YEP Student Spotlight: Athena

Meet Athena, a senior at West Aurora High School. This is her first year in YEP. “I wanted to join YEP because of the objective maturity I would gain from such a responsible organization. Collecting and distributing grants, giving back to the community via service, and simply coming together to reach a goal, were all things that I hoped to apply myself in while signing up for YEP. Growing up, the community around me always lent a helping hand whenever I was in need of assistance. Whether it be neighbors who gathered around for an annual pumpkin picking or the nice high school tutors that would help me with classes that I was struggling with, I found a sense of happiness that could never be replicated had I not encounter such nice people. To give back to the universe for giving me such good luck, I’d like to return the favor to whomever I encounter. Helping other youth will feel as if I was passing the torch to the next generation of potential helpers. I will never forget what it was like to be helped by kids older than me, mentors who only had a few more years of experience compared to me yet still managed to make all the difference in my world.”