“Hi, I’m Scottie!” – Scottie Unger
One of the great joys of bringing a group of people together is watching a new community form right in front of your eyes. For the Community Foundation of White County’s Youth Philanthropy Council, we had Joy McCauley from Camp Tecumseh join us at orientation this year to set the stage for culture in the new semester.
Senior at Twin Lakes High School, Scottie Unger found himself at YPC orientation stuck in the middle of a circle during a getting-to-know-you activity. Like a cakewalk, one peer would be left standing alone in the center each round, with the responsibility of introducing themselves and sharing a personal fact. Scottie was almost always the lucky student singled out.
But this never bothered Scottie. Each round, he would happily say, “Hi, I’m Scottie!” and then move on to share a fun fact. As you can imagine by the end of orientation, the group was laughing and had learned so much about each other… but especially Scottie!
In most YPC meetings, Scottie is the core of comedic relief. But it’s more than jokes. His strength lies in building community with others. This can look like checking in with a quiet student, making sure no one gets left behind. Sometimes it looks like empowering others to see their strengths, like when he nominated his peer during leadership elections.
Scottie’s favorite thing about being a part of the Youth Philanthropy Council is being able to help people in his community. Through grantmaking, Scottie hopes to make a difference by empowering “the schools to have the things they need for their students.” So far, just under $10,000 in Youth Philanthropy Council Grants have been awarded in all four White County schools.
When Scottie isn’t helping his community through his involvement with the YPC, he can be found on the stage of the auditorium, taking command as stage manager for whatever performance is about to unfold. He takes pride in making sure all the details are in place and executed well. As stage manager, he is often guiding and teaching his peers, but sometimes, Scottie steps up when there’s no other help around to make sure the job still gets done.
Outside of the auditorium, Scottie is a passionate leader for his church. Not only is he a youth group leader, but Scottie leads the technology efforts behind Monticello United Methodist’s “The Couch” service. Requiring a lot of coordination and patience, Scottie hones in on his passions and skills to provide accessible church services to folks at home.
While Scottie’s involvement in his church and theatre typically keeps him behind the scenes or backstage, last year’s YPC grant to Twin Lakes supported the individuals performing in the spotlight. With years of wear and tear, new women’s dancing shoes were purchased for the music and theatre departments. This was quite an upgrade from shoes that were mended together with bandages and duct tape, causing risk of injury.
Currently, the YPC Fall Grant cycle is open and accepting applications to support projects that make an impact in the White County school corporations. As applications begin rolling in, Scottie is particularly excited to see what projects the YPC can fund this year. For individuals hoping to make a difference in their school communities, connect with your local YPC Member to learn more. Scottie, and the other 23 YPC Members would be happy to help bring your vision to life!
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