What do I want to be when I grow up?
I remember in high school, I loved math! So much so, that I decided to ask my math teacher what I should do. She told me I should be an accountant and go to NC State University. So guess what I did? Just that. I went to NC State University and was on track to be an accountant. I worked part time with Girl Scouts as the business manager at one of their summer camps. It was there that I was told I would be great at managing youth programs. Thus began my career in youth development. After 20 years, I am still equally passionate about pouring my everything into our youth, whether it is with my Girl Scout troop, working with the children at church, or the great work I get to do with Junior Achievement of Central Carolinas.
Leave this place better than you found it.
I am doing what I want now and it feels great! We all can agree that it is more important than ever to invest in our youth. Being a girl in Girl Scouts taught me that I can change the world. I looked problems boldly in the face and accepted the challenge of seeing how I could be the solution or at least the agent of change. During my 13 year tenure with Girl Scouts, I saw the larger impact of building girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place. I am who I am because of the leadership skills I learned throughout my experiences with Girl Scouts.
Now I get the opportunity to be the operations director at JA Central Carolinas. Through amazing curriculum and community partnerships, we are inspiring and preparing young people to succeed in a global economy. Students are learning financial literacy, entrepreneurship and work/career readiness skills. With April being financial literacy month, and living in a community where we are talking about the economic impact of our young people, I know I am in the right place to make a change. This is not what I thought I would be doing when I grew up, but here I am, living my best life.
WHO do I want to be when I grow up?
We cannot always be consumers in this world. At some point, everyone should be contributing to make this world a better place. What we each do matters. Rarely did I consider myself a leader, but somehow leadership found me over and over again. Some of it may have been because of what I did, but most of it was because of WHO I was. Being a part of the Emerging Business Leaders program has allowed me to pause and reflect on who I want to be when I grow up. Now I am becoming more intentional in developing who I am so that I can serve my team, my organization, my family, my church, my community and MYSELF better.
The biggest room in the world is room for improvement. Who is with me? Let’s get in the game and change the world, starting with the person in the mirror.
Crystal Taylor is the operations director at Junior Achievement of Central Carolinas. She is a vibrant, uplifting and engaging professional with a passion for seeing others thrive. You can connect with Crystal on LinkedIn.
