Written by fellow Youth Central alumni, Connor Lang
Stay tuned for more articles where we interview Youth Central alumni as part of our alumni spotlight!
Since her graduation from Youth Central, Iliana went on to pursue outdoor education for kids, helping them learn more about environmental stewardship and physical literacy. Iliana believes that she “got her first job working with kids because of Youth Central.” Her experience with Youth Central “opened so many doors for [her],” allowing her to “get a job that she loved and through that build many other [opportunities] in the outdoor industry.”
Throughout her work experience at various camps across Canada, Iliana has continued to return to the lessons she learned as a Youth Central volunteer, as it allowed her to navigate working for “folks with different capabilities.” While many of her coworkers had to quickly learn to navigate the sensitivity needed to address the diverse needs of the kids at camp, Iliana was able to apply her experience in “accommodation and flexible programming that worked for folks of all capabilities.”
Undoubtedly, Iliana’s experience with Youth Central has been pivotal in shaping her current
career path, helping her to learn about her personal passion for outdoor education and working with kids. She explains more below:
What is your favourite Youth Central memory?
Iliana enjoyed volunteering for the Lunar New Year Festival because after she helped set-up the event, she was able to participate in the festival and eat a lot of local Chinese cuisine. Ultimately, projects like these gave her the ability to explore opportunities in Calgary and to “see the city through volunteering.”
How did you become involved with Youth Central?
Initially, Iliana’s friend from school introduced her to the volunteer program at Youth Central. Unfortunately, on the first day, her friend broke her leg and had to stop volunteering until she recovered. Iliana however, continued volunteering and met a network of fellow volunteers that pushed her to continue.
What is your biggest takeaway from your time volunteering with Youth Central?
Prior to being a volunteer, Iliana was focused on work and school. Through Youth Central, Iliana was “introduced to a lot of people that [she] wouldn’t have otherwise met.” This community allowed Iliana to become a more “outgoing person, shaping how [she] socializes with people today.”
What is one piece of advice you have for current Youth Central volunteers?
“There are so many opportunities with Youth Central and [she suggests] explore them!” However, “if you know that something is really resonating with you, [focus] on that and see where it takes you.” Iliana is a tremendous example of this piece of advice, as she was inspired by her first volunteer project and continued to explore the outdoor industry as both a volunteer and now a professional.
How did your experience with Youth Central shape your future?
Iliana “realized through Youth Central that [she] really likes to work with people.” Volunteering with Youth Central provided the background knowledge in outdoor education that drives her passion today. “The opportunities, skills, and experiences that [she] had working with people led her to the jobs [she] has today, [making her] the
dedicated person [she] is now.”
As a final note, Iliana encourages everyone to “talk to people and really engage with the projects you’re doing,” as it allows you to “make connections with people, [both] the folks you’re working for and [those volunteers] you’re working with.” Ultimately, that is how “[she] learned to build a community and build connections with others,” which really benefited her continued experience after graduating fromYouth Central’s programming.