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Nick and a camper take aim at an archery target.

Cross paths with Camp For All staff member Nick Narcisse and you probably won’t forget it anytime soon. Upbeat, supportive, and focused, he’ll go out of his way to say hello and offer a friendly handshake or embrace before he leaves. You can’t help but get a strong sense that Nick loves discovering life.

Nick first learned about Camp For All during his freshman year at Blinn College in nearby Brenham, Texas. He attended a campus career fair where Camp For All was recruiting new staff members.

“Camp For All made a big impression on me. As soon as I interacted with the campers, I wanted to be a part of it,” Nick said. “Not only does Camp For All transform the world for children and adults with challenging illnesses, disabilities, or special needs, it also transforms staff members. Being at Camp makes me want to be better in every aspect of my life.”

A staff member since 2023. Nick acknowledges that he has grown a lot during his time at Camp For All. He cites the many opportunities he and other staff members have to make a positive impact on campers, whether it’s serving as a lifeguard, running an activity, or sharing words of encouragement.

“You eventually blossom into someone the campers look up to and, at the same time, a person you didn’t think you could be,” he said.

Some of Nick’s favorite experiences include dancing with campers during the daily “Energizers,” making himself a target during “Water Days” at Camp, and belaying climbers in Star Place and on the climbing tower.

“One of the greatest rewards of being a Camp For All staff member is when our campers trust and confide in me because I made an impact on them,” Nick said. “It’s an incredible feeling and one of the reasons I love what I do and why I do it.”

Nick’s Camp For All experiences and surrounding himself with what he calls, “amazing people,” have also positively impacted his life beyond Camp. He has built relationships with major industry influencers in music and entertainment, which has grown his passion in these areas, as well as in entrepreneurship. Nick has also helped lead food drives for retired veterans, which has created an interest in the military.

“At Camp For All, everything we do is about joy, fun, and enabling our campers to discover life,” Nick said. “Camp For All has also helped me discover life in more ways than I could have ever imagined.”

Ashley Gumbert and Karen Bunger.

Spend just a few minutes with Karen Bunger and Ashley Gumbert and you’ll be able to tell that they’re lifelong friends. All the unique characteristics are there to see – the shared smiles, simultaneous nods of approval, and comments that build seamlessly on each other’s thoughts and ideas.

Their bond is easily recognizable when Karen and Ashley, event co-chairs, talk about the 2025 Camp For All Gala, “Bubbles & Brews – A Toast for All,” on Thursday, October 9, 2025 in Brenham.

Their connection also includes their shared passion for serving others.

Karen has more than 20 years of experience as an Educational Diagnostician, with the past four years working with the special education department in the Brenham Independent School District. During her time in Dallas, Karen worked with Pediatricians of Dallas providing evaluations for children with special needs, including developmental delays, ADHD, and learning disabilities.

Ashley was a member of The Junior League of Houston where she volunteered at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital, co-chaired the bookfair at St. Luke’s Methodist Church, co-chaired Fathers and Flashlights, a fundraiser for West University’s parks, and worked with children with special needs at the Conroe Independent School District.

Both raised in Brenham, Karen and Ashley have been close to Camp For All for many years. They’re regular volunteers at Camp, and two of Ashley’s sons are volunteering this summer.

Karen and Ashley’s bond extends to their relationships in the community. Marita and Robert Mikeska, the honorees of this year’s gala, are close friends. Marita invited Karen and Ashley to join the Camp Friends Board, which they’ve each served on for the past two years.

“I hope our community continues to recognize just how important Camp For All is – not only as a place for children and adults with special needs to come together to discover life, but also for its ability to touch the lives of so many,” Karen said.

“Camp For All is truly a unique and special place that we are lucky to have right in our own backyard! Camp provides life-changing experiences for both campers and volunteers,” Ashley said.

On behalf of everyone at Camp For All, we’re lucky to have the unwavering support, service, and selflessness of these lifelong friends. Thank you for everything you do, Karen and Ashley!

Sharee and “Mr. Steve” at the Camp For All fishing pier.

While being raised in Channelview, Texas, east of Houston, Sharee Hebert grew up with a deep sense of value for volunteerism and service. She didn’t have to look very far for two exceptional role models: her parents, Steve and Sharon Walker. Campers affectionately know Steve as “Mr. Steve” or “Pops,” depending on the Camp.

“Our parents were always helping with everything. They were always the last ones to leave,” Sharee recalled. “Our parents taught us to give what you could through serving others.”

While Sharee was in high school, her sister was a patient at MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital in Houston. It was through MD Anderson that her father learned about Camp Star Trails, a Camp For All nonprofit Partner.

“It was back in 2001 when my dad asked me if I wanted to join him as a counselor with Camp Star Trails. I immediately fell in love with the people and experience,” she said.

Sharee continued volunteering with Camp Star Trails in the early 2000s and again in 2008, 2009, and 2010. Following time abroad, including living and teaching in China, Sharee relocated back to Katy, Texas with her 12-year-old daughter in 2022. The move to Texas gave her an opportunity to renew her passion for Camp For All.

“When I started volunteering again in 2022, I decided I wanted to try some new experiences, so I signed up to help at Camp For All,” Sharee said. “I’ve found this side of volunteering is also incredibly rewarding. I get to do it all.”

Sharee is shaping future generations of medical professionals through her teaching career at The Village School in Houston. She recently took 20 students from the high school’s pre-med program to Camp For All. “I wanted the students to understand the medical side of Camp For All and how campers may be treated and cared for when they’re at Camp. The experience really touched them, and they asked to go back next year,” she said.

Speaking of future generations, Sharee is also eager to have a third-generation member of her family follow in her and her parents’ footsteps toward volunteerism and service. “I can’t wait until my daughter is old enough to volunteer at Camp For All,” she said proudly. And we can’t wait to see Mr. Steve’s photos of that memorable day.

Elizabeth and a camper having fun.

Elizabeth Gonzales’ involvement with Camp For All and Emerging Leaders stems from a lifelong passion for meaningful inclusion and advocacy.

As a former respite provider for more than 10 years and a volunteer with Easter Seals Greater Houston, Elizabeth has worked closely with individuals of all abilities, witnessing both the barriers that exist and the unique strengths and talents each individual brings. Her time volunteering at Camp For All was transformative – it reinforced her belief that true inclusion isn’t just about access, but it’s also about creating spaces where everyone is valued, empowered, and celebrated.

As a former development team member at Camp For All, Elizabeth also understands the critical need for advocacy and sustainable support to ensure these life-changing programs continue. She is committed to championing spaces like Camp For All, where every individual, regardless of ability, can experience joy, independence, and belonging.

Through Camp For All Emerging Leaders, Elizabeth hopes to amplify these efforts, ensuring that inclusion is not just a concept, but also a lived reality for all

Tim, Ally, and their children, Charlie and Zoey.

As a husband, father, and Senior Product Manager at Autodesk, Tim Kelly’s experiences at Camp For All taught him invaluable lessons about teamwork, adaptability, and empathy.

Each week, as new groups of campers arrived, it was his duty as a staff member to ensure they felt welcome, engaged, and ready for fun. Because there’s such a large variety of responsibilities for staff members, it was critical for everyone to be flexible and collaborate effectively. Tim and his Camp For All colleagues were constantly adapting to meet the unique needs of each group, ensuring they were safe and comfortable while enjoying every activity.

Camp For All welcomes diverse campers, volunteers, and staff members. Therefore, Tim found it was always important to make sure everyone was included, no matter how much was required to adjust the game or activity. Tim also found that collaborating with a diverse staff was especially important because it provided different perspectives on those situations.

These lessons – and so many more from Camp – have become a core part of Tim’s personal and professional life and benefit him every day. He and his wife Ally, a member of the Camp For All Board of Directors, met at Camp as staff members in 2005. Two decades later, they often find themselves reflecting on their experiences.

The influence of Camp For All extends to Tim and Ally’s personal values and community involvement, as well as Tim’s approach to leadership in his career because of all that Camp provides to campers and staff members. Tim and Ally said their commitment to Camp today is a testament to the magical feeling and pride they get from being a part of the staff at Camp For All.