Twenty years ago, NorthBay opened its doors to students for the very first time. Since then, more than 300,000 young people have walked through our campus, many of them experiencing the Chesapeake Bay, real science, and the thrill of being immersed in nature for the first time. This fall, as we celebrate our 20th anniversary and look ahead to our Gala on November 4th, I’ve found myself reflecting on the path that brought us here and why the next 20 years matter just as much.
A Childhood Rooted in Curiosity
I was one of 14 children growing up in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Our family was large, loud, and endlessly creative. We didn’t have much, but we had each other and we had the outdoors. The Ridge behind our house became our playground, our classroom, and our proving ground. We learned to settle arguments, build alliances, and explore our world with nothing but our imagination and a bit of tree bark.
Back then, school was a place you went, but the real lessons happened after the bell rang. That foundational belief that learning is more powerful when it’s personal, playful, and experiential has guided my work ever since.
From Senior Living to Student Lives
Most people know me from my work in senior housing, through the communities built by Erickson Senior Living. But behind that success was a deeper calling: the desire to improve lives, especially through education. You see, in my family, education was everything. Neither of my parents had college degrees, yet all 14 of us earned one. Nine of us went even further, pursuing graduate and professional degrees. We were even listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for a time.
That transformation didn’t happen by accident, it happened because my mother believed that education would change your future. And she made sure we believed it too.
When I had the opportunity to invest in something new, I thought about how I might pass that lesson on. I couldn’t give every child my mother. But maybe I could give them a moment, an experience, that would open their eyes to what’s possible.
NorthBay: A Vision That Took Root
The idea for NorthBay first sparked in the early 1980s. But like many ideas, it had to wait. My career pulled me in other directions. Still, I never let go of the vision: a place where young people could step out of their everyday lives and see themselves differently.
Eventually, that vision collided with opportunity. After years of negotiation and perseverance, we found the right land on the Chesapeake Bay, inside Elk Neck State Park and built a place that could truly change lives.
We didn’t just build a camp. We built an experience. One that combines hands-on science, character education, and unforgettable adventure. One that delivers joy, challenge, and purpose in equal measure.
Looking Ahead with Gratitude and Resolve
As we approach this 20th anniversary, I’m more convinced than ever that NorthBay is exactly the kind of education we need right now. It’s immersive. It’s exciting. And most importantly, it works.
Our world is asking big questions—about health, equity, environment, and purpose. The students who walk through NorthBay are beginning to answer them. They are learning that their choices matter. That their voice has power. That their future is not just something that happens to them it’s something they can shape.
And for me, after all these years, that’s still the spark I’m chasing.
We’ll be celebrating our 20th Anniversary Gala on November 4, 2025—and I hope you’ll join us. Together, we’ve built something meaningful. With your continued partnership, the best is yet to come.
