The YMCA is a great place for children to start building connections, develop social skills, confidence, leadership, and fitness through youth and family programming.
This year, we want to profile local community leaders who attribute their success to solid beginnings with the YMCA. Our seventh community leader is Cindy Burreson, Senior Catering Sales Executive at the Renaissance Esmeralda and Interim Executive Director for the Children’s Discovery Museum of the Desert.
I am a “Y” girl…always. The YMCA has been instrumental in my life in many ways. In reflecting on my times at the YMCA for this feature, it really made me even more appreciative of what the “Y” brings to our youth. leaders
When I was a little girl, my Grandma put me in swim classes during the summer and I learned how to swim! I don’t think I had ever swam before that, but made it through three levels and diving in my first summer because I loved it so much. I also saved this scrapbook that we made at the YMCA when I was about ten. I remember being in the sunflower field taking this photo for the cover and thinking what a neat place the YMCA is.
We went through a divorce when I was little and moved to California where my mom was a single working mom. My sister and I went to the Diamond Bar YMCA for school pickup and afternoon care. I remember one counselor in particular named Octavio, who was like an older brother to my sister and I when we sort of needed a male figure. He was so kind and encouraging and helped us through a really hard time.
Now that I am a mom, I sincerely appreciate what the YMCA provided for my own Mom. She could go to work and rest easily knowing that we were safely being picked up from school each day, being fed nutritional snacks, doing our homework so she could spend quality time with us when she got home and we were making friends. I can’t imagine what a relief this must have been for my Mom, knowing that we were in such good care. I remember that I hated PE in school, but at the “Y” I was able to try a variety of sports and things I thought I wasn’t good at. It wasn’t about winning or losing, but about working as a team and trying your best. I actually grew to love sports at the YMCA and thought, “I can do anything!”.
The YMCA has truly impacted the woman I have become by helping to enforce the ideas of confidence and teamwork that I still carry with me today. I hope I can be as instrumental in making someone feel like they can do anything the way the YMCA did for me!
Cindy Burreson is the Senior Catering Sales Executive at the Renaissance Esmeralda as well as the Interim Executive Director for the Children’s Discovery Museum of the Desert. A resident of our Valley for over 15 years, Cindy and her husband, Derek, are raising their two boys, Dyson and Dylan ages 10 and 8. Cindy has served on several Boards in the Valley and is involved in many charitable events including the YMCA’s “Hoedown”. She has been a keynote speaker for Shelter From the Storm twice and she still loves unicorns and rainbows.
Check out the rest of our Y local community leaders here!
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