YMCA summer jobs paving a path of career success for teens

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) –  The YMCA is inviting teens to apply for its open summer positions.

A key selling point? It can lead to executive positions.

Emmalie Wilcox is the executive director at the Fallbrook YMCA, but rewind nearly two decades, and she was a summer camp counselor at just 17.

With dreams of becoming a teacher, she knew the position was a good fit for her, and that summer job ultimately helped cultivate the career she has today.

“I just truly love what I do every single day. I love the people that I work with. I love that I get to partner with the schools, and I get to partner with different organizations in our community. So, it’s just been really such a fulfilling decision, and I haven’t needed to change,” she said.

Wilcox started to work with after-school programs, working her way up the ladder to oversee the Y’s Child Watch program.

One program led to another until her current role as executive director.

“I threw my name in the hat, and they were like, you go, girl! It’s yours,” she said.

Wilcox says coming full circle is a pattern at the YMCA.

“Something cool that has come from this is one of our executive directors at the Northeast YMCA, his name is Luke, I hired him when he was in high school,” she said.

“All of our directors who work here at the Fallbrook branch, with the exception of one, have all started out as part-time employees.”

Current job openings include helping with Child Watch and working as a floater across various programs, such as swim.

Something that the Y helps teens get certified to do, like Alexa McGuire.

McGuire is already using her passion for the pool to build a career path.

“I am a lifeguard, I’m a swim instructor, and I’m starting a headguard position this summer, so I’m really looking forward to that,” she said. “Given I’ve been here four years, I’ve grown from a little 16-year-old girl up to a 20-year-old, so they’ve really helped me gain my confidence a lot; creating this welcoming environment that I love being at.”

McGuire also said she, too, has big goals.

“I love teaching and educating other people, so just doing that, regardless of if it’s in the pool, in the classroom, at home, I just love helping other people grow and learn.”

Wilcox says the jobs help teens build skills such as better communication, adaptability and empathy, and although not everyone stays within the YMCA, she’s seen part-timers go on to become doctors, engineers and even a local Lincoln TV news reporter.