Initiatives August 2009 - Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of ...

Winning Over YPs
Bridges Changes Hearts, Minds About Huntsville Area
The Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County’s Bridges program provides information to
young professionals about living, working and playing in the community. However, the program is also
an opportunity for the community and the Chamber to receive information from YP’s to better promote
the community as a smart place to live, work and play. To date, Bridges has served seven classes of
co-ops, interns and recent college graduates in the past three years, and many of them have gone on to
give back to the Chamber and the community. The following five Bridges participants were selected to
share their thoughts about the Huntsville/Madison County community as well as the Bridges program:
Amanda Elliot
Junior Designer,
Panciera Design
BFA in Graphic Design,
Auburn University, 2008
Bridges Class 6
Growing up, I felt like Huntsville
had little to offer to young
people. I honestly came back
thinking Huntsville would be
an interim between college and
my first job. I started working at Panciera
and quickly found that much had changed
during my time at Auburn. I am currently
involved in several organizations that I
would not have found out about had it not
been for the Bridges program, and I really
enjoy living in Huntsville.
Like most other YPs, I am looking for a
fun, energetic city that is easy to get around
and keeps me entertained without breaking
the bank. I think Huntsville offers a lot.
There is always something going on. You
may have to look a little harder than in bigger
cities, but there are plenty of things to
do. Huntsville has a ton of wonderful local
restaurants featuring live music, great food
and local beers.
Amanda Elliot cleans a donated toy at
Christmas Charities, part of a Bridges
service project.
Bridges reminded me of
things that I had forgotten
about during my five years
away at Auburn and clued
me in to things I didn’t even
know existed. While going
through the Bridges program
I learned that Research Park is
one of the largest in the country, about the
Huntsville Land Trust and the Arts Council
and many other organizations and volunteer
opportunities.
Charleen Laughlin
Senior Consultant, Booz Allen Hamilton
BS in engineering, Olin College, 2007.
Pursuing dual master’s degrees in
engineering and business administration
through Purdue & Indiana Universities.
Bridges Class 4
I’m an Army brat, so I was lucky enough to
grow up all over the world. My parents retired
here when I went off to college, so after
I graduated, I moved here to be closer to my
family. I also knew Huntsville was a great
place to start my career as an engineer. In
Boston, I lived within walking distance of
restaurants, theaters, and stores, but my
commute was an hour each way and the
cost of living was very expensive. Huntsville
is smaller and more spread out, but still offers
many of the same amenities you’d find
in a bigger city, like museums, malls, and
diverse restaurants.
Living here is very affordable, especially
compared to Boston; my husband and I
were able to buy a house sooner than we
might have elsewhere. Huntsville also offers
many opportunities to get involved, whether
this means taking art classes, volunteering,
or joining a lacrosse team. Working in
Huntsville is particularly exciting because
we are a technology/engineering center that
serves so many different markets, from defense
to biomedical. The work is challenging
and incredibly relevant: what we do
matters and that is both fulfilling and motivating.
Personally, I really enjoy working for
Booz Allen, partly because of its employee
focus and corporate values, but also because
Huntsville is an exciting place to be right
now with any employer.
Bridges introduced me to aspects of
28 August 2009 Initiatives