DeKalb educator spends 27 summers helping children with disabilities feel seen, included

Every summer for nearly three decades, one familiar face has been waiting for children with disabilities as they arrive at FOCUS Camp Hollywood. For 27 years, Timothy Strozier has welcomed campers into his recreation class with the same goal: making sure every child feels like they belong.

During the school year, Strozier teaches exceptional education students in the DeKalb County School District. When classes end, he trades the classroom for Camp Hollywood, a FOCUS program serving children and teens with physical and developmental disabilities. 

"It's the passion," Strozier said. "I really, really enjoy FOCUS. I enjoy working with kids with disabilities. I just enjoy seeing the smiling faces when they return."

Camp Hollywood offers recreation, arts, cooking, theater and other activities designed so every camper can participate, regardless of ability. 

"When they come into rec, I want the campers to feel welcome and to feel included," Strozier said. "No matter what type of disability they have, whether it's physical or whether they're nonverbal, I try to adapt activities so everyone can feel a part of it. That's what FOCUS is about."

One of those returning campers is 14-year-old Olivia Frey. Frey, who has cerebral palsy, has attended Camp Hollywood since she was about 3 years old. 

"It gives me an opportunity to hang out with my friends and to just do kid things," she said.

Her favorite part is seeing many of the same campers every summer. 

"It's a lot of the same kids every year," Frey said. "So I get to see the same kids over and over and over again. We really build strong relationships."

Those relationships extend to Strozier. 

"Mr. Tim is a familiar face," Frey said. "I almost can't imagine what camp would look like without Mr. Tim."

She says one thing that sets him apart is his ability to remember every camper. 

"Most of the other staff tend to rely on our name tags," Frey said. "Him remembering your name without having to use that name tag is really important."

Strozier says his commitment to children with disabilities is deeply personal. 

"My mom is paralyzed from a stroke," he said. "She was a fighter. She never gave up."

He grew up watching his mother adapt to everyday challenges after suffering a stroke before he was born. 

"I grew up in a home with somebody with a disability," Strozier said. "She didn't let anything stop her."

Those lessons continue to shape the way he approaches every child who walks into his classroom. 

"I don't look at them as, 'This is the disability they have,'" he said. "I treat them as a normal human being."

As campers arrive each summer, Strozier says his mission is simple. 

"I often think, if that was my child, what type of experience would I want my child to have?" he said. "I want my child to be safe. I want my child to feel welcome. That's something I try to give to the kids."

For Frey, that effort doesn't go unnoticed. 

"He makes sure every kid is included," she said. "He communicates beautifully with the nonverbal campers, and he just easily adapts to every camper's needs."

After nearly three decades, Strozier has watched generations of campers grow from young children into adults. 

"Seeing them summer after summer, seeing how they've grown, that's one thing that I really enjoy," he said.

Some still recognize him years later. 

"I might be at the grocery store," Strozier said. "'Mr. Tim! Mr. Tim! I remember you from FOCUS.'" Those moments, he says, remind him why he keeps coming back.