SHARE YOUR WHY ABOUT THE Y

Staff Share Why the Y

EVERY PERSON HAS THEIR OWN Y STORY

We recently asked staff to share their “Why the Y” story
and here’s what seven people shared with us!

If you too, want to share your Y Story you can do so, quickly,
by visiting Share Your Y Story and submit the simple form.

 

Siamara NivenThe Y is important to me because it helped me find my passion! I grew up dancing at the Y and became very involved in the program. I took classes, participated in community events with the Performance Team, and helped form the Competition Team. Now I teach classes and choreograph for both the Competition and Performance teams. I hope to teach and inspire my students as my teachers did for me!

– Siamara Niven, Dance Instructor


Leslie BradyHaving a place to workout is great. Having a community is even better.

– Leslie Brady, Group Exercise Instructor


Liya Biswas1. I get a lot of respect and love every day from Y.

2. The YMCA is a great place to help and serve our community, our kids and their families.

3. The YMCA is my second home. I feel so happy and safe in here.

– Liya Biswas, Teacher, Early Education Center

 


Keren Martinez My WHY here at the YMCA, as the Creative Movement Teacher, is because I love having the opportunity to be a friend and role model to all the little humans that I work with every single day. Being able to provide a safe space in which children feel okay to be themselves and actually ENGAGE in activities, is so rewarding. Just seeing their excitement, when they know it’s time for Creative Movement, or my favorite one so far “Is the fun over?” when they know it’s time to go genuinely makes me love my job and who I do it for ❤️

– Keren Martinez, Teacher, Early Education Center


Laura Cotreau I love being part of someone’s happiness. Whether it’s been a fun and motivating fitness class, playtime at KidStop or dancing in a ballet class, the Y has been my happy place and my kids’ happy place. I love that the Y is so much more than just physical health. It’s a place for mental health, too!

– Laura Cotreau, Group Exercise Instructor


Fiona Corbett I’ve been going to the Y since before I can even remember, taking dance, art, and swim classes and spending my summers at camp. Now being an employee here, the relationships I’ve formed over 15 years have truly shaped the person I am today. The dance program definitely changed my life, and my instructors and teammates have become my second family.

(Shout-out to Tiffany Joslin, Kaleigh Mulligan, Kristen Capriotti, Siamara Niven, Gloria Torres, and all the dancers of Y Dance In Motion)

– Fiona Corbett, Dance Instructor


Beth CovinoI’ve had a Y connection since I was in high school and joined the Barrington (RI) YMCA. I was on swim team and was a member of the Leaders Club. The Y was my happy place. When I worked at Merrimack Valley YMCA in Massachusetts, the Y was the caring place that helped me raise my daughter, when I was a single Mom. My daughter went to after-school care, enjoyed summer day camp and overnight camp, learned to swim, learned leadership skills in the Youth in Government program, gave back to the community participating in Leaders Club events and made lifelong friends. Every year when we decorate our Christmas tree, we talk about Miss Lorraine, the after-school teacher who provided hours of homework help and helped the children make fun craft projects daily. We have two very special Christmas decorations that I take great care to wrap each year. They are about 25 years old and still going strong!

– Beth Covino, Chief Community Relations Officer

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