Building a Foundation for Philanthropy

Q. Where are you now?
A. After doing internship with Children’s Home Society in my hometown of Sioux Falls last summer, I’m a senior this year at Northwestern (studying social work) and will he going to Denver in the spring for my practicum.

Q. What did you learn from the experience?
A. Being in YAC made me more aware of just how much good is in this city. There are tons of people doings tons of great things for other and it was a privilege to get a look into that.

Q. How did participating in Youth Advisory Council help to shape your future?
A. Since being in YAC, I have volunteered numerous places in Sioux Falls because I’ve realized just how great some of these organizations are. I’ve also become more of an advocate for those less fortunate than myself.

Q. Where are you now?
A. After school (University of Nebraska, Lincoln (BSBA in Economics) and Creighton University (JD and MBA), I returned to Sioux Falls and am working at our family business, The First National Bank in Sioux Falls. I currently manage the Personal Wealth team within the Wealth Management department.

Q. What did you learn from the experience?
A. I remember meeting some great business leaders in Sioux Falls and learning what a philanthropic culture our city has. I really enjoyed the process of reading all the grant applications and learning about the wonderful initiatives taking place to provide services and support to those in need in our great city.

Q. How did participating in Youth Advisory Council help to shape your future?
A. My involvement definitely cemented my own desire to be philanthropic and to continue giving of my time, talent, and treasure. This was also my introduction to the Community Foundation and so I became familiar with the services it could offer which influenced Kyle and I to turn to them first when choosing to open our own Donor Advised Fund a couple years ago.

Q. Where are you now?
A. I'm currently a senior at SDSU for studying history and political science. I'm planning on going to grad school for public administration next year.

Q. What did you learn from the experience?
A. Learning about some of the places in Sioux Falls seeking grants. It was cool to meet the other students as well.

Q. How did participating in Youth Advisory Council help to shape your future?
A. I was a part of a volunteer organization (SALSA) (which) impacted my life more than anything.

Q. Where are you now?
A. I am a first year resident in Internal Medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. I married a YAC alum and high school sweetheart, Jaime Johnson, this spring. I hope to continue my training and pursue a medical practice in Gastroenterology and hope to be back home practicing in South Dakota six years from now.

Q. What did you learn from the experience?
A. I loved the opportunity of service and getting to meet other motivated and passionate high schoolers from around the area.

Q. How did participating in Youth Advisory Council help to shape your future?
A. It taught me a lot about service, leadership and committee work. I use skills that I developed through my time on the council nearly everyday.

Q. Where are you now?
A. After UNL, I now live in Omaha and work for Pinnacle Bank. CASA volunteer and spin instructor.

Q. How did participating in Youth Advisory Council help to shape your future?
A. I've loved volunteering always!

Q. Where are you now?
A. I attended the University of Nebraska - Lincoln (finance major) and moved to Washington, D.C., after graduating. Since then, I worked exclusively at non-profits in D.C. (finance roles at Women for Women International, National Geographic Society and NPR).

Q. What did you learn from the experience?
A. I loved reading grant applications and seeing how money could positively influence various causes/projects in the area. I also enjoyed meeting and spending time with fellow "highly motivated" high schoolers in the Sioux Falls area.

Q. How did participating in Youth Advisory Council help to shape your future?
A. I think this exposure motivated me to pursue roles within non-profits.

Q. Where are you now?
A. I attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for undergraduate degrees in English and political science. I then attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where I earned my PhD in political science. I currently live in Moscow, Idaho, and work as an assistant professor at a college. I'm fairly involved in service for the college and our community and always seeking out various volunteer opportunities.

Q. What did you learn from the experience?
A. I really enjoyed the days where we would volunteer in the community to complete various service projects. I also liked reading the different grant applications and attending the presentations from different community organizations. It also gave me a very different perspective on all of these things happening in Sioux Falls that I had previously been unaware of.

Q. How did participating in Youth Advisory Council help to shape your future?
A. I remember not really understanding the grant process until YAC and as someone who is frequently writing various grants, I can certainly trace the line from my experiences as a member of the Youth Advisory Council to what I'm doing today. Like I mentioned, I really had no sense in early high school about the different organizations doing a broad range of advocacy work in the Sioux Falls area. I was really inspired during my time on YAC and have continued to seek out opportunities for service and advocacy in my local community.

Q. Where are you now?
A. After graduating from Creighton (marketing major), I now live in Minneapolis and am the lead project manager for Target HQ’s store experience marketing team.

Q. What did you learn from the experience?
A. I loved being able to make decisions that impacted the community, especially as a high schooler.

Q. How did participating in Youth Advisory Council help to shape your future?
A. It gave me a broader understanding of how philanthropy works and the importance of community giving.

Q. Where are you now?
A. I’m studying psychology at Augustana University where I am the president of Serving And Learning Together (SALT), Augustana’s largest student organization dedicated to connecting students to service opportunities in the area. I have plans to pursue graduate school to study school counseling. I hope to stay in the area and continue to make an impact in the Midwest.

Q. What did you learn from the experience?
A. I learned a lot about grant writing and the world of nonprofits during my time on the Youth Advisory Council. It was great to be able to work with other students from schools in the Sioux Falls area to make a real impact through philanthropy.

Q. How did participating in Youth Advisory Council help to shape your future?
A. I have always had an interest in service and philanthropy. My experience on the Youth Advisory Council further opened my eyes to the world of nonprofits and service in the Sioux Falls area. The knowledge of philanthropy I gained has helped guide my passion in the area.

Q. Where are you now?
A. I went to the University of California, Berkeley, studying electrical engineering and computer sciences. I just graduated from my undergraduate, did a remote internship for Amazon this summer, and I'm returning to UC Berkeley for a master's in computer science.

Q. Favorite experience?
A. Definitely my best memory was the time our group ate ice cream together.

Q. Where are you now?
A. I’m studying media and journalism at the University of South Dakota.

Q. What did you learn from the experience?
A. It was really interesting to get a closer look at the nonprofit world. I loved being able to have a direct impact on my community through this group.

Q. How did participating in Youth Advisory Council help to shape your future?
A. I learned how to really look into an organization I’m considering donating to or volunteering for, and be able to identify how they use their resources.

Q. Where are you now?
A. After earning my bachelor’s degree from Dakota Wesleyan University, this fall I began my first year as an educator, teaching fourth grade at Tea Area Legacy Elementary. I continue to mentor my little brother through LSS Climb (previously Big Brothers Big Sisters), as I have for the past six years, and I am pursuing avenues to serve both in our community and beyond.

Q. What did you learn from the experience?
A. It was incredible to see individuals and groups pursuing things that were important and meaningful in their lives and wanting to extend that to those around them. I was able to learn about the various ways that the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation supports individuals, groups, and organizations to fulfill their missions within our area.

Q. How did participating in Youth Advisory Council help to shape your future?
A. Participation on YAC inspired me to continue to stay involved in recognizing needs in our community and best addressing those. This learning experience translated into my involvement on the DWU campus as I was able to lead, mentor, and encourage those around me. Through various projects, I was able to see the impact of donors and the experiences that were graciously provided. This influenced my life in regard to giving back by being generous with my time and energy, and selflessly serving those around me. I thoroughly enjoyed the ways I was able to build relationships through service, volunteer, and mentoring opportunities while a student at DWU. It is my greatest hope, that I am able to graciously give as much time and energy into the next generation of leaders and community members, that I was given.

Q. Where are you now?
A. After graduating from Concordia College (Moorhead, Minnesota) with a double major in chemistry and Spanish, I am now in Duluth, Minnesota, starting my second year of pharmacy school. In addition to any volunteer events that we put on at the university, I also help grocery shop and deliver orders to the elderly population in Duluth.

Q. What did you learn from the experience?
A. I remember how hard it was to choose which charity was going to receive the grant money that we were giving. I loved getting to meet the people we were giving the funds to and having them tell us how our money was going to make a difference for their program.

Q. How did participating in Youth Advisory Council help to shape your future?
A. The Council taught me the importance of giving back to your community. A well-funded community is a well-run community.

Q. Where are you now?
A. After studying at the University of Sioux Falls (biology) and Colorado State University (PhD in cell and molecular biology), I now live in Seattle, Washington, where I work as a postdoctoral fellow at the Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center. I study the processes, both gene expression and extracellular forces, that influence the generation of hematopoietic stem cells. These are the cells the replenish your blood and immune system.

Q. Biggest take-aways from the experience?
A. I really enjoyed meeting and hanging out with my peers from other high schools that I otherwise probably wouldn't have had the chance to meet.

Q. How did participating in Youth Advisory Council help to shape your future?
A. I think it strengthened my desire to give back to the community and was a good experience to see 'under the hood' as to how philanthropic and non-profit companies go about distributing the funds the receive.

Q. Where are you now?
A. After graduating from SDSU, I taught high school Spanish in Watertown for two years. Then got married and moved to Sioux Falls where I taught at Brandon Valley High School for two years. Now I am a mom to my one year old daughter and am expecting my second child in a couple months.

Q. What did you learn from the experience?
A. What I loved most is connecting with my peers that I might not have met if we weren’t a part of the council together.

Q. How did participating in Youth Advisory Council help to shape your future?
A. It opened my eyes to all the places in the area that do such great work. I think it’s important to find something to be passionate about and help in some way, whether that’s giving some time, monetary donations, or some other way to help them thrive and help those affected through them.

Q. Where are you now?
A. I am currently a junior at Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota. I am studying biochemistry/molecular biology and Spanish. I am pre-med and hope to one day work in pediatrics. I am currently working as a medical scribe in an emergency department for the Allina Health Care system. I also volunteer at Children's Hospital Minneapolis and Urban Ventures. At Children's, I both work directly with children as well as currently doing research to track COVID cases in pediatric patients. At Urban Ventures, I help serve south Minneapolis and the community there. I work primarily with Latinx communities and I absolutely love it. Recently, I helped out in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, providing food/necessities for the community. I also spent a semester abroad in Spain. At school, I am a lab TA and a tutor for biology and chemistry. I also am president of the Tri-Beta Biology Honors Society. I also am involved in forensics (speech and debate).

Q. What did you learn from the experience?
A. I really enjoyed my time on the Youth Advisory Council because it gave me tangible opportunities to give back to the community and to make a difference. It was so cool to be a part of a team with people my age who all had a heart for giving back and wanting to make the world a better place. I truly believe that our generation will be able to make some incredible changes in the world.

Q. How did participating in Youth Advisory Council help to shape your future?
A. YAC definitely helped stir a desire to continually give back. Since graduating, I have always been a part of some volunteer organization and I think that giving time/resources is truly something that everyone should do. It also has given me more confidence to speak out on issues that I am passionate about and given me hands-on practice to know how to make the most impact.

Q. Where are you now?
A. I currently attend school in Omaha, Nebraska. I am part of the Cross Country and Track and Field teams at UNO. I also work on campus lifeguarding and teaching swimming lessons. I volunteer at local road races and at the church I attend in Omaha.

Q. What did you learn from the experience?
A. One of my favorite things about being on the Youth Advisory Council was making friendships that are based on a common interest and desire to help those in need.

Q. How did participating in Youth Advisory Council help to shape your future?
A. Participating in the Youth Advisory Council showed me that I can take charge when it comes to giving back to my community. I don’t have to wait for someone else to start.

Q. Where are you now?
A. After the University of South Dakota (business management), I now live in Sioux Falls and work as a business development associate at Expansion Capital Group.

Q. What did you learn from the experience?
A. Getting to distribute (funding) in the area.

Q. How did participating in Youth Advisory Council help to shape your future?
A. Helped me volunteer more in the future.

Q. Where are you now?
A. USD majoring in elementary education.

Q. What did you learn from the experience?
A. I loved being part of Youth Advisory Council. I made some really good friends and my social skills became a lot stronger.

Q. How did participating in Youth Advisory Council help to shape your future?
A. Since being in YAC I have been volunteering a lot more at various organizations and I love it.

Q. Where are you now?
A. After school at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln (journalism), I currently live in Honolulu, Hawaii and work as the communications director for the lieutenant governor of Hawaii. I had two newspaper internships during/after college at the Lincoln Journal Star and Omaha World-Herald. After my summer internship, I began working at a nonprofit in Sioux Falls. I moved to Honolulu in 2015 and worked at a marketing agency for four years in public relations. I then began my current role with the lieutenant governor

Q. What did you learn from the experience?
A. Serving on YAC was a great experience for me. It was one of the first in my high school career that really gave me a taste of professionalism and accountability. I learned from the mentorship opportunities and grant review process.

Q. How did participating in Youth Advisory Council help to shape your future?
A. YAC solidified my love for volunteerism and showed me additional ways that I could use my interests and skills (writing, editing, etc.) toward volunteering. Up to that point most of my volunteer experience had been mostly physical/group projects with different groups.

Q. Where are you now?
A. After school (Taylor University for social studies education, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, master's in American history), I now live In Minneapolis, Minnesota. I am a PhD student in Native American History. I’m part of the Congress of Graduate student and am a Teaching Assistant with Think History with focused on food justice and sovereignty.

Q. What did you learn from the experience?
A. My favorite memory was seeing the impact of our finding on Kids Count after school program where they were able to hire a councilor for their students and also provide updated supplies to help low socioeconomic students and students who experience trauma.

Q. How did participating in Youth Advisory Council help to shape your future?
A. I have been involved in graduate student leadership and student leadership throughout my career. I have also worked on grant committees for graduate students using the skills and advocacy I learned (through participating in YAC).

Q. Where are you now?
A. I'm at Duke University, studying econ/finance. I’ve interned at a nonprofit immigration law firm and a private equity firm.

Q. What did you learn from the experience?
A. I really enjoyed seeing how a group of high school seniors who didn’t know each other came together to find problems in the community and decide on how to address them.

Q. How did participating in Youth Advisory Council help to shape your future?
A. It encouraged me to give back by volunteering and donating.

Q. Where are you now?
A. I live in Portland, Oregon. I'm the co-founder of Simple X, working in tech- SaaS. Formerly, I was director of community engagement, sales development, consultant and founder of Our Growth Project. I am a Portland Business Journal 2020 "Forty Under 40" honoree.

Q. What did you learn from the experience?
A. How grants were distributed to organizations. I liked that we got to know other students from different schools.

Q. How did participating in Youth Advisory Council help to shape your future?
A. I learned the power of philanthropy and advocacy. It inspired me to start OurGrowthProject.org.

Q. Where are you now?
A. I went to USD and majored in psychology with minors in business administration and economics. I now live in Sioux Falls and am running my own bakery, Bakologie.

Q. What did you learn from the experience?
A. I enjoyed being on the Council because I got an opportunity to learn more about the resources available to the Sioux Falls community. I learned and became passionate about the great community that Sioux Falls is and the help the Community Foundation specifically provides to Sioux Falls.

Q. How did participating in Youth Advisory Council help to shape your future?
A. My participation in YAC encouraged me to get involved in service opportunities on my college campus. I volunteered in elementary school classrooms as an aid and volunteered on many weekend mission trips through AWOL.

Q. Where are you now?
A. Attending the University of South Dakota to pursue a degree in elementary and special education with a kindergarten endorsement.

Q. What did you learn from the experience?
A. My experience on the Youth Advisory Council helped me become the leader I am today. I learned how to make an impact and become a successful, respectable leader. I miss my peers who were also on the Youth Advisory Council because they taught me strength, kindness, gratitude, and courage among many other things. I would not be the person I am today if not for the Youth Advisory Council. I never knew how many high need areas were in the community until I was on the Youth Advisory Council. This opened my eyes to how much I want to help others.

Q. How did participating in Youth Advisory Council help to shape your future?
A. Now more than ever I want to give back to the community. I want to help others and spread kindness everywhere I go. I especially have a passion for helping children in need. I am a mentor for young children and I volunteer in the Vermillion School District weekly. I advocate for funding for schools in high needs areas and right now my goal is to be able to volunteer in the Juvenile Detention Center in Sioux Falls and teach/mentor the students this year.

Q. Where are you now?
A. After school at Northwestern University, I now live in London and work for Google.

Q. What did you learn from the experience?
A. It was a formative experience, helping me to understand community needs.

Q. How did participating in Youth Advisory Council help to shape your future?
A. It kick-started my career and helped me get into university.

Q. Where are you now?
A. I'm a junior at Augustana University (math major and economics minor).

Q. What did you learn from the experience?
A. I had a fantastic experience on the Youth Advisory Council. It was very rewarding to be directly involved in addressing the needs of our community, and to discuss with my peers how we could best serve those around us. I am very grateful for the opportunity I had to serve on the Council.

Q. How did participating in Youth Advisory Council help to shape your future?
A. I have always been very involved in volunteering, but this experience strengthened my enthusiasm for getting involved in my community, as well as exposed me to different volunteering opportunities.

Q. Where are you now?
A. After school at the University of South Dakota (business administration, marketing), I now live in Denver, Colorado, and work in Talent Acquisition for a healthcare company (Optum, the parent company is United Heath Group). Sadly, I was recently widowed and using that experience to find a new purpose in my work by attracting and recruiting the best healthcare workers out there.

Q. What did you learn from the experience?
A. We had the best YAC group. We had fun in our meetings, but also worked hard. I loved the opportunity to meet other students from other schools who had the same drive as me. I think the biggest takeaway was being paired with a mentor, which helped me to build my confidence and take pride in my community.

Q. How did participating in Youth Advisory Council help to shape your future?
A. YAC showed me the value of mentorship and I have continued to try to be a part of programs that make an impact.

Q. Where are you now?
A. After graduating from South Dakota State University, I now live in Sioux Falls and work as a registered nurse at Sanford Hospital in the Pulmonary Unit where I care for many patients, including COVID-19 patients amid the pandemic.

Q. What did you learn from the experience?
A. Participating in YAC opened my eyes to how many great organizations and different groups there are in Sioux Falls. It was great to learn about the area in a unique way.

Q. How did participating in Youth Advisory Council help to shape your future?
A. My participation gave me the joy of knowing I was making a difference. It taught me about advocacy, which I now do on a daily basis for my patients.

Q. Where are you now?
A. After graduating from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln (BS in nutrition exercise health science and dietetics), and South Dakota State University (master's in nutrition), I started working at Avera McKennan as an inpatient registered dietitian and have worked there for a little over two years now. I just joined the SDAND board this year and volunteer regularly at the St. Francis House.

Q. What did you learn from the experience?
A. I remember getting to know a lot of students from other schools which I loved. I also got to learn about organizations in our area and how they better our community by helping others. It taught me the importance of working as a team to help support bigger issues.

Q. How did participating in Youth Advisory Council help to shape your future?
A. Volunteering and giving back in the community is so important to me. I mentored a young girl in Lincoln, Nebraska, throughout my four years of undergrad. I have been very blessed to be able to go to two great higher education schools and get an amazing job. It is now my time to give back just like many other people have in our community.

Q. Where are you now?
A. After attending Augustana University, I now work in theatre here in Sioux Falls.

Q. What did you learn from the experience?
A. Helping to build a better, more open community.

Q. How did participating in Youth Advisory Council help to shape your future?
A. It made me appreciate service and volunteering more than I previously had.

Q. Where are you now?
A. Currently, I am a junior Honors Student at Dordt University in Sioux Center, Iowa, pursuing a double major in biology (pre-medicine) and political science. Since my time on the Youth Advisory Council, I have interned for Governor Noem in Sioux Falls and Senator Thune in Washington, D.C. At Dordt University, I have worked as a Resident Assistant and Research Assistant, have served as Student Body Vice-President, and was recently elected the Student Body President. I have also volunteered on the praise team at my church, on a medical missions team to Tanzania, on Mayor Paul TenHaken's mayoral campaign, and on Randy Feenstra's IA-04 Congressional campaign. My career goals are to graduate college in 2022, and then go on to medical school and residency to become a physician and to someday also work in healthcare policy as an extension of my patient care.

Q. What did you learn from the experience?
A. I truly enjoyed my time on the Youth Advisory Council. I was able to meet a diverse group of peers from other area high schools and was able to form strong relationships with them as we worked together. I also learned a great deal about the issues facing our community. While I was aware of many of the struggles our community faced, I learned much more about the extent and complexity of these critical issues. Furthermore, I was surprised to hear about several lesser-known challenges present in my own backyard. I was also introduced to many of the organizations working to meet community needs, several of which I was unaware of prior to serving on the council, and I was encouraged to hear the stories of those working diligently to improve our community.

Q. How did participating in Youth Advisory Council help to shape your future?
A. My participation renewed my motivation to tutor, mentor, and serve those around me, which I have pursued through academics, student government, and residence life at my university. I also am inspired to give back financially to my community and support local organizations in the future.

Q. Where are you now?
A. After school at St. Catherine University (education), I'm soon moving to Minneapolis, working at Hy-Vee and started a nonprofit to help find clothes for people who need them for job interviews but can’t afford them.

Q. Favorite memory from the experience?
A. My favorite part was always the icebreakers because they were fun little games that helped us get to know each other better.

Q. How did participating in Youth Advisory Council help to shape your future?
A. It made me more likely to volunteer and to seek out organizations similar so that I can keep helping in my community.

Q. Where are you now?
A. After earning my bachelor's from South Dakota State University (advertising major), I now work at the SDSU Foundation as a loyalty giving officer.

Q. What did you learn from the experience?
A. It was great way to meet like-minded individuals from the community. I enjoyed learning more about the grant process and awarding funds to local organizations.

Q. How did participating in Youth Advisory Council help to shape your future?
A. When I served on YAC, I did not see myself working in the nonprofit/fundraising sector. Now I am working at a foundation and my time on YAC was a great introduction in this line of work.

Q. Where are you now?
A. I'm attending Concordia where I'm studying for immigration law and planning to go into law school.

Q. Favorite memory from the experience?
A. I appreciated the community-building across several schools.

Q. How did participating in Youth Advisory Council help to shape your future?
A. It certainly sparked the idea of volunteerism being an important part of my life.

Q. Where are you now?
A. I graduated from South Dakota State University in December 2020 with a major in leadership and management of nonprofit organizations and now hold a CNP (Certified Nonprofit Professional) credential. At SDSU, I held a board position with the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance on campus and was the vice president for the Special Olympics Club at SDSU. While studying abroad in Paris, I volunteered weekly at a local preschool. Today I serve as a Scholarship and Program Coordinator at the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation.

Q. What did you learn from the experience?
A. My experience on the Youth Advisory Council really impacted the choices I made after graduating from high school. YAC allowed me to realize my passion to make a difference and impact those in my own community. My desire to support the Sioux Falls community and the nonprofits working here is why I moved back after college.

Q. How did participating in Youth Advisory Council help to shape your future?
A. My participation on the Youth Advisory Council inspired me to grow as a leader and to actively seek out ways in which I can give back to my community and make a difference.

Q. Where are you now?
A. After school at the University of South Dakota (marketing major), I now live in NYC and work for a family-owned staffing agency helping talent of different kinds be hired by a variety of organizations (many of our clients are non-profits). I also have participated in the AIDS walk and attend benefit events for the non-profits that I work with.

Q. What did you learn from the experience?
A. I loved being a part of YAC. It not only taught me about my community and the programs available, but also gave me a better understanding about the grantmaking process.

Q. How did participating in Youth Advisory Council help to shape your future?
A. I learned how important it is to research new programs in your community that help the underserved. There are many that public is unaware of. It also taught me how far grants can go when directed toward local programs.

Q. Where are you now?
A. I live in Berkeley, California, where I am completing a master's in public health, teaching undergraduates as a graduate student instructor, and competing on the Cal Triathlon team.

Q. What did you learn from the experience?
A. I remember picking which grants to approve with the team and how enjoyable the process was of reading all that the applicants had to say about their ideas and projects.

Q. How did participating in Youth Advisory Council help to shape your future?
A. It taught me the importance of supporting those with ideas and projects for your community. It also gave me insight and background on what happens when you apply for scholarships and grants.

Q. Where are you now?
A. After college (University of South Dakota (English and journalism) and University of Nebraska College of Law (J.D.), I now live in Sioux Falls where I am an assistant United States attorney for the District of South Dakota. I primarily prosecute drug trafficking crimes and serve as our district’s opioid coordinator. Previous to this, I worked as an assistant attorney general at the South Dakota Attorney General’s Office in Pierre as an appellate attorney and criminal prosecutor. I’ve served on the advisory boards for Alpha Phi sorority at the University of South Dakota and the Edith Sanford Breast Cancer Foundation. I have also volunteered for Dress for Success, the St. Francis House, and the USD law school. I also volunteer to serve as the chair of the Criminal Jury Instruction Committee for the South Dakota Bar Association.

Q. What did you learn from the experience?
A. I loved my time on the Youth Advisory Council. Learning about non-profit administration and being able to give back to organizations with local impact were invaluable experiences to have in high school.

Q. How did participating in Youth Advisory Council help to shape your future?
A. My participation in the Youth Advisory Council laid a blueprint for me in what my adult volunteerism and philanthropy would look like, and what that will look like for my kids once they’re old enough. I’ve been fortunate to have a career in public service that encourages service and volunteering outside of work, and to be in a position to engage in philanthropic giving.

Q. Where are you now?
A. I currently live in Austin, Texas. My husband and I moved here from Chicago in the fall of 2017. I am a clinical social worker focused on infant and early childhood mental health and perinatal mental health. I am not currently in the workforce because I have chosen to stay at home with my infant daughter until she is ready to start full-time preschool (hopefully once COVID has passed!). I have worked directly with parents and young children as a therapist as well as in an program-related role where I managed and evaluated federally-funded non-profits implementing home visiting services to families in the state of Texas. I look forward to returning to the workforce where I plan to continue clinical, academic, and policy-related work.

Q. What did you learn from the experience?
A. Youth Advisory Council offers an amazing opportunity for the youth of Sioux Falls. I loved every aspect of YAC, including learning basic skills such as making decisions as a board, communicating skillfully with adults, and expressing my opinion publicly while also being patient with others' potentially opposing viewpoints. Even more profound is that, as young people of the community, we were introduced to more complicated concepts such as funding cycles, the grant making process, and program evaluation. The opportunity to meet with leaders in the community, taught us how to target change makers and advocate for a cause. YAC is so special; I think of my experiences within the group often and am grateful for the role it played in helping me practice my leadership and community engagement skills.

Q. How did participating in Youth Advisory Council help to shape your future?
A. I think I was always meant for public service/non-profit work, which is likely what led me to YAC as well as the field of social work later in life. YAC educated me in how community-serving agencies actually operated, both programmatically and fiscally. This was important for my maturation in this field because it taught me that running a program and/or agency is exponentially more complicated than pursuing a worthy mission. It also taught me that community developers, those awarding the funds to those worthy missions, are just as important as the people actually carrying out the work. Community development truly requires all members of a village to participate and this was became very clear during my time with YAC.

Q. Where are you now?
A. I'm attending South Dakota State University, pursuing a major in human biology with emphasis in pre-dental and two minors in chemistry and Spanish. At SDSU, I have been a coach for LeadState, served as an admissions ambassador, joined the Sorority Chi Omega, became the Chi Omega director of social events, volunteered, joined the Honor's College at SDSU, joined the Pre-Professional Club, State A Thon, intramural sports and so much more. I've also volunteered with Make A Wish South Dakota by raising money and helping out with wish reveals.

Q. What did you learn from the experience?
A. My experience on the Youth Advisory Council was nothing short of amazing. I was able to learn what is like to be a leader, while also ensuring that volunteering and make our community a better place was at the forefront of the program. I was able to take everything I learned from this experience and apply it to my life in college to ensure that volunteering and giving back stay an essential aspect of life for me. One of my favorite memories was going to give the check to a Girls on the Run group. The way the faces of the kids lit up when they saw the check was an image I have never forgotten and is what makes giving back so special. In addition to this, my experience on the YAC is one of the reasons why I want to come back to Sioux Falls. Being on YAC showed me how amazing Sioux Falls is as a community and I know I want to be able to come back to serve the members of our community.

Q. How did participating in Youth Advisory Council help to shape your future?
A. Being on YAC made me realize that volunteering and giving back was an essential part of my life that I didn't want to give up, even though I was going to college. The philanthropy group for Chi Omega is Make A Wish South Dakota. This organization is something that was very close to me before I had gone to college, but being able to be apart of Chi Omega and not only raise money, but also grant wishes for children in need has been a huge impact on my life. YAC taught me how important it is to give back and I was able to join an organization that focuses on just that. I have also applied to be a mentor for incoming students within the natural science major to ensure that they are kept on the right path and have a successful college career.

Q. Where are you now?
A. After school at the University of Sioux Falls and the University of South Dakota, I currently live in Sioux Falls and work at Furniture Mart USA.

Q. What did you learn from the experience?
A. My favorite part was making an impact on the community I live in.

Q. How did participating in Youth Advisory Council help to shape your future?
A. In my current role, I help organize company-wide programs that focus on helping the communities my organization serves.

Q. Where are you now?
A. I just graduated from Northwestern College (public relations) and I now live in Orange City, Iowa, serving as the communications director at First Reformed Church in Sioux Center, Iowa.

Q. What did you learn from the experience?
A. I loved getting to know people from other schools. Sioux Falls feels small enough that I thought I knew a lot of people, but there were so many great people I had never got the chance to meet until YAC! Through YAC, I was made aware of the different community organizations that are available to residents in Sioux Falls. It was also genuinely fun to go to the meetings. I feel like we were trusted with a lot and felt super-empowered to play a part in my community.

Q. How did participating in Youth Advisory Council help to shape your future?
A. It made me want to continue serving. It also opened up a lot of opportunities in college for me to get scholarships and join groups that needed previous volunteer experience.

Q. Where are you now?
A. After college at Louisiana State University (English, mass communication), I moved back to Sioux Falls to work at a marketing agency, primarily working with jewelry companies. I wound up changing my career to healthcare, obtaining my CNA license, then a AAS in surgical technology. Now I specialize in neurosurgery at Sanford.

Q. What did you learn from the experience?
A. One of the things that has stuck with me from YAC was having to evaluate the grant proposals for not just if it was a good cause, which all of them are, but how the grant would help that organization have long-term sustainability past the year the grant was given. Having to look past the surface and think critically about future effects was my greatest takeaway.

Q. How did participating in Youth Advisory Council help to shape your future?
A. I realize that giving back and helping others is what truly makes a person feel fulfilled.

Q. Where are you now?
A. After college at Arizona State University (journalism and mass communications), I now live in Chicago where I work in advertising making custom-branded content for various brands.

Q. What did you learn from the experience?
A. I really enjoyed being able to select who received the grants. Reviewing the submissions was super-interesting.

Q. Where are you now?
A. I went to Black Hills State University to study economics, finance and government. I graduated last spring and am working for the Spearfish Economic Development Corporation. While in school, I started an Investment Club with the help of the BHSU Foundation to create scholarships for business students at our university and to teach students more about investing.

Q. What did you learn from the experience?
A. Being a part of YAC was a wonderful experience for me. The experience pushed me into pursuing a job in the public sector and ultimately helped me decide upon my studies as a student and career goals as an adult.

Q. How did participating in Youth Advisory Council help to shape your future?
A. It helped me decide that I want to have a job that directly helps my community because I saw first-hand how important and rewarding it is. It led to me choose to study public finance and economics and political science with the plans of working for a foundation, city, or economic development corporation afterwards.

Q. Where are you now?
A. I attend Princeton University (pre-med and pursuing a major in the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs (public policy) with a certificate in global health policy).

Q. What did you learn from the experience?
A. I liked knowing I could make a difference with my decision on who to award funds to. Though it was tough to decide when all organizations seemed like they would do good with the money, I like that we were able to split up the funds and give a little bit to multiple organizations.

Q. How did participating in Youth Advisory Council help to shape your future?
A. It made me realize the position that policy-makers are in and how much they can truly accomplish with the allocation of funds. I would like to be involved in more philanthropy in the future. I still take part in mentoring both as a mentor and mentee and view it as integral to my life.

Q. Where are you now?
A. After school at the University of Iowa (communication studies major, business minor), I now live in Sioux Falls and work for Capital Consumer Lending.

Q. What did you learn from the experience?
A. My experience was great. Favorite memories were our group discussions with varying viewpoints but everyone respecting one another. Also, getting to meet a lot of people who gave time and money was an eye-opening lesson about the impact someone can have on other people's lives.

Q. Where are you now?
A. Attending Drake University (majoring in finance, minoring in business law). I recently completed an internship in the financial services industry in Kansas City, Missouri. On campus, I serve as a leader for admissions and New Student Programs.

Q. What did you learn from the experience?
A. The best part was choosing the recipients of the grants we gave. It was extremely special to learn about their causes and know that we could make an impact. YAC also inspired me to connect with the Des Moines Area Community Foundation with hopes of joining when I am a little older.

Q. How did participating in Youth Advisory Council help to shape your future?
A. I am so thankful to have the experience to help me become a well-rounded student and young business woman. I am also very thankful it taught me the importance of from-scratch-teamwork. Teamwork where you don’t know your team members at all going into the situation. Most significantly though I am humbled for the opportunity to serve and learn more about my community and how to most impactfully give back.

Q. Where are you now?
A. After school at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, I now live in Austin, Texas. I'm an entrepreneur running a company in the dental space called Enable Dental. Prior to this, I worked in private equity investing in companies across a variety of industries.

Q. What did you learn from the experience?
A. I remember the experience with YAC fondly. I was younger than many of the other members, but was able to learn a lot as a result. It was exciting to review, analyze, and ultimately determine funding for some really exciting projects. I felt like it was a meaningful experience for me personally because I lobbied for proposals that I felt were going to be the most meaningful. It was also one of the first 'professional' group experiences where we had to tackle problems and make decisions.

Q. How did participating in Youth Advisory Council help to shape your future?
A. In college, I became involved in a variety of extracurricular groups and activities. Many of these focused around volunteering and entrepreneurship. It's likely the success and fond memories I had of working with my peers in YAC that encouraged me to jump into opportunities sooner than I otherwise would.

Q. Where are you now?
A. I graduated in May of 2019 from the University of St. Thomas (majoring in biology of global health). I moved back home to Sioux Falls to work and apply to medical school after graduation. I started at Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine in St. George, Utah, last July. It is my current hope to work in primary care as a physician and hopefully return to the great city of Sioux Falls!

Q. What did you learn from the experience?
A. Beyond just being a very immersive, educational experience demonstrating to me how foundations are organized and operate, I fondly reflect on my time with YAC for two reasons. First was the chance to connect with students my age who had already fostered an impressive passion to serve the city of Sioux Falls. Second was the opportunity to be given so much freedom to truly act as a member of a council who decided the fate of a consequential sum of money. We were given space to critically think of the impact our decision would have on both the receiver and the donor. That was a very empowering experience to have at a very young age. One that I’m very thankful for.

Q. How did participating in Youth Advisory Council help to shape your future?
A. My participation in YAC was an elevated extension of my desire to give back to the community of Sioux Falls. This desire to put back into Sioux Falls what it has given me has only been strengthened over the years. That is in large part why I hope to return to this community one day as a practicing physician.

Q. Where are you now?
A. After the University of Notre Dame (pre-health and history majors), the University of South Dakota (master's in human genetics) and the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine, I am currently a pediatric resident physician (University of Wisconsin).

Q. Biggest take-aways from the experience?
A. Interacting with community members engaged in philanthropy, learning about all the non-profits in the community, seeing the interaction between local businesses and local non-profits.

Q. How did participating in Youth Advisory Council help to shape your future?
A. I plan on being involved in mentoring and philanthropy when back in Sioux Falls. This desire was strengthened by YAC involvement.