Cambodia June: Meet your Alum Leaders!

Hey Cambodia June   team members! We are excited to start the 2016-2017 Service Year with you. We know you met your Team Leader and Assistant Team Leader at General Orientation (pssst …  read more about them here). We also want to make sure you’re familiar with the awesome Alum Leaders on your team!

Alum Leaders are another link in the chain of command on a Youthlinc team. They serve as role models for student participants, specialize in creating a positive atmosphere for their team locally and internationally, work in partnership with mentors to oversee students in their appointed committees, and help Youthlinc instill a lifetime service ethic in young people. These individuals will be great resources for you throughout the year!

“My name is Alice Barnett, and I am a senior at East High School. I want to go to college at either the University of Utah or the University of Washington, and study medicine, to hopefully one day become a surgeon of some sort. During my Youthlinc service year, I volunteered at an organization called Realife, which was an after school program for refugee teens in the Salt Lake area, where I had the incredible opportunity to teach lessons, help with homework, and make some incredible friends! Even before Youthlinc, I volunteered with my schools National Honors Society as well Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. I remember during my first Youthlinc trip to Nepal, during the summer of 2016, we were driving home from the village, and I was just looking out of the window of the bus, taking a moment to take everything in, and I never wanted my trip to end. I wanted to stay, and continue to serve the people of Nepal! It was that moment three or four days into our trip that I decided I wanted them o come back as an alum leader and continue to serve my local and international community!”

“My name is Avery Cognard I am a current freshmen at the University of Utah. Currently I do not know my major but I want to go in to the medical field. I got started with youthlinc and volunteering in general, with youthlinc 2 years ago when my mom forced me to do it. I loved the local and international service way to much not to do it again. I went to Peru my first year, Cambodia my second and I’m lucky enough to go back to Cambodia this upcoming service year.”

“Hello! I’m Marleigh Anderson and I go to West High School in the IB program. I’m interested in law, literature, and social justice. Last year I went with Youthlinc on a trip to Madagascar! I loved how Youthlinc made me more consistent with my volunteering, and I volunteered at the Real Life program at my high school as well as an assisted living center near my house. I grew so much as a individual and became much more of an independent young adult. I loved the experience so much I wanted share what I had learned with my peers. now as an Alum Leader.”

“Hey! My name is Sarah Baxter. I go to Skyline High School. I am SO excited to be apart of the youthlinc service year again this year. Last year, I went to Kenya and it was absolutely amazing and taught me so much. I love to serve so much because as Muhammad Ali said: “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth”. I continue to serve locally and internationally because it is necessary and it brings me so much joy. Currently I am a board member of my schools community of caring club where we plan many service events. I frequently go help at the road home, St. Vincent’s Kitchen, and many others through this club. I also volunteer frequently at Upland Terrace Elementary. Service is a huge  part of my life and Youthlinc provides me with more opportunities to do so.  I love youthlinc so much because it connects you to new people both here in Utah and in your international service site.  I am extremely excited to work with youthlinc again this year as an alum! And to meet my new youthlinc family!”

“My name is Jordyn Shingleton. I am 16-year-old junior who attends Highland High School in Salt Lake City. Last summer, I took the opportunity to go to Kenya simply to help others. While there, my already positive outlook on life was changed drastically. I can describe seeing all the poverty in that country as life changing, and once I came home, my appreciation for everything skyrocketed. It is difficult for people to realize how fortunate they are in many situations, but I like to think of myself as the kind of person who can realize how great life can be and take nothing for granted. This is one of the many reasons I decided to return to this amazing organization as an Alum Leader. I enjoy spending time outdoors, being in the mountain air is one of my favorite feelings in the world. I guess living in Utah has given me a very wide variety of nature and city to grow up around. I hope as an Alum Leader this year I can give insight and watch my leadership grow throughout the service trip.”