Suzette Steward Coates is the Founder and Executive Director for Camp Journey and Everyday Opportunities. Suzette graduated from BYU-IDAHO with a Bachelors degree in Recreational Leadership and Minor in Health Science. She has her Special Education EC-12 teaching certificate and taught for eleven years with Katy ISD. Suzette is married to her loving husband Colin Coates who supports her and works beside her to help fulfill her dreams and ambitions.

Suzette is a Katy Texas native and graduated from James E. Taylor in 2000. At a young age she was known for befriending classmates with special needs. Suzette always participated in Circle of Friends and Special Olympics.

This connection led Suzette to choosing her Bachelor’s degree in Recreation Leadership and a minor in Health Science from BYU-IDAHO in 2004. Suzette then went on to get her teaching certificate in special education where she taught for 11 years with Katy ISD.

While teaching she worked in various programs throughout the years. She started her career as a para professional at Memorial Parkway Elementary then she was hired as a Life Skills teacher at Exley Elementary for a year and a half. She then found her passion for working with children with Autism as she opened the Young Child Autism Program at Exley Elementary where she worked for 4 years. While working with these students she saw a lack of services during the summer as they had no outside interaction with others nor experienced typical summer activities. Suzette took it upon herself to start her own summer camp in 2008 called Camp Journey.

In 2010 Suzette followed her 5th grade students where she started the new Cinco Ranch Junior Child Autism Program. Suzette saw an additional need for after school care and created a program in 2010. While working at Cinco, in 2013 Suzette was awarded Top Teacher of the Nation by the television show “LIVE with Kelly and Michael” (see video below). Suzette left teaching in 2015 to pursue her dreams of opening her own day program to continue educating and working with adults with special needs after graduation.

Suzette is an educated caring mentor to all of her clients and those that she meets. She helps advice the parents during times of crisis, and provides much needed respite anytime of the year. Suzette is one of a kind and has a true love for her children as she makes a real connection with each and every one of them.

MORE ABOUT SUZETTE

My first experience with a special needs camp was at Camp for All in 2002 while I was working with The Arc of Greater Houston as a Camp Counselor. Within seconds of being there, I fell in love. Camp for All provides children with disabilities something they rarely get to experience–the opportunities to be just like their peers. To play and have fun without being judged, treated differently, or left behind. The energy at Camp for All is palpable- and I was hooked!

After a week at Camp for All, I realized that it can be life changing and that’s because it was for me. Camp for All ignited my passion to work with children with disabilities in a recreational setting which ultimately led to my decision to graduate from BYU- Idaho in Recreational Leadership.

After college I worked as an intern with the Arc of Greater Houston. There I got to see many different programs being offered for people with disabilities. I was able to lead day camps and week long vacation trips around Texas. My favorite part of the internship was being apart of the planning of Camp Champions and that is where my life ultimately changed. The summer passed and I attend Region 4 where I received my alternate teaching certificate and began working as a Special Education teacher in KISD. It was then that I recognized a need for summer programs in the Katy area. After a lot of planning and preparation, I took a leap of faith and started Camp Journey.

Being able to offer fun and exciting programs for people with disabilities has been so gratifying. I get to see children and adults life change every summer. I see friendships grow and maintain throughout the year as they discuss the lasting memories and fun times made at camp. I get to see kids who struggle with socialization talk and come out of their shells more and more each day. I get to see my volunteers hearts soften as they learn more and more from the campers. But my favorite part of camp is when people start to see my campers as individuals with a name, a face and most of all a personality that is irresistible. Camp Journey is my family and has been a dream come true.