I started my week with a RYLA Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee meeting. At RYLA, I had the privilege to connect with so many people and I got to invite a few of them to join our DEI work. I was excited to see a few show up and am thrilled that even more emailed me back asking for the notes so that they can join next month. The work RYLA’s DEI committee does is so special and important to me. As a mixed race queer person who loves this organization and has dedicated myself to it, I love the progress I see being made and am eager for the growth still to come.

On Tuesday, I mostly dealt with emails and did some work for the winery’s music scheduling. We also got some shopping done for Kai’s birthday Vegas trip. Later that night, I got to have a long call with a RYLA Junior Counselor as we discussed her experience and goals going forward. It’s amazing to get to act as a mentor figure and to get to offer support to people who are going to make such a difference in this world. I left our call with a whole new perspective on the week and reminded how differently we all experience things.

Wednesday morning after getting Kai’s car an oil change to prep us for our Vegas journey, Evan and I headed to Estes. We actually got to visit Boys and Girls Club this time. Like our other visits, it was nothing but happiness. Getting to see all of our kids and their growth and their new interests and passions is so much fun. We both lost at chess to a 5th grader who started learning through a school club during our last year, got to hear all about how their latest grade had gone, and we even got to see one of our formerly more difficult kids stepping up as a leader and running gym games. As much as I miss working at Boys and Girls Club, these visits always solidify to me that I know what I want to do in my life and career moving forward. After coming back to Loveland, we bought lemonade from a local kid running a stand which was also a fun little highlight of my day.

Maybe the moral is I just like working with and supporting youth.