Emma Makdessi
Emma oversees the vision and implementation of Outright's youth and family programming, ensuring that the structures, activities, and affinity spaces help youth and families to flourish. They also direct Camp Outright, including supporting a team of volunteer staff, crafting a fun-filled itinerary for campers, coordinating logistics, and showing up for youth in the ways that they need them.
As a queer youth, Emma yearned for spaces to be around other queer people. Because of her experience, it's her mission to create those spaces for youth to find their people. Emma is always on the lookout for opportunities to connect more youth, adults, and organizations to Outright through symbiotic relationships with community leaders and partner organizations - because everyone knows someone who could benefit from the magic of queer joy.
Emma spent two transformative years as part of AmeriCorps NCCC. Throwing herself wholeheartedly into different communities and types of work shaped Emma into a creative, flexible leader who can hold the big picture. Working with youth is a constant in their life, and they have been running excursion, virtual, day, and residential summer camps for more than 15 years. Of all the camps they've been part of, Camp Outright is the only one designed specifically to serve LGBTQ+ and allied youth!
When she's not pouring over program plans and cabin assignments, Emma enjoys traveling, hiking, camping, and playing with her cat, Pistachio.
