As the class of 2022 prepares to head into the world, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Elkhart County is proud of our members who have set amazing goals for their futures.
Kiley Hutton from the Goshen Club has been involved in activities there for the past several years. She is currently an intern, working with younger members. She will join the team this summer before continuing her education.
“The people here are a family and community. Coming in here doesn’t feel like a place to come after school. When I’m here, I’m surrounded by people who see my potential and are caring and have empathy,” Hutton said.
Hutton represented the county-wide clubs in the state’s Youth of the Year competition, but she’s also been involved in leadership at the Goshen Club, serving as the Keystone Club president and a member of the Michiana Youth Sports League volleyball team.
She credits the Club with helping members find a safe space to grow.
“A lot of people come from broken homes. Even if you’re not from a broken home, it’s important to have people outside that family circle that you can rely on to be a safe haven,” she said.
Now that she’s working with younger kids at the Club, she’s intrigued by the opportunity to engage them in the programs that she’s grown to love.
“I’ve been brain storming ideas by talking with the kids here about what they want. This summer I’d like to try some of those things to get kids more engaged,” Hutton said.
She works hard to make sure that kids are included.
“I’m able to see what is making kids uncomfortable, and my brain triggers into a mode of making it easier for them,” she said.
Hutton plans to attend Ivy Tech in the fall for the first year of her college, then wants to transfer to a school like Goshen College. Her interest is in social work or psychology, but lately she’s been exploring a career as a traveling nurse.
“It all falls into the same category. You’re helping people,” she said. “When I found out I could help people and travel the world taking care of them, it sounds like an incredible opportunity.”
She said there’s a need for people willing to travel the world, and she loves the idea of being able to help kids at the same time.
“The world is so short of nurses right now. If I could be a nurse and also the person kids could come to and talk about problems, it could change lives,” Hutton said. “That’s leaving your mark on the world. If I can be a nurse that goes where the need is, you’re proving to people, ‘I am here and I care’.”