Student-Inspired Honors Course Brings Westfield State Students to Camp Sunshine

Commonwealth Honors Program Director, Dr. Hillary Sackett-Taylor, and Honors Scholar Sicilia Campbell (‘28) to present “From Survivor to Syllabus” at the National Collegiate Honors Council Annual Conference in New Orleans. 

Fourteen students from Westfield State University’s Commonwealth Honors Program spent four days this fall volunteering at Camp Sunshine in Casco, Maine, as part of a new service-learning course that began with one student’s personal story of hope and resilience. The course, HNRS 0390: Honors Community Engagement, has now been selected for presentation in the inaugural Idea and Innovation Showcase at the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC) Annual Conference in New Orleans.

Camp Sunshine, located on Sebago Lake, in Casco, Maine has offered free, year-round retreats since 1984 for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families, serving more than 60,000 children, siblings, and caregivers from all 50 states and 27 countries.

For Honors student Sicilia Campbell (‘28), the camp experience is personal. Diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia at age two, she attended Camp Sunshine with her family from ages three to twelve. “I always wanted to set up a community service trip to Camp Sunshine and share this special place with more people,” Campbell said. “Being back at Camp Sunshine and sharing this experience with my honors classmates has meant the world to me.”

Campbell brought her idea to Dr. Hillary Sackett-Taylor, Director of the Commonwealth Honors Program and Professor of Economics, and the two developed it into a one-credit course piloted in Fall 2026. Students prepared by reading This Star Won’t Go Out, the memoir of Esther Earl, who died of thyroid cancer at 16, and discussed the readings across three pre-departure book club sessions. From October 30 to November 2, the group volunteered at the camp’s Mixed Diagnosis “Great Pumpkin” session, serving in childcare, recreational activities, food service, and family support roles, with daily debriefs throughout the trip.

“When Sicilia trusted me with her story and her dream of bringing classmates to Camp Sunshine, I knew we had something worth building together,” said Sackett-Taylor. “Watching fourteen honors students give their time and hearts to the children and families at Camp Sunshine, and seeing Sicilia lead her peers in a place that shaped her childhood, has been one of the most rewarding moments of my career in honors education.”

Students described the reading as essential preparation. “Volunteering at Camp Sunshine after reading about Esther’s life gave me valuable perspective on the medical trauma these families have likely endured,” said Jackie Luszcz. “I loved giving these kids normal moments and giving them space to laugh and have fun in a community where they felt understood.”

Following the trip, each student completes a recorded one-on-one interview with Dr. Sackett-Taylor. The footage, along with student photos and reflections, will be compiled into a documentary to be screened at the Honors Fall Forum on Thursday, December 3, 2026.

Sackett-Taylor and Campbell will present “From Survivor to Syllabus: Designing a Student-Inspired Service-Learning Course with Camp Sunshine” at the National Collegiate Honors Council Idea and Innovation Showcase on Saturday, November 14, 2026. The showcase is designed to inspire honors programs nationwide through collaboration and the exchange of ideas, with representatives from NCHC Awards and Grants and NCHC publications in attendance.

“By continuing to grow our service-learning offerings in the honors curriculum, we aim to cultivate thoughtful, courageous, and socially engaged leaders who carry a commitment to their communities long after they graduate,” Sackett-Taylor said. “We look forward to our continued partnership with Camp Sunshine.”

The 2026 Camp Sunshine volunteers were Caitlyn Braun, Allison Campbell, Sicilia Campbell, Kylie Clark, Amelia Coco Gilardi, Makayla Garcia, Jackie Luszcz, Lia Steskla, Izzy Thomas, Tyara Thomas, Michelle Trieu, Hailey Vargas, Natalie Walett, and Madisen Yanez.