BEYOND BUSINESS WITH YLK CLASS 31

Youth Leadership Kearney started the beyond business day at Cash-Wa distribution center.  The class learned how the distribution process works and got a tour of the facilities. The highlight for class 31 was the driving simulator.

After Cash-Wa, Class 31 traveled to Cottonwood Veterinary Clinic. The class learned about different career paths in the veterinary medicine field and how a vet clinic is run. Additionally, Youth Leadership Kearney was able to tour the clinic and the retreat. The class got the opportunity to interact with the canine patients staying at Cottonwood. 

The morning continued at Hello Beautiful Boutique. The class listened to Megan Goeke, the owner of Hello Beautiful, talk about her business ventures. Megan gave class 31 a tour of downtown Kearney. The class learned how Downtown has evolved throughout the years and the importance of preserving historic buildings. Megan talked about the innovative ways the City of Kearney is improving the bricks while also keeping the historical charm of the buildings alive. For example, making the apartments above the businesses livable and hiring artists to paint murals on the side of the buildings. 

Next, the class met with Brenda Jochum for a follow up strength finding session at the Legacy on the Bricks. The group engaged in an exercise to reflect on how they had applied their Clifton Strengths since the February assessment. Class 31 also learned how their strengths relate to future career paths. 

While at Legacy on the Bricks, Youth Leadership Kearney participated in roundtable discussions with representatives from various businesses: Jacob Sertich (Wilkins ADP), Tara Lammers (Allo Communications), Kale Gideon (Bluestone Wealth Advisors), Bryan Kuntz (Intellicom), Brandon Yaw (Rooted Realty/Un:Inebriated), and Liam Mendoza (Joy’s Table/Angus Burgers and Shakes). The group was able to learn about different steps and challenges that go into starting and managing a business. Also, how to become an entrepreneur and a successful leader. 

The session concluded with a visit to Graczyk landscaping. The group learned about the diverse 

careers in the landscaping industry and were able to tour the building. Additionally, the group learned about all the different aspects that make up the company. Such as the landscape designer, the in house mechanic, and the marketing team. Notably, Graczyk Landscaping fosters a supportive, family-like environment for its employees.