The ups and downs of youth group

Abby Boner

As I enter my senior year at McCook High School, being a member of Youth Change Reaction has truly been a privilege and a one-of-a-kind experience during my high school career.

As a freshman, I applied for YCR because I knew upperclassmen who were a part of the McCook Community Foundation Fund’s youth organization and they shared their great experiences. I have had a passion for community service since joining the Driftwood Feeders 4-H club as a kid and I wanted to expand my involvement in the community.

Being a part of YCR has not only helped me immensely with my leadership skills but the group has also given me the opportunity to develop public speaking skills at a young age. When I started high school, I was terrified of public speaking and in fact, really anything that involved talking to adults.

As a freshman, I would go to MCFF monthly meetings, feeling so anxious and afraid that I would not know what to say. However, I quickly realized that the adults in that meeting room and in this community want our youth to succeed.

Additionally, YCR has given me the opportunity to express the voice I didn’t even know I had. Last year, I was given the opportunity to speak at the Nebraska Community Foundation’s annual training event in front of room full of adults from across the state. Although I was nervous, I was able to complete my speech with ease because of the support I received and the confidence that I had established in my public speaking.

Although I have had plenty of good experiences with YCR, I have had my share of complex challenges. When we were in the process of getting the parts needed to complete the Cars Under the Stars drive-in theater project, I faced great difficulty trying to get a screen ordered from a reputable sign company… a struggle I dealt with for the first half of my junior year.

I felt embarrassed. I felt like I was letting my community down because I was not able to accomplish this goal within the time frame we had promised. I expressed my feelings to Mrs. Shelly Sehnert (our YCR school sponsor) and Ronda Graff (MCFF coordinator). And with their help, we were able to get a new screen ordered, other parts made and the drive-in should be up within the next few months, hopefully in time for a spring show.

Overcoming this obstacle was challenging, but it taught me a lot. It gave me a glimpse into the “real world” and showed me how difficult it can be to accomplish a big project like a drive-in. I was able to see all the logistics to be tackled and the details to be finalized for a project of this size…. which I would have never experienced without YCR.

Without YCR, I would probably still be afraid of public speaking and I wouldn’t have as many great experiences with the community. I am grateful to have spent my high school years as a part of such a wonderful organization and group of people, including my fellow YCR members.

Being a member of Youth Change Reaction has helped me in more ways than I could have ever imagined and has made a large impact on the person I am today.

By being listened to, by being heard and by being involved in the community, I realized that McCook really is a good place to call home.

— As co-president of YCR, Abby Boner will have the chance to speak again at the Nebraska Community Foundation annual event in November, as part of a People Attraction Summit focusing on youth engagement.