Growing up the youngest of four was its own adventure, but following three straight A students and not being academically inclined was a nightmare. Add to that a small family business that was prioritized over anything else, that’s my childhood. I was the more social, curious, and questioning type which made me the oddball rebel.

It’s funny to say now, but growing up I was not a fan of the Y. I attended Summer Fun in the third grade and back then, for whatever reason, recreational swimming was mandatory. There was no test or required lessons before being thrown into the deep end; literally. And well, “kick, kick, kick” doesn’t always work out. Having the leader yank me out was pretty traumatic, but what made it worse was the painful ear infection that followed. I remember vowing never to return to the Y. I was 8.

But then in middle school, the internal empath grabbed hold and the weight of the world seemed to rest on my shoulders. Whether it was seeing houseless individuals curled up or digging through rubbish cans, a senior carrying groceries home one long, tiring step at a time, or trash riddled along the street, I felt as though it was somehow my responsibility. I decided to spend the summer volunteering, but the only place that would let a middle school kid volunteer was the Y. Go figure. I spent the summer as a junior leader and it was nice, but being one of the only new kids my age that summer, it wasn’t great.

My lack of interest in academics, the growing importance of friendships, and a blaring sense of empathy really took over through high school. Partying and drinking was my coping mechanism and all I remember of my freshman year. In my senior year, the emotional struggles of family disappointment, alcohol use, and world problems led me through a bottle of Tylenol and a stay at the hospital. Thankfully, here I am.

Barely graduating with a 1.3 GPA, I knew I needed to get away from my friends and get a job. I knew I enjoyed working with kids from my one summer as a junior leader. With my baggy cargo pants, Lugs shoes, and accidentally half-untucked dress shirt, the Y hired me as an after-school program group leader. With amazing mentors and leaders, I found a place where I belonged. I was taught and provided opportunities to hone my empathy into a skill focusing on increasing access and equity, being an advocate, building partnerships, and supporting others on their journey.

In the last 19 years with the Y, I’ve been fortunate to serve in other countries, support countless youth and families, expand learning loss, social-emotional-learning, and college access initiatives, and create space for young people to become Changemakers in their community. Everything I hoped I could do or needed as a kid, I could provide. I got proper swim lessons and can survive, but I won’t be a lifeguard anytime soon. I was encouraged to attend graduate school and in a twist of events got my Master's in Public Administration. I became passionate about Adult Learning concepts (which would have helped me growing up) and decided to pursue my Doctorate in Education emphasizing Adult Learning.

There was no way of knowing that’s how the cards would be dealt, but everything happened for a reason. What made me an oddball rebel as a child laid the foundation for my strength as a leader. It makes me consider if the most challenging thing about someone to me might just be their greatest strength. It’s why I preach leading and communicating with empathy and why I strive to make the most out of every moment. There’s a generational opportunity as a Y movement to leave the world better than we found it. That’s powerful and real. And that’s my why.