(SWEP Summer Interns & sisters: Crystal Huang [AYPS Program Intern], Haley Huang [JCYC Admin Intern], and Jessie Huang [JCYC Fiscal Intern])
My past experiences with the Japanese Community Youth Council (JCYC) have been absolutely the best! I’ve been with JCYC for 3 years – all under different programs. In summer ’12 and summer ’14, I was a SWEP participant and for the 2012-2013, I was a MYEEP participant.
In my 3 years at JCYC, I was under different supervisors; each teaching me valuable lessons in life. For example, gaining confidence is one skill I’ll always be working on. Growing up, kids are taught that talking to strangers is a big no-no but in this line of work it’s essential to have some social skill. And let me tell you it’s nerve-wracking to call or pass flyers around despite being small tasks. My summer supervisor, Chris Lee, is such a chill guy. Though he bluntly told me my flaws but I’m thankful he did because I can improve myself. Oh, and he eats extremely healthy. He eats like a salad everyday pretty much.
I’ve learned new things like designing websites, how to use a copying machine, and researching subjects online which can be boring at times. Work at an office is typically sedentary, but you’ll be surprised how much manual labor there is to do. And how busy one can be and end up sitting on their desk the entire day. However working for a nonprofit is itself rewarding. Also one perk I like about working for at JCYC is food!! Not to be plain and simple but everyone likes food. There’s so much food that my mother jokes around saying she doesn’t need to feed us dinner for the summer.
Also this summer was a bit different; both of my sisters were in the program too! My little sister, Crystal began her first year as a SWEP participant and hopefully will continue working in future sessions too. My big sister, Jessie has also worked 3 years with JCYC (this summer in SWEP). So it’s nice to say that work was extremely fun this year. All our supervisors are friends because JCYC is so friendly. So we had so many laughs together and there hasn’t been a day without laughter. I can honestly say that working for JCYC is an extreme privilege and anyone who would be interested should definitely try it. Everyone comes out refreshed and has a new outlook in life. You also get connections into the adult society. You learn new things and experience reality rather than the small world of high school. Life is about experiencing things and JCYC & SWEP will open your eyes.