Stories of mountain town professionals, Rachel Youth Advocacy Manager at Bright Future Foundation (Vail, CO)

Meet, Rachel, Youth Advocacy Manager at Bright Future Foundation.

Join Rachel and be a mentor at the Buddy Program

Tell us about your position…

As Youth Advocacy Manager at Bright Future Foundation, my main job is managing the Buddy Mentors program. This program is based on the Big Brother/Big Sisters model of mentoring. Basically we match an adult volunteer with an Eagle County youth and they commit to hanging out one-on-one for a year, but many times this year turns into multiple years. I love my job because of the people I work with–our adult volunteers, my coworkers, and, of course, the kids!

How did you get started…

I was a freelance editor for many years, before discovering the joy of ski instructing. That lead to a job teaching middle school for five years, and then Bright Future Foundation.

Why did you move to the mountains?

I planned on instructing the minimum number of days at Beaver Creek for the pass, but loved it so much I came up full time.

What is the best part of living in the mountains?

Cooler summers, no ski traffic, great community.

Advice for someone looking to make the move?

Volunteering is a great way to get to know people and to explore what jobs are out there. Buddy Mentors is always looking for adult volunteers (Senior Buddies) and we have social events at least twice a month–the perfect opportunity to meet and talk to others in the community.

Follow along at The Buddy Mentor Program.

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