Half a Century of Impact: Changing Lives with Summer Camp Experiences

Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Theresa O’Bryant. Read her story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.

When Agassiz Village celebrates its 90th anniversary in 2025, it will also mark a monumental milestone for Theresa O’Bryant: 50 years of unwavering dedication to the camp and its mission. Theresa’s journey with Agassiz, an overnight residential camp, began in 1975 when she attended as a 13-year-old camper. Like many of the children Agassiz serves today—23% of whom are unhoused or in foster care—Theresa sought a space to feel safe and free.

Unlike most campers, however, Theresa never “moved on.” Instead, she “dug in,” making Agassiz Village a lifelong commitment. Her passion stems from her own transformative experiences at Agassiz and her belief that every child deserves the opportunity to explore their potential in a supportive environment.

“I’m an Agassiz kid. And after I spent a summer as camper, I returned to The Village to work as a counselor in training,” Theresa shares. “I was just a 15-year-old kid learning to help other people. As a counselor, I worked there for nearly a decade.” Today, as the board chair of Agassiz Village, Theresa’s leadership ensures the camp continues to serve its diverse and vulnerable population effectively. She plays a key role in recruiting and onboarding new board members, mentoring them to channel their talents for the benefit of the organization.

“Home life can be stressful. But at camp, kids get to be kids, and that means a lot,” she reflects. “To have an opportunity, as a kid from the city, to walk on soft dirt roads and breathe clean air, that’s a valuable experience. I had that experience, and now I get to help others have that experience when they’re teenagers and young adults.”

Theresa’s impact extends far beyond the boardroom. She’s an attorney. She has a master’s degree in business. She serves as the general counsel at Massachusetts College of Art and Design. And she is a hands-on volunteer who participates in alumni and volunteer weekends at Agassiz, rallying groups for campus work projects and offering support to camp staff.

“I’ve spent a meaningful amount of time at camp when there are children there, because it’s so important to see your efforts in action. In some ways, the kids look a little different, but they also look so much the same as I was when I was just a little kid trying to find my socks,” Theresa says. “They leave the city and they go to a rural camp in Maine, on two miles of a pristine lake waterfront, for a two-week period. They go without their electronics. It’s hours away from Boston or New York. Sailboats, canoes, sprawling acreage: they get to experience things they just don’t get to do in the city.”

Theresa works tirelessly to ensure the camp remains a place of hope and opportunity for families who might otherwise be unable to afford such an enriching experience. Under her leadership, Agassiz Village has embraced Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) principles to better serve its campers, 92% of whom qualify for federal assistance. “The problem is that there aren’t a lot of summer camps that will take kids whose families can’t afford to give them a quality camp experience,” Theresa shares. “Agassiz is one of only three camps in Maine that will take kids whose families can’t afford to send them to camp, and give them what I call a ‘rich kids’ camp experience.”

Theresa’s professional interests and volunteer efforts largely focus on eradicating poverty. “It should be a civil right, to play in a place that’s safe where there’s fresh air. That’s not a right, guaranteed by law. I’d like to make that right the case, despite the law,” she says. “One of the things we haven’t been able to do over 90 years is stay steadfastly focused on making sure the facilities are entirely up to par.” So now, Theresa is co-chairing Agassiz Village’s upcoming Capital Campaign, working to secure the organization’s future and expand its capacity to serve even more children. Her efforts have already resulted in critical funding and infrastructure improvements, ensuring that Agassiz Village remains a transformative space for decades to come.

As a legal counsel, Theresa also sponsors campers annually, ensuring they can attend without financial barriers. Her personal and professional contributions exemplify her deep commitment to the Agassiz mission. She inspires her fellow board members to “work harder for the kids,” ensuring that every decision made serves to uplift the campers and their families.

Theresa’s half-century of service to Agassiz Village is a testament to the life-changing power of opportunity, compassion and community. “I know the children we serve have tremendous potential,” she says. “I was one of these kids. And I know firsthand that you don’t have to finish the way you start. If I can get an opportunity to do something that doesn’t take much—just some time or some money—to help change the trajectory of a kid’s life, that is personally enriching work.” Her enduring dedication continues to shape Agassiz Village, making it a place where kids can just be kids, and where dreams take root.

“No one goes through this life alone. Everyone has had someone in their world who has helped them, supported them or encouraged them,” Theresa says. “Sometimes, that isn’t a formal family relationship. Sometimes that’s an organization, a nonprofit or just an event. Should you have space in your life—and I believe everyone does—give what you can, whether it be time or donation. The value you can bring is far more than you can ever imagine.”

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