By Ed Karvoski Jr., Contributing Writer
Shrewsbury/Westborough – After recently graduating from Shrewsbury High School (SHS) and before beginning freshman year at Fairfield University in the fall, Dan Swanson will once again work at summer camp for the Boroughs Family Branch YMCA in Westborough. He’ll also likely find time to volunteer there.
Swanson was named Youth of the Year during the 152nd annual meeting and volunteer recognition event of the YMCA of Central Massachusetts held at the Boroughs Y.
According to Betsy Moquin, senior human resources director, “Dan’s passion for helping his community represents the Y’s core values of honesty, respect, caring and responsibility. Giving his free time to the Y, he has accrued over 300 hours of community service.”
He started volunteering at Camp Boroughs as a counselor-in-training (CIT) in 2013 at age 15. Compelled to continue volunteering, he returned during the school year to help in the Kid Zone. There, children are entertained while their parents exercise.
“It’s like a miniature camp where parents drop off their kids while they work out,” Swanson explained. “Kids are kept occupied and have a good time until their parents pick them up. Even though I don’t work Kid Zone anymore, I still see those kids around the Y and they say ‘hi’ to me by name. I have strong connections with them.”
When he turned 16, the Boroughs Y hired him to work in the rock wall area and Kid Zone. While balancing school and work, he managed to continue volunteering.
“Being a volunteer helped me transition into an authoritative role,” he said. “I had to make sure that kids are having fun and also playing safely. Their safety and health is the main priority.”
He particularly enjoys working at the rock wall. On Saturdays, he helps there with safety certification for all ages.
“I enjoy the atmosphere of the rock wall,” he said. “Kids are always extremely excited to come and rock climb. We also have teenagers and adults rock climbing. I love being around enthusiastic people.”
Swanson appreciates that his first job is both fun and beneficial for him.
“I have friends who work in retail or fast food restaurants and they complain about going to work, but my first job is not like that all,” he relayed. “I get paid to work at a rock wall and play with children.”
Swanson is an active member of the Borough Y’s Leaders Club, which meets weekly. He also serves on its executive board. The club is a nationwide community service based program that helps teens discover their full potential as leaders. Swanson has attended weekend leader rallies in the fall, winter and spring, and a summertime weeklong leader school.
“I’ve made some of my best friends through the Leaders Club and at these weekend rallies,” he noted. “The leader school is a week, so you make connections that are much deeper and stronger.”
At Fairfield University, Swanson will major in math and minor in education. He was a member of the SHS National Honor Society as well as the Math Honor Society with whom he tutored freshmen through seniors.
“I want to be a teacher after college and I like helping someone in a subject that I love, which is math,” he said. “I think my volunteering will help when I’m dealing with students who need a little extra work to get to where the rest of the class is.”
In the meantime, he’s looking forward to working at Camp Boroughs.
“I’m working camp fulltime this summer,” he said. “But if the Y needs help with any big events, I’m fine to go and volunteer.”