Congratulations to Grand Ridge Drive resident Ryan Aby for being selected as March’s Volunteer of the Month! He has served on the Highlands Youth (HY) Advisory Board for the past five years, and the last two years as president. Thanks for all you do, Ryan!
He had the following to say about his time volunteering and living in Issaquah Highlands:
Hi! My name’s Ryan. I’m a junior at Issaquah High School and I live in the Grand Ridge Drive neighborhood in Issaquah Highlands! I’ve lived here my whole life, and I wouldn’t change that for a thing.
About 20 years ago, my parents fell in love with Issaquah Highlands after seeing how cohesive the whole community was. The newly built elementary school, parks and homes made it the perfect place to raise a family!
My favorite part about living in this community is its togetherness. Whether that be in terms of the people, the leaders or the physical environment, the community is always inviting and easy to navigate.
Over the years, Issaquah Highlands has been host to countless fond childhood memories: morning walks to Grand Ridge Park with mom, basketball with my friends at Black Nugget Park, football in the park behind my house. I wouldn’t change a thing.
I first got into volunteering by following my brother around to his Highlands Youth (HY) Advisory Board events. The HY Board is a group of around 20 middle and high schoolers who plan and execute events for youth in community. Even when I was just a little kid tagging along with my brother to events, all of them took me in and gave me a place to belong.
Eventually, what started as a pastime became a passion and I fell in love with not only the HY Board, but the community as a whole. Finally, I joined the HY Board myself in seventh grade, and I haven’t looked back since. I’ve spent the last few years meeting and connecting with youth throughout our community, and the experiences I’ve gained are invaluable.
From egg hunts to Halloween parties to summer events, I’ve met countless new people and had the opportunity to learn from my mentors and peers around me. I’ve learned that the opportunities to volunteer in our community are endless, and the more you take advantage of them, the more you’ll understand how amazing our community really is.
Volunteering (in my opinion) is truly one of the most gratifying experiences you can have, and the feeling that you helped make a difference in your community honestly makes it all worth it.
Are you inspired to get involved in the Issaquah Highlands community?
Opportunities are available!
Click here to discover all the different ways you can get involved in our Issaquah Highlands community, including opportunities to join boards and committees, as well as urgent needs at local nonprofits.
Questions? Contact Lindsey Pinkston, Highlands Council Executive Director.
