Caroline Knightly, Features Editor
While some teens find it problematic to juggle school with a part time job or sport, senior Jack Havard and junior Austin Leopold have eagerly taken on the position of being board members at the New Canaan YMCA. Having recently being selected by Davie Cedela, the Youth and Family Director, Jack and Austin have been given the opportunity to experience management and responsibility firsthand.
The hiring process took place in September in which out of multiple candidates, only two were chosen. The candidates were those who had participated in past YMCA events or had worked for the YMCA facility. “I have worked the past two summers as a camp counselor at the YMCA sports camp,” Jack said. “One of the directors of the camps approached me asking about my interest in the position because I have been so involved with the YMCA.”
The 2016 plans for renovating the YMCA required assistance and opinions from younger generations to make it as teen-friendly as possible. “Due to the new renovation, I was asked to involve myself with the YMCA board,” Austin said.
Davie Cedela, an instructor for the New Canaan YMCA wanted to reconnect with the younger generation of New Canaan through various events in the YMCA. “The goal is that the teens will help better connect us to the youth in community and provide us with input on what teens are interested in doing at the YMCA,” she said.
Jack Recently started the job in the fall and has been adjusting to what the board is expecting of him. “So far we have just been getting used to how the board works and how the meetings are organized,” he said. “In the future Austin and I will be working to design programs where teens can become even more involved with the YMCA.”
Austin does not consider the board meetings a burden. Instead, he enjoys the new experience and is able to still be involved with other events through the YMCA. “I attend the board meeting every month, sit and listen to what they have to say and add my opinion when they need it,” he said. “Besides board meetings, I do volunteer work at the YMCA and try to help out as much as possible.”
Ms. Cedela advertises the positive energy brought by Jack and Austin and how they affect the layout of the board meetings. “Having the teens serve as part of our board brings a different energy to the meetings,” she said. “It’s great to hear their input and views on decisions that are being made.”
Jack has learned to work with being involved with an organization that teaches him the greater value of leadership and responsibility. “It has taught me how the YMCA works in terms of the business side and has shown me how the leaders go about expressing the YMCA’s mission,” he said.
For Austin, being part of the board has taught him not just lessons on authority and liability, as well as finance. “So far, the board meetings have taught me how to organize a budget, what goes into that budget, and how complex it can get,” Austin said. “It has been a great experience sitting with all the executives of different businesses and organizations.”
When finally coming to the decision of what candidates were fit for the position, Ms. Cedela chose the teens that put forth the best attitude towards the job, and has been rewarded by her decision with dedication and hard work from both boys. “ Austin and Jack are two very well rounded teens with varying backgrounds and interests. We all feel that they will do a great job in setting up the structure of our teen leadership on the board for future years.”
