“I was always interested in the YMCA; I like what we stand for and we do.”

“I have loved the water since I started swim lessons as a kid, and I like helping people.”

“The team made me feel welcome. I really didn’t speak any English when I came here and the Y was very welcoming and tried to help me assimilate.”

“I’ve met some really great members and I like hearing their stories, hearing them talk about their kids. You also see how the world is really small.”

“I’m in college now and I want to become a guidance counselor. I realized that the Y would be really good practice for that.”

“I had friends who worked here, and although I had never worked with kids before, working at camp sounded fun and I was looking to try something new for the summer.”

“I thought working at camp would be a good first job that would teach me skills that I can use later in life.”

“At camp, I love being able to spend time with the kids all day, doing fun activities and bonding with them.”

“I have very fond memories of playing games and doing activities with my counselors growing up, and I like to be there for my kids now. I’m passing it on.”

“Growing up, I came to this Y for dance, gymnastics and swim classes and was in the after care program. I always knew I wanted to work here.”

“Working in camp is my full circle moment.”

“With Discovery Camp, not all the kids know how to swim yet and I enjoy watching them develop their swim skills from day one to the end of summer.”

“At camp, I like all the activities the kids get to do and all the fun they have.”

“I love being around the kids. I think being with them and giving them a fun summer is my favorite part of camp.”

“It ended up being a really good community and friendly atmosphere, and I wasn’t necessarily expecting that.”

“I like that the Y is 5 minutes from my house, and that I am able to come back during breaks from school. Especially in the summer, I know I have a job when I come home.”

“Back in the ‘80s and ‘90s, I took a boxing class at the Greenwich YMCA, which was led by professional boxer Ron Casella. I met a great bunch of friends there. This really got me connected to the Y.”

“As a lifeguard, I like feeling like I’m helping. I like having that responsibility of keeping people safe.”

“I want to help make this Y the safest, best and most enjoyable place it can be.”

” I am so happy when I swim and I feel like I am passing that happiness, along with my knowledge, on to others.”

“I like that along with lifeguarding comes important life skills like first aid and CPR.”

“For water safety, one tip is for adults to always keep an eye on their kids.”

“I’ve had so many wonderful mentors here – people who really care about what they are doing and that has inspired me.”

“I am so happy to be a part of the Y, and I’m happy to bring restorative yoga, yin yoga and teen yoga to our community.”

“I have been working here for 12 years. Prior to working here, I was a teacher of the deaf for 19 years.”

“As a lifeguard at the Y, I enjoy interacting with different groups of people – the Swim Team, lap swimmers and those here for swim lessons.”

“It’s exciting to see the kids grow up, learn how to do new things, and having a part in that. We bring joy into their day and they brighten our days.”

“I like how every day is different. It’s never the same day twice.”

“I’ve always felt really comfortable around water. Being in the pool is my element.”

“Now that it’s the new year – when people tend to exercise more – I’m hoping we can help even more families in Child Watch, especially since reservations are no longer needed.”

“I wanted to work somewhere that people were motivated to be there because they were giving back – some place that added value to the community, not just a job.”

“My older brother was a lifeguard and he had a good experience with it. He was a beach lifeguard and has had to save people. That inspired me to become a lifeguard, too.”

“I’m now a senior in high school and I started looking for jobs last summer. I wanted to find the right fit.”

“I love the creative ways that the kids play and think, and how they are willing to take on ideas and games and make them their own.”

“You’re also a constant in their life and I like making the programs enjoyable for them.”

“It’s rewarding when they repeat what we’ve taught them and shows how much they are learning from us.”

“I enjoy the social atmosphere and sharing knowledge with other people. I like seeing members advance in class as we go along, and see their confidence increase.”

“The Y has been a huge part of my life. It’s just become part of who I am.”

“I started working here in September, but my family has been members for 11 years – since we moved to the area.”

“I like being around kids and I enjoy working with them. Each one is so different and it’s great to see them grow into their personalities.”

“I have a passion for health and wellness and I love working with people. I’m looking forward to working with the members and bringing new ideas to the Y.”

“Working here is going to help me in the future. I’m getting my master’s in clinical psychology with a concentration in children and families.”

“The Y is a place where I can use my versatile aquatic background and I get to work with different groups of people.”

“I’m a sports management major at my school and last semester, I was offered an internship at the YMCA. I actually used to be a member of a different Y when I was younger.”

“My siblings and I all did swim lessons at the Y when we were young, and this eventually led to my sister, Hannah, joining the Swim Team. The combination of our great experiences with the Y and Hannah being on the Swim Team made the Y the ideal place to work.”

“I’ll be here for 3 years in October. I started as a lifeguard and Ellen (the Aquatics Director) asked me if I would help with swim lessons one day and I liked it. What I like about swim lessons is you never know what to expect from the kids.

“I originally applied to be a volunteer at a special event. I was still new to the area and I was trying to meet people and thought volunteering would be a good way to do this.”

“I like doing the activities with the kids, like tie dye, and it’s nice that I know a lot of the kids from sports classes or from working at camp last summer.”

“I love all the different elements of gymnastics. It teaches mental toughness as well as physical fitness.”

“STEAM Camp combines my two favorite things: kids and science.”

“I’ve been coming here for as long as I can remember. At camp, I was always one of the kids all the counselors knew and I kind of figured I would work here one day.”

“I wanted to become a counselor since I knew I liked working with kids. I have babysat before and helped with my younger sister and cousins.”

“This is a really great camp program. It’s my first time working with kids like this. I think it’s important to give kids as many resources as we can, including over the summer.”

“I used to come here as a kid and took swim classes with my sisters. We would use the gym, too. This was back when I was in elementary school. Now, I’m seeing the Y from a different perspective.”

“I feel like my life has come full circle. I came here as a kid and now I’m working here.”

“I really enjoy working with the kids here. Watching them learn and figure things out is pretty cool.”

“Being exposed to different cultures at the Y helps strengthen our community and bond.”

“I always believed that you need to do something physical, not just to be physically fit, but for your mind. Keeping active is good for your brain health.”

“The YMCA has a special place in my heart. I took swim lessons at the Y as a kid and I’m thankful to the Y for making me a stronger swimmer.”

“I love walking into the Y and pretty much know everyone on my way to the locker room.”

“My favorite aspect of the job is how flexible my schedule can be and just running around playing sports with the kids.”

“What I like about working for the Y is the warm and friendly atmosphere, plus greeting, helping and interacting with all the wonderful members.”

“I live only a few minutes from the Y, and I saw a sign that said the Y was hiring. I had worked for a different Y in college as a summer camp group leader, so I knew that the Y was a great place to work.”

“It was hard for me to find the motivation to exercise on my own. I like that the other people taking the classes hold you accountable in ways. It’s encouraging to know that if I’m not here, they’ll notice.”

“I like meeting a variety of people and there is always something to do.”

“I am happy to say that my time in this volunteer service, in addition to the First Aid Squad, has helped strengthen my community and those in it.”

“We’ve always had such a wonderful staff. Everyone always worked together as a team, which to me is very important. My mantra is ‘together, everyone achieves more.’”

“At the Fanwood-Scotch Plains Y, I’m looking forward to more community involvement and working for a larger organization, while also working with a bigger team.”

“The joy and good vibes that come from leading a class and that special shared experience with members in the gym every Monday night, cannot actually be described in words; it’s just something that grabs your heart and soul, amps up your life and makes you feel like a more complete person.”

“I first started working at the Y because a lot of my friends worked here and I also wanted to get some experience working with children. I like working with kids and now I’m in school for early childhood education. Working here definitely impacted my choice on what to go to school for.”

“In my new role at the Fanwood-Scotch Plains YMCA, I want to bring as much knowledge and guidance as I can to members of all ages – teenagers, college students, adults, seniors. I take a lot of satisfaction seeing people grow their health, nutrition and fitness routines.”

“It’s the perfect job really. It pays well, it’s a great learning experience and my co-workers support me.”

This coming year marks our Y’s 75th anniversary and I’m most excited about our upcoming building project and the opportunities it will provide to our community.

“I’ve met a lot of people since starting here – everyone is really friendly – and there’s always something going on at the Y, which I like.”

“I really like the atmosphere and being a college student, I like the flexibility and how they work with my schedule.”

“I’ve always been good with kids – I come from a pretty big family and would always help take care of the kids.”

“I love being here. It’s a great experience. I love meeting different kids and being around different personalities.”

“The smile on people’s faces after you’ve fixed something is the best.”

“I worked in advertising and marketing throughout my career, but I always felt that something was missing until I came here.”

“I like working with the kids and doing artwork, celebrating the different holidays in the room and spending time with the children.”

“The best part about the Y is, although things have changed, the mood and mindset of the people has stayed the same. It still has that hometown feel. It’s a breath of fresh air in here. Everyone is so friendly and social, whether it’s a new person or someone you’ve known for years.”

“I think I make a positive impact on those around me by fostering creativity and promoting kindness toward others. Since the Y did the same for me as a child, I hope to be able to give that back.”

“I honestly love the excitement the kids get over the fun stuff we have planned for them that day. The relationship you build with the kids is also awesome.”

“It’s where I learned to swim, do gymnastics and yoga, and overall learn to live an active lifestyle – not to mention build a community around myself.”

“Our job at the YMCA has impacted us as much as anyone we come into contact with. It has taught us many important life lessons that we will carry on with us.”

“I want to be a teacher – either for elementary or high school – and I thought this would be a good experience before going into teaching.”

“At the Y, I just love the interactions with people, especially the populations I work with, and I enjoy having an impact on them.”

“I like the teachers here and the way the Child Care is run. It’s just fun to be with the kids all day.”

“I like working in this kind of environment where I can do personal training and work on the Wellness Center floor. I like that it’s welcoming for people of all fitness levels, including beginners.”

“It’s about finding the right style that works for you. There are many benefits to Tae Kwon Do: you’re getting in shape, learning self defense and you keep moving.”

“I was a member of another Y before this, pretty much for my whole life. It’s where I learned to swim and in high school, my swim team used the Y pool for practice.”

“Every day, I enjoy going to work. They are just fun to be around, and when you’re able to help them, it’s a good feeling.”

“Working here actually inspired me to get my teaching degree. It wasn’t something I was planning to do when I graduated from high school.”

“As a swimmer, lifeguarding seemed like something I could do. I also appreciate having the opportunity to swim and wanted to give back.”

“I’ve studied Tae Kwon Do since I was in high school. My best friend in high school was a black belt in Karate and I was shocked by what he could do. I wanted to learn, too.”

“I enjoy being so involved in the classroom and getting to know the kids. I like seeing how they interact with each other and with us.”

“I came back to work at the Fanwood-Scotch Plains Y in early March. I had previously worked here during the 2017-2018 school year as a lifeguard and swim instructor.”

“I’ve always just enjoyed working with kids and sports is a huge part of my life. When I got the opportunity to work at the Y, I realized that I wanted youth sports to become a long-term career at some point.”

“For me, it’s a win-win-win. I get to exercise, I get to go to work, and I help other people get healthy.”

“This is going to be my 5th year working here. I’ve pretty much grown up at the Y though. My older brother and I went to camp here when it was Camp Mak. Some of the people here basically know me from when I was born.”

“The kids are just fun; they’re really cute. I like to watch them grow. The kids I’m with now have been with me since they were around 18 months and now they’re going to be 4.”

“I started working here around September. I lost my previous job when COVID hit and I had no place to work.”

“I started working here in March 2017 and worked in the after care program at several schools, including Evergreen, School One and McGinn.”

“I’m a Y person, whenever I move, I look for the YMCA. There I always find a community.”

“I came to the Fanwood-Scotch Plains Y when I was a senior at Union County Vo-Tech with a focus in Child Development. I interned with the Y’s former Kinderwrap program to get my first real teaching experience.”

“I started working here again in July 2019, but I was also here back in the 80s. I was a lifeguard, I worked at the front desk and was also a camp counselor when it was Camp Makawakmo.”

“First, in elementary school, I participated in the Y’s after care for about four years from first to fourth grade.”

“I have been working here on and off since I was 17. I started working in the after care program and then switched over to Grand Street, where I worked in child care and at the front desk.”

“I came to the Fanwood-Scotch Plains YMCA for swim lessons for my children. Little did I know at the time that I would find a wonderful supportive community to connect with.”

“I have been working at the Y since 2017. A few of my friends went to camp until they aged out and I knew Katie from when I was in after care.”

“I have worked at the Y for 4 years. I started with camp first. I went to Y camp and Y after care my whole life.”

“I first was a substitute at Grand Street in August of 1992 and I joined the child care staff in May 1993. This was my job when I went to college. I always say, ‘the Y has always been what I needed it to be.’”

“I’ve been working here for five years. I started my senior year in high school. I wanted to work with kids and I thought this was the perfect job for me.”

“I’ve been working at the Y for three years now. I started in Discovery Camp and have worked camp every year since, and I’ve also helped out in the Wellness Center.”

“This is my fifth summer working here, but I’ve pretty much been a member since I was born.”

“I personally took ballet lessons at the Y’s Grand Street location when I was a child, and my children took swim lessons and gymnastics here growing up.”

“I have been working here for 24 years. My husband was doing the lawn maintenance and snow plowing at the time. We were friends with the Membership Director, Joanne, and my husband came in and said my wife would like a job at the Y.”

“My Y story started when I was around 2 years old. I first came here to do parent and me swim lessons and then started regular swim lessons.”

“During my junior year in high school, I met the Director of Child Care for the YMCA at a school job fair. I applied for a 3-day position that was then held in the main Y building.”

“I have been working here for about 7 years. I needed a job and I emailed the Camp Director at the time. She hired me for Summer Camp and I also started working in the after school program during the year.”

“My journey here at the Fanwood-Scotch Plains YMCA started when I was 3 years old with parent-child swim lessons. My father would bring me every Saturday for classes.”

“I started at the Fanwood-Scotch Plains YMCA in 1993 after joining the FSPY Swim Team. I started working as a lifeguard and swim instructor in 1997.”

“My Y journey began with swim lessons run by my local Y when I was 9 years old. From there, I joined the Swim Team and stuck with it through grade school.”

“My Y story goes back a bit. Our family moved to New Jersey from Massachusetts in 1996 when my boys were 5 years old and 11 months old. My husband was working in the city and I was alone with the two boys. So, the first thing I did was seek out the YMCA!”

“My story started when I was in college. I was taking an education course that required me to either volunteer or work at a school or child care center. I found myself at the Grand Street Y working as a teacher’s aide; 30 years later, here I am as a senior program director.”

“I started part-time 10 years ago as an instructor teaching cycle. I was a member and had been taking another instructor’s class and she asked if I’d be interested in becoming an instructor myself.”

After I graduated high school, I moved away and went to college. But I wasn’t 100% committed. I changed majors and decided it was best to take a break, figure out what I wanted to do and then go back.”

“My Y journey started when we moved to Scotch Plains in 2004. My son attended the YMCA Child Care at Grand Street as an infant, and through the years, my kids took swim lessons, my husband and I use the gym and both my daughters started gymnastics at age 4. In 2015, my former director asked if I would be interested in teaching preschool gymnastics classes. That summer, I trained and started teaching. I then…

“I started at the Y in Union when I was 17 as a camp counselor. I had no intention of working for the Y as my career. When I graduated college, I decided to work for the Y one more summer and then find a ‘real job.’”

“I was at the Y as a member for at least 15 years before becoming a teacher. I learned to swim there as an adult, and my kids also learned to swim there.”

“When I was in college, I majored in sports management and I was looking for an internship. I participated in a lot of sports growing up like football, basketball and track which led to my interest in sports management. I knew that the Y offered a lot of sports programs and applied for an internship.”

“My twin sons were 15 months old and I thought I might like a little part-time job for a couple of hours a week. I worked in Child Watch, back then it was called Babysitting, for about 2 weeks and then was moved to the Front Desk.”

 “When I was little, I used to go to the Fanwood-Scotch Plains Y for Preschool and to take swim lessons.”

“During the Fall semester, I was looking for internships related to my major. My university connected me to the YMCA with an internship in marketing/communications.”

“I started taking gymnastics classes at the Grand Street building when I was very young and was invited to join the Gymnastics Team by the time I was 9 years old. I competed for the Fanwood-Scotch Plains YMCA Gymnastics Team for nine years, representing the team at Nationals several times.”

“I joined about 18 years ago when my oldest was a baby. I was looking for a gym that offered babysitting so I could exercise. Over the years, the Y has provided my family with classes to meet our needs at every stage.”

“I have been working here since 2014 and started at the old Grand Street location. I was looking for a new job after my old daycare closed, and the family I was nannying for told me that the Y was hiring.”

“I started here in September 2017 in the Aquatics Department. I was under a tremendous amount of stress in my life the year before and started taking water exercise classes to help alleviate some of my stress.”

“I came here as a lifeguard and swim instructor and now I’m the Aquatics Coordinator. My job is coordinating the Red Cross trainings for Lifeguarding and CPR for our staff, developing plans for pool safety, inservice trainings and helping to manage the pool chemicals.”

“I moved to the area in May 2017 and became a member of the Y. About a year later, I started working here as a substitute fitness instructor.”

“I moved to Plainfield in 2002 and was looking for a place to swim. I have been a competitive swimmer for most of my life. I thought this Y had the best pool in the community. The first time I came here, I ran into my friend who knows about my background as a Swim Coach. He asked if I’d be interested in coaching here.”

“I started here 30 years ago this year. They were looking for a gymnastics instructor while I was in college, and I’ve been the gymnastics coordinator since 2001.”

“I first started working here as a camp counselor and then moved into after care. I love knowing all the kids. I just enjoy seeing them, how excited they get.”

“As a child, I used to swim here on the weekends, along with being on the YMCA basketball team. This was the first basketball team I was on in the third grade and I went on to play for many more. Now, I am an advanced lifeguard, so my job requires me to lead and set a good example for my co-workers.”

“I started working here in 1988 as an aerobic instructor. In 1995, there was an opening posted for a part-time system administrator, which I applied for and got the job. Then in 2008, I became full-time as the IT director. The job kept evolving over the years.”

“I have been working for the YMCA for almost 18 years. I like to teach the kids. I want them to love school, to have fun and learn through having fun. I like to teach them through games, song and dance and make sure they’re comfortable, that they feel respected.”

“I lived in Scotch Plains my whole life and I wanted to go to the gym to work out. I was always exercising, but I hadn’t joined a gym. I was in my 40s and I decided to try it out here. I saw people I know and ended up forming friendships. I said, ‘you know what? I’d like to work here part-time.”

“I have been working here for more than 10 years and was a member before I started teaching group exercise classes. I was taking Sheri’s Step class and I thought working here would be a win-win-win situation. I can help other people, work out myself and get paid to do something I enjoy.”

“I was already a Y member when I started working here. I retired and the next day I came in. The Aquatics Director at the time asked me what I was doing here during the day. She said, ‘let me guess, you retired and came to work for me?’

“I started working here full-time in 2008 as the fitness director. For a few years prior, I worked part-time as a group exercise instructor and consulting dietitian. What I like most about my job is the diversity. Each day is different and I’m always meeting people of different ages and backgrounds.”

“I love the people. You make so many friends working here. The members are great. My job is to welcome the members and help give them direction with whatever they need, whether it’s downloading our app, directing them to the right location, or sometimes, they just need you to listen.”

“What I like about teaching at the Y is the diversity of the students. They want to learn and have so much energy and positivity. Discovering who they are personality-wise and through dance has been an awesome experience.”

“I started working here in 2005 as a sub. In the middle of the school year, the Y needed a music specialist. I learned how to play guitar and took lessons to enrich the program. I became a teacher’s aide for several years after that, and this is my first year as a head teacher.”