truenorthcs
From camper to counselor, Newaygo native Jackie Charette is excited to take on another role, as a volunteer on Camp Newaygo’s Advisory Board.  Jackie’s connection to Camp started in 2008 when Jackie was awarded a scholarship to attend camp. She loved that first week at camp, met some of her closest friends, and came back for two additional summers. At camp, Jackie could be “authentically myself, loved by the people around me, and was encouraged and celebrated to be Jackie.” Jackie recalls Camp staff coming to Newaygo High School to talk about the benefits of working a summer at camp. Jackie jumped at the opportunity to give other girls the feelings of belonging and female empowerment she experienced. Working at camp was also a great place for her to develop skills to work in residence life at a University–a career goal she already had her sights set on, and has since obtained! Jackie was eager and honored to commit to a board term to give back to a place that has meant so much to her. With her love for Camp Newaygo, Jackie was excited to join a group of influential and legendary Newaygo women and supporters. She is loving the amount of responsibility and opportunities being on the board provides and feels that, “as a young person, I am brought fully into the conversation with a level of mutual respect.” When reflecting on her experiences with Camp, Jackie shared immense gratitude to those unknown supporters who made her first summers possible. She has felt a reciprocal responsibility to give her time, talent, and connections so others can be part of camp. As Jackie begins this new philanthropic role, she’s excited to lean on her Camp experiences and knowledge in order to give back.

This story was featured in our 2020 Annual Report, view the full report here.