Rachel Stephens – Why Did You Stay Here?
Rachel Stephens, Managing Editor, Living Fort Wayne I went to school in northeast Indiana and admittedly, I wanted to leave as soon as I was 18. My angsty teenage self had some crazy idea that to be a “proper grown-up” I needed to leave my home town. After spending my first year of college away at Ball State University, I realized I missed Fort Wayne. Most of my free weekends were spent coming back to visit. I moved back and finished school at IPFW and loved the education I received there. Attending a smaller university gave me more opportunities to make connections with others in my degree program and in the community. I became interested in the region’s economic development and took an internship with the Regional Partnership and became a member of the Emerging Leaders Alliance. I love living in northeast Indiana because I can have a voice and make a difference here. YLNI’s Living Fort Wayne Committee wants to know your answers to one or both of these questions. “Why Did You Move Here?” or “Why Did You Stay Here?” Email your one-two paragraph answer to one of these questions to Tim Zink at timz@ylni.org. There are two photo options – you may include a professional headshot with your answers (quickest) or you can set up an appointment to have your photo taken later this summer. Please include your preferred name and title. Your photo and response may be used on YLNI’s Living Fort Wayne website, Facebook, Twitter, and/or...
Tiana Maclin – Why Did You Stay Here?
Tiana Maclin, Strategic Marketing Manager, Living Fort Wayne Growing up, my goal was to leave Indiana. “Anywhere else!”, I’d always say. The flat cornfields never appealed to my teenage self. As I aged, I decided to stay close to home for college. I was indifferent about my home state. At least I was away from my home town. This was a plus. Removing myself away from the similarity of it all opened my eyes a little wider and I looked around a little harder. I attended college at Manchester University. It is nestled in a small town of North Manchester, Indiana about 45 minutes from Fort Wayne. If we wanted to do anything at all in terms of quality entertainment outside of the campus, Fort Wayne was one of the cities we traveled to for the fun fix. This is where my heart started to soften for Indiana, and even more so for Fort Wayne. I didn’t fall in love with what Fort Wayne was but what it could become. It had this gleaming potential to become even greater, if only it had some people here to nourish it. I started to become more involved in Fort Wayne little by little from enjoying the activities to working here. I wanted to make a difference in the community. I am a firm believer that if you complain about it, you better do something about it to create change. This can be a simple vote in the direction you think will make a difference to joining boards of organizations. Why did I move here? I wanted to make a difference, grow the community, build pride in our region. I came here because of the opportunities. Fort Wayne will not drown out your voice. I came here for the people and their generosity. I am here to show young people that there is a future here. This is a place to set roots. YLNI’s Living Fort Wayne Committee wants to know your answers to one or both of these questions. “Why Did You Move Here?” or “Why Did You Stay Here?” Email your one-two paragraph answer to one of these questions to Tim Zink at timz@ylni.org. There are two photo options – you may include a professional headshot with your answers (quickest) or you can set up an appointment to have your photo taken later this summer. Please include your preferred name and title. Your photo and response may be used on YLNI’s Living Fort Wayne website, Facebook, Twitter, and/or...
Bri Anna Burkey – Why Did You Stay Here?
Bri Anna Burkey Because we grew up together. I was raised here in Fort Wayne and being raised here allowed me to be a witness to the city’s growth throughout the years. I grew up close to downtown which allowed us to feel like we were a part of everything, especially the festivals, without actually leaving our backyard. Our family always rode our bikes downtown and around [Headwaters Park]. My favorite time of the year was festival season, but I learned recently that I mostly just love being downtown the most, I love the atmosphere of feeling like I’m from a small town, because everyone you know was at the festival, too. And that feeling has never changed you can still walk from the lemon shakeup stand to the funnel cakes and run into a friendly face. As I am now in my twenties and have had my many moments of doubt in what to do with my career and life as a local hairdresser the one thing that hasn’t changed or even doubted is my love for Fort Wayne. I don’t think i could ever leave this place we’ve grown up together and I want to continue to watch it grow and help it thrive anyway I can. YLNI’s Living Fort Wayne Committee wants to know your answers to one or both of these questions. “Why Did You Move Here?” or “Why Did You Stay Here?” Email your one-two paragraph answer to one of these questions to Tim Zink at timz@ylni.org. There are two photo options – you may include a professional headshot with your answers (quickest) or you can set up an appointment to have your photo taken later this summer. Please include your preferred name and title. Your photo and response may be used on YLNI’s Living Fort Wayne website, Facebook, Twitter, and/or...
Cassey Suthers – Why Did You Stay Here?
Cassey Suthers, Writer, Living Fort Wayne Apart from the fact that my immediate family lives here and I have a family of my own, I chose to stay in Fort Wayne after I graduated college, because I genuinely feel a connection to Fort Wayne and want to be part of its growth. Despite not being born in Fort Wayne, I consider myself a Fort Wayne native, having spent the majority of my life here. I’ve seen it transform into a dynamic city where relationships thrive and communities work together to build it up. I remember saying in one of my first interviews out of college that one of my career goals was to have a role in the development of Fort Wayne, and though I was unsure what that role might consist of, I was ready to take the leap and begin my path towards it. A unique feature of Fort Wayne, is the amount of truly talented young professionals who share a passion for improving the lives of those who call our city home. I think this is especially important for young people who are looking to make a difference as they begin their careers. I’m thankful to be here, because it means I don’t have to choose between having a family and pursuing my career and my goals. In Fort Wayne, I can do both, which is something I’m not sure I could do in other big, metropolitan cities. The affordability, career opportunities, and family friendly atmosphere of Fort Wayne is why I stayed here. YLNI’s Living Fort Wayne Committee wants to know your answers to one or both of these questions. “Why Did You Move Here?” or “Why Did You Stay Here?” Email your one-two paragraph answer to one of these questions to Tim Zink at timz@ylni.org. There are two photo options – you may include a professional headshot with your answers (quickest) or you can set up an appointment to have your photo taken later this summer. Please include your preferred name and title. Your photo and response may be used on YLNI’s Living Fort Wayne website, Facebook, Twitter, and/or...
Alex Modarressi – Why Did You Stay Here?
Alex Modarressi, Vice Chair of Community Engagement, Living Fort Wayne A few years back I was debating with myself “Why would I choose to live here” and “Why would I choose to move”. What reasons should I move for…. my career, better income, personal growth, or maybe a greater sense of belonging…? I felt if I could answer why I would chose not to live here that it might help answer what I should be looking for somewhere else. During this time of reflection, I found community experiences such as local art and culture had not been explored and that my lack of involvement would not be a reasonable enough excuse for me to leave the region or state. So I started looking for ways to become involved and opening myself to opportunities to help our communities. This is when Living Fort Wayne and Wunderkammer started posting their need for volunteers. I started to attend local events and seeing needs that I could fulfill and had conversations about how to become more involved. One thing led to another and to me being a part of local organizations I believe in such as YLNI, Rotaract, Pine Hills City Church, and others like Clyde Theatre and Fort Wayne SOUP. YLNI’s Living Fort Wayne Committee wants to know your answers to one or both of these questions. “Why Did You Move Here?” or “Why Did You Stay Here?” Email your one-two paragraph answer to one of these questions to Tim Zink at timz@ylni.org. There are two photo options – you may include a professional headshot with your answers (quickest) or you can set up an appointment to have your photo taken later this summer. Please include your preferred name and title. Your photo and response may be used on YLNI’s Living Fort Wayne website, Facebook, Twitter, and/or...