Gwen Botting ’80

Gwen Botting '80 has always had a wide range of interests, but it was her high school chemistry teacher who ignited a passion for science. At Knox, her education unveiled her true strengths by teaching critical thinking skills. It prepared her to take on the work of a non-profit organization. “Knox made it possible for me to identify what needed to be fixed and then find a way to fix it, which isn't the easiest thing in the world to do, especially when you have an intractable problem—like a world that does not accept people who are different,” she said. 

Botting never imagined herself as the CEO of a non-profit organization, but now she runs a summer camp in Michigan for visually impaired children called Opportunities Unlimited for the Blind, where her team provides opportunities for children with impaired vision to learn the skills they need to navigate their daily lives.

After graduation, Botting started her career as a technical writer and choir director, but everything changed when her son was born blind. To help support his learning and development, Botting enrolled him in Opportunities Unlimited for the Blind. When the camp sought new leadership in 2012, she took over as the executive director. “I didn’t start the camp, but I took over when it was struggling, and I’ve been running it ever since,” she explained. 

Over the years, Botting has transformed the camp into a vital resource for visually impaired children nationwide. Botting and her team teach them everything from frying an egg to navigating social interactions to thriving in the world that awaits them. Her commitment extends beyond camp activities—she wishes to instill confidence and resilience in her students. “It's about learning to take the tough parts of life and make something out of that,” she said. 

Running the camp requires Botting to be constantly on the grind as she juggles multiple roles to ensure that operations run smoothly. As she prepares to retire, Botting is training her staff to take over the camp and transition successfully. Looking to the future, she aims to create a sustainable model for not just Opportunities Unlimited for the Blind, but one that can be replicated elsewhere. Her dream is to see more programs like hers emerge, fostering a greater acceptance of individuals with disabilities by sharing the camp’s story.

As she reflects on her time at Knox, Botting acknowledges its lasting impact and how it helped her combine her interests and talents in music, the sciences, and writing, which ultimately helped her run her organization. “I turned out to be what they call a renaissance person because I have abilities in so many different areas,” she said. “And that's the kind of person you have to have, I think, to run an organization like this.”