2019 Mid-Year Report

aising with a supplies drive for the Oasis Teen Center.
“I’m pretty sure chocolate is nonperishable!” exclaimed
a member. These members also made big plans for
their summer Family Nights where they talked about
a scavenger hunt, water balloon toss, and great food,
like grilled cheese and pancakes. They also discussed
helping out at the Annual Eagles Car Show and 4th of
July BBQ Fundraisers which directly benefit the Clubs’
Teen Center.
Keystone members can attend the Washington State
Keystone Summit in the fall where members from all
Washington Clubs will gather to socialize with peers,
explore relevant issues, and develop skills to support
and enhance efforts in their local Boys & Girls Clubs
and communities.
“Having grown up in Sedro-Woolley it is
important to me to share my career journey
to becoming a lawyer with our Club members.
I am passionate about my career and in
sharing I hope to inspire our Club members
to follow their dreams on whatever that path
looks like for them...”
CAREER LAUNCH
Inviting career professionals to the Club to share
their experience is a very effective way to help youth
visualize their future. Professionals in the field can
introduce youth to career avenues they might not
otherwise have considered. Through their candor
and honesty, these mentors can help youth prepare
for the real life challenges they might face
on their career journey. In the last six months, Club
members were visited by a myriad of professionals
in many exciting fields; a refinery operator, a nurse,
a lawyer, an entrepreneur, a judge, an author, an
outreach coordinator, a substation wire-man, and a
park ranger!
Retired Park Ranger, Hugh Dougher who is still
active in Search & Rescue, both as a volunteer and
as an educator, visited the Sedro-Woolley Teens
and brought along some of the equipment used in
search and rescue: an ice axe (dulled for safety),
crampons and carabiners for climbing, helmet and
harness, radio for communication—and his favorite
toy, a drone used for aerial searching. With teens
currently learning to pilot drones through our STEM
programming, it was helpful for them to tie their
knowledge of drones to a real world application.
Holly Shannon, current Clubs’ Board President &
Lawyer with Carson Law Group is a frequent Career
Launch guest at many of our Clubs. “Having grown
up in Sedro-Woolley it is important to me to share my
career journey to becoming a lawyer with our Club
members. I am passionate about my career and in
sharing, I hope to inspire our Club members to follow
their dreams on whatever that path looks like for
them. The best part about Career Launch, for me, is
answering the insightful and imaginative questions
not only about my job but about how I got here and
why I do what I do. At the same time I get to share
with our Club members my passion for volunteering
and why I serve on the Board of Directors.”
As part of the Career Launch program, Club members
at Mount Baker Boys & Girls Club have been
participating in a new curriculum focusing on youth
exploring aspects of becoming an entrepreneur.
They were visited by one of Skagit Valley’s very own
entrepreneurs, Tina Asp. Tina together with her husband,
Anthony, founded Image360, a full service
graphics and signage firm in Burlington, WA. Tina
Asp also serves on the Club’s Board of Directors.
Tina shared about her journey of founding her own
business, her favorite things about being an entrepreneur,
and some of the technical aspects of making
a business successful. Afterwards, youth had the
opportunity to ask questions and share reflections.
These programs, among others, are designed to
introduce our youth to a wealth of opportunities,
ideally putting them in a position to match their natural
talents and passions to an educational and/or
career path that will best serve them and their community.
With the right balance of fun, challenges,
and responsibility, along with trust, guidance, and
mentorship, these experiences can open the eyes
of our youth and generate excitement about their
future possibilities.
11