Transcript
What inspires you from WFSU Public Media? Here's this week's Voices That Inspire. My name is Casey Dennis, and I'm the interim CEO and president of the Boys and Girls Club of the Big Bend. I've been a part of the Boys and Girls Club mission for the past 17 years. Honestly, I needed a job, and I'd found out that working with kids was my passion. So Boys and Girls Club of the Big Bend had an opening for an assistant club director. I applied, it hired me on the spot, and I've served in almost every role within the Boys and Girls Club of the Big Bend from assistant club director, club director, area director, director of operations, director of resource development, and now proud to say I am the interim CEO and president of our organization. Our mission states that we serve the kids who need us the most. Right now we're serving kids ages six to 18, Monday through Friday. Our components are academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyle. So it's just really important to have those programs that kids really want to come to. And I love to say our kids vote with their feet. So we have full clubs. We know that we're serving our mission for sure. I was born and raised here in Tallahassee, Florida, and I credit a lot of my inspiration to my mother, Ms. Lizzie Mae Dennis. Things went always easy. My dad had some issues with substance abuse, but my mom was that rock. She made sure that we were at the best schools. And so she sacrificed a lot, and she showed me the importance of just having that caring adult in your life, and how much of a difference that can make. So my mom definitely inspired me, and I just want to pass along some of that inspiration to the kids that we serve. And you know, it doesn't take a lot. You know, just sometimes it's that smiling face, that side hug, those comforting words, just really make a difference, and let kids know that they can become whatever they want to be, whatever the circumstances that they may face at home. My name is Casey DeMarcus Dennis. I am the proud interim president and CEO of the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Big Bend, and great futures start here. You're listening to voices that inspire.