We Are Y Wednesdays
Each Wednesday, we’ll be featuring someone who is part of our Y community, whether a staff member, volunteer, donor or YMCA member. Together, they make the Y a special place where everyone has the opportunity to be healthy, confident, connected and secure. We hope you enjoy meeting them all!
“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 think it’s really important to keep physically fit. It’s important for your weight, for your emotional health and for your mental health.”
“I’d tell others who have had a cancer diagnosis, it’s very easy to assume your new self is a weak person, but you can get strong.”
“I am so much stronger now. I lost a ton of weight, too. I’ve been learning how to lift weights and do them properly and it’s been such difference.”
“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.”
John has been a member of our Y for around 40 years and can be seen almost daily in our Wellness Center.
“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.”
“We joined as a senior couple after reading about a ‘Father’s Day’ promotion. The Y is part of our family history, however, since our two children (now in their 40s) learned to swim at the Y and our son attended the pre-k program.”
“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.”
“Over the past year, as a member of the YMCA Board of Directors, I got to see up close the work being done to ensure the YMCA would continue to be there in whatever ways possible to help the community.”
