From Inspiration to Sharing Impact
This summer we were fortunate as an organization to host two interns, Tara Kurup through the Bank of American internship and whose story we shared last week, as well as Christopher O’Herren, Champlain College student and Y kid. Here is Christopher’s inspiring story:
I am Christopher O’Herren, a Champlain College student who has been working as an intern at the YMCA of Greater Nashua. Here, I’ve been writing stories like this one and helping tell the stories of the people within the YMCA to show its impact on our community. And this is my story.
As a resident of Nashua, I started at the YMCA, where I learned to swim as a kid. However, I didn’t return much to the YMCA afterward until the new one by Mines Falls Park opened up. There, my older brother and I would go to participate in the YMCA Leaders Club, a club dedicated to volunteering and aiming to set the best example for others in terms of civic responsibility and community care. There, the two of us would make many friends and continue their journey.
After taking a few writing courses in high school, my parents asked me to try to get a summer job before my last year. So naturally, I took a job at the YMCA as a camp counselor at Camp Spaulding. When the camp closed down, and COVID hit America hard, I simply took a job at Camp Create. A little after that, I took a position as a Camp Sargent. I would continue to work as a camp counselor at all kinds of camps throughout most of my college years.
In college, I studied professional writing with a focus on fiction. “I was always fascinated by the stories I watched on TV and movies and just wanted to give back for all the stories I’ve read and watched.” However, as part of my final semester at college, I needed to take a writing internship to graduate. So, after speaking with the executive director of impact at my local YMCA, I was offered an internship over the summer.
The job seemed simple. I would interview people, do research, and try to write down their stories. Sometimes, they were about a Y member; sometimes, they were about staff. But always, they were stories on the impact of the YMCA. It was certainly a step away from my initial goal of becoming a fiction writer. However, that didn’t dissuade me. I was more than happy to interview and quote people in the stories I wrote. They were almost all compelling to me, and all I wanted to do was to share the stories I heard in a way that kept them as compelling as when I heard them.
Nearing the end of my summer internship, I’ll take one more semester in the fall before officially graduating from Champlain College. So, what did I take away from this experience? My answer: “The YMCA was always a safe space for the people I know, and even though I don’t need or use it as much as they do, I’m glad it exists. And if I’ve learned anything over the summer, it’s that doing work that clearly matters makes it easier to do it.” So, I hope the YMCA will continue to be the good thing it’s always been, no matter what the future holds for me and this community.
The YMCA of Greater Nashua has a profound impact on the community, from helping children learn to swim to fostering connections and leadership through programs like the YMCA Leaders Club. Through the stories shared by our interns, we see the difference the Y makes in the lives of so many. Your support is crucial in continuing these programs and providing opportunities for growth and connection. Please consider making a donation today to help us continue this vital work and strengthen our community together.
