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Community Foundation Welcomes Traverse City Student Amy Jun as New Board Director

[Image description: A headshot of Amy smiling and standing on a bridge with pine trees blurred in the background. Amy is wearing a black sweater with a white and red pattern.]

This summer, the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation welcomed Traverse City West Senior High School student, Amy Jun to its Board of Directors, the organization’s voluntary governing body that is comprised of community members from across the five-county region. Jun is the Foundation’s second youth representative to the board, following in the footsteps of its first representative, Marina Ascione who served from 2019 to 2020.

“We are excited to have Amy on our board and are grateful for the important youth perspective she will bring to the decision-making table,” said David Mengebier, President and CEO of the Community Foundation. “Our youth are the future of our region and it is critical to include them in key leadership roles across our community.”

In addition to serving on the Community Foundation’s Board of Directors, Jun is a leadership team member of the Foundation’s Youth Advisory Council (YAC), where she, alongside her peers, provides strategic input to ensure a quality, meaningful YAC program experience for all students. YAC students are responsible for reviewing and approving grants from the Foundation’s Youth Endowment.

During the 2020-2021 academic year, the YAC awarded $76,800 in grants to lift up regional youth and families. These grants benefited 17 total nonprofit partners across the region, including Child and Family Services of Northwest Michigan, Michael’s Place, Traverse Bay Children’s Advocacy Center, and Women’s Resource Center for the Grand Traverse Area, among others.

“Having youth play an active part in the process of funding is so important and can be a great learning experience, whether that’s understanding how to collaborate with others, prioritize necessities for the community, or simply cultivating a better sense of thoughtfulness and compassion for others,” said Jun.

Jun will be a senior at Traverse City West this fall. She moved to Traverse City from Houston, TX with her family in 2020. She is Korean-American and is involved with her local church. She also plays on her high school’s varsity basketball team and is involved in other extracurricular clubs.

“Community service has been extremely important to me growing up. With my dad as a pastor and growing up in the church, serving others is something my family values deeply,” said Jun. “I’m really happy I get the opportunity to be on the Community Foundation’s board and to continue helping my community.”

To learn more about the Community Foundation’s Board of Directors, YAC program, and Youth Endowment, visit: http://www.gtrcf.org/