LYNNETTE CURRAN: FROM NEW MOM TO YMCA EMPLOYEE SHE HAS MADE A MARK

From a new mom who made friends at the Y to a volunteer to a 23-year YMCA employee, Lynnette Curran has made her mark

When Lynnette Curran moved with her family to Merrimack in 1997, she quickly connected with the Y. “I was a stay-at-home mom with two young kids. My husband got relocated from Massachusetts for his job at Fidelity. Going to the Y and working out was my break. I put the kids in Kid Stop and working out was time for me.” She shared that her first friends in the area were Kid Stop staff.

Two years later, Lynnette joined the Y staff in Kid Stop, and shortly after that also worked as a Welcome Center representative. “I’ve always been a worker. I started work at age 15. Working at the Y made me more connected to the community,” she said.

Part of her responsibility at the Welcome Center was working with Y-Cares applicants, helping the Y stay true to its mission of being for all. Y Cares Financial Assistance Scholarships enable children, adults and seniors with limited financial means to participate in any Y program or service. Significant aid is for childcare, afterschool care and summer camp, allowing parents who are low-wage earners to work or return to school and afford quality childcare. Sometimes families are dealing with short term situations where the Y is able to assist during such situations as a layoff from a job. The Y is and always will be dedicated to building healthy, confident, connected and secure children, adults, families and communities, and does not allow finances to barriers to access.

“Meeting families through the Y-Cares process was an enjoyable part of my job. I got to meet a lot of members, meet their kids and hear everybody’s stories. I made great connections. I still have conversations with many parents I met years ago. I’ve seen so many kids grow up. I’ve seen some kids grow from infants to being in grad school.”

Currently, Lynnette is Aquatics Director at the Merrimack Branch. She started teaching preschool swim lessons in 2019, enjoyed that and then earned her certification to be a lifeguard two months later.

When thinking about her varied Y career, she shares that she loves that the Y offers so much for kids and there are many opportunities to do so much at one place. “Kids can take swim lessons, take soccer classes, and be in afterschool child care. Parents can make many connections because their kids are involved together in so many programs together. And kids have a chance to make many friends outside of school.” She said what she loves most about the Y is the people. “You see the same people every day. It’s really familiar, almost like your family.”

Lynnette’s four kids have been very involved in the Y and all were in Y preschool.  Andrew, age 27, was a camp counselor. He took many sports classes and ultimately taught at the Y. She shared that she believes this guided him in his career choices, as he is now a 5^th grade teacher in Ft. Worth, Texas. 25-year-old Zac graduated from UNH. Two decades ago, his YMCA teacher Marilyn saw his propensity for numbers and predicted he would be a banker. Not far off, Lynette said. He graduated in finance and data analytics and works as an accountant. Her daughter Maddie now works at the Nashua Y in aquatics, while taking courses at Nashua Community College. And her youngest, Harrison, a high school sophomore, was a Leader-in-Training last year and loves the Y’s Leader’s Club. He volunteered last year in the YMCA Educational Academy.

Now as Lynnette celebrates a 23-year Y career and her four kids are grown, she’s ready for the next career challenge. Lynnette will be starting an intensive radiology program at New Hampshire Technical Institute to become a radiographer. “COVID changed a lot of people’s mindset, including me. The medical field has always piqued my interest and I decided that this year I would pursue this and go back to school.” She starts her journey in a few months. We wish Lynnette well and look forward to catching up with her when she’s back as a member, keeping her cardio conditioning going!