Erica Hicks was fifteen years old when she first became involved with the NYSP, not as a camper, but as avolunteer. Having grown up in Cleveland鈥檚 Lee-Harvard neighborhood, Hicks had several family connections to the program - it was actually her best friend who invited her to join in the first place. 鈥淗er mom was working as an art teacher at the time,鈥 Hicks recalls, 鈥...so I would go help her mother out, I would teach art classes five times a week...and then I decided that I wanted to be a camper.鈥
Just two years later, Hicks was volunteering again - this time as an administrative assistant. This time she worked with her own mother in the cafeteria and in the office, taking care of paperwork and scheduling. 鈥淸My mom] would be on the phone with any concerned parents...she was also head of the cafeteria, and worked for the afterschool program,鈥 Hicks looks thoughtful as she remembers the long list of responsibilities her mother held at camp. 鈥淥h, she had a classroom, so she would teach lessons to the students in the afternoon.鈥
As an administrative assistant, Hicks took over in the office when her mother went to aftercare. While she spent most of her time answering phones, she also learned how to build relationships with the cam