“I love what AYC does and I am so thankful for Aspen Youth Center. My stepson has visited AYC frequently over the last couple of years after moving to the valley. I don’t know what we would have done without Aspen Youth Center as we both work full-time.

“I started coming to AYC in 5th grade. We had just moved to Aspen and my mom told my sister and I there was a youth center. I was so nervous to go but when I walked in those doors it was my home away from home. That day, I met one of my best friends and after she showed me around we were inseparable. We would not have been friends if it weren’t for AYC.

“I was bullied a lot as a kid. As I got older, I became angry, unhappy, and uncomfortable in my skin. I started to believe what kids said about me: that I was stupid, my opinions didn’t mater, I didn’t deserve to be happy or have anything good in my life. I started hanging out with bad kids and making bad decisions.The decision to go to AYC altered the course of my life.

“I have been involved with Aspen Youth Center as a board member since 2016. I was approached by a current board member who thought my combined love for this community and kids would make me a good fit. He was right.