Chazz Guerra-Ogiste wears a lot of hats.
He’s the youngest of five, raised in Boston by two Trinidadian parents. He’s an uncle, a brother, a son, and a friend who does his best to take care of the people close to him. He’s a ninth grade English teacher. A Harvard Graduate School of Education student. A mentor.
And this year, he’s a Boston Marathon runner.
Long before Hopkinton and Heartbreak Hill, Chazz was a 12-year-old arriving at Camp Harbor View for the first time.
A Place to Be a Kid
Chazz first came to CHV in 2010. He remembers the nerves of getting there, and then the feeling that washed over him once he arrived.
“It was like a big ray of sunshine,” he said. “It became very clear, very fast, that this was a place that people were safe.”
For Chazz, that sense of safety meant freedom: to try something new, to be goofy and brave and uncertain, to make mistakes and keep moving.
“I was a kid,” he said. “And I was allowed to be a kid at CHV.”
He describes Camp Harbor View as a safe haven away from any troubles, and a place where his friendships deepened. Many of his closest relationships can be traced back to summers on the island.
“CHV is the single organization that has not only helped me build my character but also has connected me to some of my closest friends. At CHV the quality of my friendships increased in depth and I want to make sure other kids in Boston have the same opportunity.”
Over fourteen summers, Chazz grew with the organization. He moved from camper to LIT, to aquatics and maintenance, to group leader, lifeguard, team leader, and eventually assistant director.
Some campers remember him as the swim instructor who helped them feel steady in the water. Others remember him as the person leading songs and lighthouse spirit.
Finding His Stride
After graduating from the University of Miami in 2019, where he studied Film and Theater, Chazz stepped into an uncertain moment. The pandemic shaped his early post-graduation years, and he worked as a courier, driving long hours across the city.
In the stretches between deliveries, he ran. Running became an outlet, and it stayed with him well beyond those months.
By 2023, Chazz began working as a ninth grade English teacher, and that’s the work he continues today. In April 2025, he found out he was accepted to the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Now, he teaches during the day and takes classes after school.
Running has remained part of his life through each transition. He’s held a long-term goal of running both the Boston Marathon and the Tokyo Marathon, and when he was given the opportunity to run Boston in support of Camp Harbor View, the “why” clicked immediately.
“Camp gave me so much,” he shared. “And I want to give even more back to them.”
Lessons That Last
When asked what CHV taught him that still shows up in his everyday life, Chazz recalled the bravery he saw on display at camp – from new activities to talent shows.
“Camp teaches you to sign up and then step up.”
He talked about the courage it takes for kids to put themselves out there, and the care it takes for a community to meet that energy with encouragement.
Toward the Finish Line
Training through a New England winter while balancing teaching and graduate school takes real stamina. When Chazz describes what keeps him steady, it comes back to a word he repeats throughout his story: discipline.
“I know to achieve my dreams, I have to show up for myself and my goals – every single day.”
When he pictures the marathon finish line, he jokes about being showered with ice packs after collapsing into a waiting wheelchair. Under the humor is a clear intention for the day.
“I want to finish confident,” he said. “I don’t want to just be dragging across the finish line.”
Support Chazz’ Marathon Run
Chazz is running the Boston Marathon to help ensure more young people in Boston have the same opportunity he did: a place to grow, to belong, to build friendships that last, and to discover who they are becoming.
Donate to Chazz’s GivenGain fundraiser
Every gift supports Camp Harbor View’s work and helps carry Chazz, mile by mile, toward race day.
