Hi, my name is Kayla Vogel and I was one of two YAC interns for the summer of 2009.  This internship meant so much to me and it was a great experience that allowed me to grow not only in the business world, but in life.  I have been involved in many different activities and organizations throughout my youth and YAC has been, by far, one of the greatest groups in which I have worked.  On top of YAC, I am also involved with my high school’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) organization, Key Club, and Student Council.  I have also competed on the varsity basketball and volleyball teams for Hastings.  Outside of school, I have spent much of my free time volunteering at Pennock Hospital during the summer and in the past have refereed for YMCA soccer games.
Being one of the summer interns was a ton of fun.  I learned a great deal about the grant making process and how the Youth Advisory Council works.  I gained a huge appreciation for the work that is put into our community behind the scenes.  I worked with Erin on the YAC annual report and I also designed and wrote the new YAC member packets and the summer newsletter.  I was even given the opportunity to create the YAC Facebook page.  One of my favorite jobs was looking through and organizing the four gigantic grant books and cutting out newspaper clippings for the BCF.  I enjoyed doing all of these projects and I also gained many skills from the experiences. For example, Erin taught me a lot about defeating stubborn computer programs that never seem to work the way they are supposed to. J  Working at the BCF was an excellent opportunity for me to try new things, have fun, and make a lot of great new friends.  I recommend this internship to every YACer that loves their community and wants to experience new and exciting things.  I know I do not regret a single moment of my time at the Barry Community Foundation, and neither will you.