campers, some of whom even have been or will be campers, and their families all year round.

Going into her 8th summer at Camp, Erica now oversees one of Camp Daybreak’s four family groups supervising the needs of 10 campers and the 15 volunteers who support them.

“After my first week of camp, I came home and immediately told my family and friends that I had just had the best week of my life, and I still feel that way every time I am at camp. This experience is amazing and life changing for our campers, but it also feels that way to me! I look forward to camp all year long!”