Darden MBAs Make a Difference at Camp Holiday Trails While Gaining Real-World Board Experience

For children with serious medical conditions, traditional summer camps are often not equipped to meet their needs. Camp Holiday Trails (CHT) in Charlottesville, Virginia, fills that gap. The nonprofit offers classic camp activities — kayaking, swimming, archery and ziplining — with medical staff on site.

The organization has an annual budget of $1.27 million with a year-round staff of 10 and about 35 counselors each summer. More than 600 volunteers support the camp, including 80 medical professionals who volunteer throughout the summer.

Since 2012, students from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business have also numbered among the yearly volunteers through Darden’s Golub Capital Board Fellows Program, which places Second Year MBA students on the boards of local nonprofits. Fellows take courses in governance while completing strategic projects for their organizations.

“The fellows who regularly attended board and committee meetings provided unbiased opinions and recommendations that truly helped us,” said Executive Director Tina LaRoche. “We’ve seen positive impacts from their projects in marketing, investment strategy and camper recruitment.”

50 Years of Growing Fun, Confidence and Independence

CHT was established in 1974 by three pediatricians who wanted to create a safe camp experience for children with cystic fibrosis and diabetes. Since then, the nonprofit has expanded to serve children with blood disorders, cancer, cerebral palsy, juvenile arthritis and other medical conditions. Siblings can also attend camp.

The camp now hosts more than 300 children a year through overnight summer camp, as well as another 300 through family day camp and year-round programs, with a focus on the Mid-Atlantic region.

“It normalizes and creates a network that allows kids to see their diagnosis not as their sole identity, but as just one part of who they are,” said Marissa Wendte, CHT’s director of annual giving.

Samuel Jackson (MBA ’23), brought a background in finance to his board service at Camp Holiday Trails.

While at camp, counselors encourage children to become more independent. “We want to empower the children to advocate and care for themselves,” Wendte said.

Camp leaders say the nonprofit’s impact is evident in campers’ growing confidence and independence. According to CHT, 90 percent of families reported gains in self-confidence, while 70 percent said their children became more independent in managing their medical needs.

Expanding Access and Support

In recent years, CHT has expanded its programming to engage more children and families. The nonprofit now offers family camp sessions focused on specific medical conditions, allowing parents and children to attend together. “It creates a support system for parents and a way for kids to interact with other kids dealing with similar circumstances,” Wendte said.

In 2025, the nonprofit launched “pop-up camps” to bring art, music and other activities to hospitals, clinics and hospice centers for children unable to travel to the campsite.

Camp Holiday Trails reports that 90 percent of families reported gains in self-confidence, while 70 percent said their children became more independent in managing their medical needs.

CHT also runs community support groups for families caring for a child with a medical diagnosis. “The idea is to support the family at large, as the stress of caring for a child with a medical need impacts the entire family,” Wendte said. “We want to provide the resources, education and tools to help a child navigate that.”

Expansion is also underway at the nonprofit’s 72-acre campsite. In the summer of 2026, the nonprofit completed a new $2.4 million medical building featuring a pharmacy, confidential treatment rooms, meeting space and a sensory room. The facility will support programs year-round.

MBAs Help Ensure Financial Health and Strategic Impact

More than 70 percent of CHT’s campers come from families that qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, according to the organization. To help keep the program accessible regardless of income, CHT subsidizes camp costs for at least 90 percent of families.

When financial accessibility is such a key value to an organization like CHT, managing its finances and strategic vision carefully is of utmost importance. That’s where the board fellows can often offer the most value.

Samuel Jackson (MBA ’23) brought a background in finance to his board service at CHT. During budget discussions, he noticed the nonprofit held substantial cash reserves that were not being invested. “Like any nonprofit, there are budgetary issues every year, and with rising inflation, I saw an opportunity for extra income that the camp could benefit from,” Jackson said.

He recommended moving much of the cash into Treasury notes with higher interest rates. “Sam helped us research and evaluate investment products — including moving funds to Treasury bills — and he continues to be a sounding board for our investment strategies,” LaRoche said.

Since completing his MBA at Darden, Jackson has remained on CHT’s finance committee as an expert member, where he has been a “very helpful contributor,” she added.

Jackson said the fellowship helped him build confidence in applying his finance skills and presenting ideas. “As a fellow, you step into a new organization in a role that you don’t fully understand,” he said. “Once you familiarize yourself, you bring an idea to the table, get behind it and ultimately see it come to fruition. It’s a rewarding experience.”

Jackson also said he applies lessons from the fellowship in his role as a co-founder of Milton Point Partners, a boutique investment bank and advisory firm focused on early-stage healthcare companies. “It’s leveraging that experience with Camp Holiday Trails in a new environment,” he said. “You come in as a strategic partner, think about problems from an out-of-the-box perspective and apply that with clients. It’s a valuable way to look at things, and I tie that back to where it all started at Camp Holiday Trails.”

Turning Space Into Revenue

For decades, CHT has generated revenue by renting its space for weddings and special events. Several years ago, a board fellow redesigned the rental package, which Wendte said increased income. In 2025, the organization sought to update and diversify its rental strategy, adding recurring rentals and corporate meetings.

Michael Eckstein (MBA ’26), helped Camp Holiday Trails bring in more revenue through a new rental strategy during his time volunteering.

Board fellow Michael Eckstein (MBA ’26) evaluated the nonprofit’s rental pricing and partnerships, comparing them with similar camp facilities to develop a more structured approach to corporate partnerships.

“The goal of this project was to help Camp Holiday Trails build a sustainable revenue stream that aligns with their mission, while also creating more meaningful ways for organizations to engage with the camp,” he said.

Eckstein proposed several pricing models, including modular packages that bundle lodging, programming and amenity add-ons to simplify the booking process. He also recommended adding an option for renters to donate to CHT.

“Michael surveyed past renters, and that feedback helped us craft our new fee structure and offerings to meet demand,” LaRoche said. “We are also reshaping our corporate sponsorship plan based on additional research Michael completed.”

Eckstein said the most valuable part of the fellowship was participating in board meetings. “I was able to see the decision-making and the strategic direction of how the nonprofit operates firsthand,” he said. “I saw the balance between guiding strategy while also keeping a pulse on some of the more detailed aspects of CHT, making sure never to cross into day-to-day operations and staying true to its mission.”

What made the fellowship especially meaningful, Eckstein said, was the opportunity to apply classroom lessons in a real-world setting while giving back to the Charlottesville community. “It’s not just an academic exercise,” he said. “We’re embedded within a local nonprofit board, contributing to strategic decision-making and practicing board governance while learning.”

Eckstein joined Kearney after graduation as a management consultant, where he said expects to apply skills gained as a board fellow: “I’ll have to rapidly understand how another organization operates internally, contextualize conversations with clients and generate quick insights that can be implemented,” he said.

Board Fellows’ Ongoing Impact

Two new board fellows from Darden will join CHT in August 2026, and leaders are evaluating projects based on the students’ skills and interests.

“The program is such a valuable way for students to get more engaged and learn more about the community in which they live,” Wendte said. “Our organization has clearly seen improvements as a result of the fellows’ work, whether networking, community engagement, recruitment strategies or how rentals are framed. Having them specifically honed in on that — when we might not have the capacity or the time — is amazing.”