The Real Y

YMCA. Pool? Treadmill? Gym?  Or perhaps something more?

The notion of the Y often implies the idea of aquatics, ellipticals, and physical exertion. Yet this single organization, the largest provider of child care in the United States, a leading voice on disease prevention, a salient supplier of social services and employment training, and an association reaching 120 countries with more than half a million volunteers, does so much more than host the seven o’clock zumba class on Mondays.

The true impact of the YMCA, although largely latent and often unseen, has diffused through American culture to overcome definitive social stratifications and affect nearly every community in some way, whether by offering constructive summer camps for kids or by reviving adult lives with GED preparation. Each specific aspect of this multifaceted nonprofit maintains the same overarching values that tie everyone together: a sense of social responsibility, empowerment, and especially community.

I knew none of this - or at least not until National Advocacy Days, a three-day conference in Washington D.C. hosted in February that offers an annual opportunity for YMCA advocates from all around the nation to convene at one central location, to impart stories, to perpetuate inspiration, and most notably, to champion the core values that they share. This past year, the chance to visit the most politically powerful city in the world was extended to a diverse assembly of inimitable teenagers: 25 students involved in the Y’s nationwide Youth and Government program.

I was one of those few lucky enough to be nominated, yet apprehensive enough to be wary of missing half a week worth of schoolwork. However, choosing to attend the trip February 24-26 with fellow New Jerseyans Brahvan Ranganathan and Ankita Satpathy was one of the most valuable decisions of my life.

My personal story with the Y is an interesting one. During my freshman year of high school, I discovered the organization through Model United Nations, a program that annually assembles 1600 high schoolers in Hershey, PA to debate international affairs in simulated UN committees, to meet other enthusiastic individuals, and, most importantly, to find their personal voices. Resultantly, I immersed myself in the experience and was elected one of 40 officers that organized the conference for the following year.

Attending the perennial New Jersey Youth & Government program that spring and later the Conference on National Affairs in July only added to the reality: I realized the significance of the Y’s Youth & Government networks and the value of empowering someone to share his vision and passion.

Nevertheless, although I understood this one particular aspect of the YMCA and how it linked articulate, motivated teenagers together, National Advocacy Days protracted my grasp of the organization far past my initial perception to teach me about the Y’s extensive array of programs nationwide that promote healthy communities, social responsibility, and youth development. Simply put, I extended my view from one of an outsider to one of an advocate.

While in D.C., I met some of the most intelligent and eloquent people in the nation, who gathered to represent the Y on a federal level by discussing objectives, funding, and other initiatives with prominent party players. I had the privilege of meeting the CEO of the YMCA of the USA, Neil Nicoll, who shared his own personal story and how he became involved, as well as Sally Jewell, the Secretary of the Interior, who described her vision of America and how the Y has been a proponent of that ideal. I encountered myriads of other passionate individuals who worked behind the scenes in the Y to organize events and projects, as well as a multitude of motivated college students who relinquished sleep to campaign for Representatives who shared their vision in Congress.

Our young group specifically met with White House advisors and eminent speakers to consider crucial issues and convey our viewpoints. As representatives from not only the Y, but also from New Jersey, Brahvan, Ankita, and I arranged meetings with our Senators and Congressmen to consider our ideas and to propose Congressional initiatives on behalf of the Y (and to a smaller extent, inquire about internships).

I faintly recall an entertaining comedian impugning Chris Christie, an elusive White House representative dodging every question we asked, and my spirited roommate keeping me up ‘til two in the morning. Nonetheless, my memories don’t stem from these discernible events and specific individuals. Rather, they come from the eclectic mix of advocates, debaters, and policymakers in the capital who shared a common passion, who turned an unsuspecting three-day trip into a venture of a lifetime, and who taught me more than I could ever imagine about an organization that has affected me so profoundly.

Taras Holovko is from Edison, NJ and is a sophomore at St. Joseph H.S.  He currently serves as the Chair of General Assembly with YMCA Model UN and also participates in New Jersey Youth & Government.