April 28, 2017
On April 25th I sat across from two people I had never met before and admitted my greatest professional weaknesses over lunch. That following Thursday I had breakfast with at least 30 perfect strangers and discussed what motivates me to grow both personally and professionally. A new group therapy model? Nope – YP Week. YP Week is a state-wide initiative highlighting the best of what Wisconsin has to offer to young professionals. YLink knocked it out of the park – celebrating all that is vibrant about Kenosha and finding new engaging ways to connect young talent to local resources, businesses, and each other.
Serving as this year’s YP Week representative, I had the opportunity to travel to four different communities during the first four months of the year for state-wide meetings and exploration. I not only came away from these meetings with new ideas and strategies for growing our local young professional network but also a new passion for truly exploring all that Kenosha has to offer and finding out how to connect our young talent to those resources. At the very core that is what YP Week is for – a chance for exploration in our backyard and a platform for us to connect not only with business leaders but peers outside of our professional silos.
This sort of collaboration and connection is what plugs people into our community for the long term. Through YLink YP Week events over the years, I have made new connections that have turned into business partnerships, volunteer opportunities, and some amazing friendships. Admittedly, that is my favorite part about YP Week – growing further into my community and meeting people who share the same passions along the way. I have served in various roles on the YLink leadership team, and of all of YLink’s goals, the one closest to my heart is helping others connect with each other and our community. I honestly believe that these connections are the foundation for a better Kenosha and that continuing to create platforms for young professionals to foster these relationships will better our community as a whole.
Written by Brandi Cummings, Communications Specialist for the Kenosha Public Library and current president of the YLink Board of Directors – Kenosha County’s young professional organization.