By Isabella Zarate
After a long wait, the Mahomet Area Youth Club (MAYC) has selected a new Executive Director.
Brianna Buchanan is a 25-year-old Danville, Illinois native. Buchanan has an associate’s degree from Danville Area Community College and a Bachelors in International Studies from Roosevelt University.
“I have a passion for giving back to small and underrepresented communities and was excited that I got to do that within my own local community,” Buchanan shares.
In order to join the MAYC team, Buchanan is leaving behind her position with Project Success of Vermillion County where she spent two and a half years working as site coordinator.
“I worked with kindergarten through 4th grade,” Buchanan explains.
“I also was a part of Leadership Tomorrow which is a program that sets individuals up in the community to become leaders through networking and mentorship.”
While Buchanan is leaving a position she enjoyed behind, she is excited for this new role with MAYC.
“I was interested in the position as Executive Director because I wanted to be the catalyst for
change in an organization,” Buchanan shares.
She continues, “I love working with the youth and helping them pave the way for their own success.”
For Buchanan, joining MAYC is giving her the opportunity to grow as a professional leader while also fostering more relationships with students across Central Illinois.
As for the future of MAYC, Buchanan has many hopes. “My plans for MAYC are to focus on and improve community relationships, engagement, as well partnerships. While at Project Success these three components were important when it came to creating an effective program.Helping the community learn about program initiatives as well as getting the youth more involved are keys for success.”
As Buchanan embarks on this new endeavor her main goal is to increase student attendance in hopes that more children will want to participate in and impact a continuously growing program.
“I am enthusiastic for the future of MAYC and how I can serve the Mahomet community,” Buchanan concludes.
