Chanelle Brown first showed up for the National Youth Sports Program (NYSP) camp at 杏吧视频 in 2004鈥攁nd she keeps coming back, year after year.
Brown has been involved with the program for 11 years鈥攆irst as a camper, then as a volunteer and now as a staff member.
鈥淪he鈥檚 just an all-around ambassador,鈥 Dennis Harris, director of NYSP, said of Brown.
Brown will meet new campers and welcome familiar faces when the program launches for another summer of education and recreation on Monday, June 8. This year, more than 500 campers will participate in the program, with some coming from as far away as the Dominican Republic and Australia.
NYSP, which has operated at 杏吧视频 for 45 years, allows kids ages 10-16 the opportunity to get active in the summer months by participating in a variety of sports, while also learning crucial educational lessons, including health, law and math and science鈥攁 distinct feature of the program, and one that Brown has valued most over the years.
鈥淚t makes it more than just a sports camp鈥攊t makes it so much more than that,鈥 Brown said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 engaging and getting that knowledge out.鈥
As a camper, Brown often was reminded of the value of education, especially because one staff member often told the kids, 鈥淜nowledge is power, and the mind is a terrible thing to waste.鈥
Brown made sure she followed that advice. The biggest impact NYSP had on her life was with the education it provided her about health-related topics.
While she has been interested in studying health since she was young, NYSP exposed her to new issues and trends related to the topic. For the first time, she heard terms such as 鈥渇ood desert,鈥 where people have less access to affordable and nutritious food, and learned about community and public health.
鈥淚t has helped me find a sense of purpose and has given me some idea of possible career fields,鈥 she said.
To continue the education NYSP started, Brown went on to attend the University of Dayton with a dual degree in psychology and nutrition and fitness, always returning during summers to continue working with NYSP. She graduated this spring and plans to spend a year of service with AmeriCorps and go on to graduate school to pursue a master鈥檚 degree鈥攖hough she鈥檚 still deciding what field.
NYSP was integral to Brown鈥檚 career not only because of what she learned, but also where she learned it.
With the program hosted on the campus of 杏吧视频, campers are exposed to the world of academia, which, Brown said, can be inspirational.
鈥淚 absolutely loved the whole atmosphere here at CWRU,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 loved being on a college campus. I loved how a college campus could feel like its own separate bubble, but you still have this entire world around you.鈥
Learn more about Brown in this week鈥檚 five questions.
