(Q) Who are you and where did you go to school?
(A) My name is Christin Bothe and I went to DeKalb High School, graduating class of 2013.

(Q) How many years were you in YEP?
(A) I was in YEP for two years and served as grants chair the second year.

(Q) Where are you now and what are you up to?
(A) I just finished a graduate program in Theology at Duke Divinity School in Durham, NC. I currently am part of a year-long fellowship program at Reality Ministries, a nonprofit seeking to offer space for adults with and without disabilities to experience friendship and belonging. For the last few years, I have lived in a neighborhood practicing intentional community that was inspired by this nonprofit.

(Q) What’s a recent accomplishment you are proud of?
(A) During my time at Duke Divinity, I completed a summer internship in El Salvador! I was able to live with a host family, improve my Spanish, and learn a lot about the history there.

(Q) How did YEP shape what you are doing now?
(A) YEP taught me to see myself as an active participant in the communities I am part of. Whether it is financial support or other forms of generosity, we all have something to offer to those around us. Also, we always have something to receive from those we seek to support. Site visits and conversations with community members always encouraged and inspired me! YEP has helped me to humbly look for this exchange of giving and receiving that is constantly unfolding around me.

(Q) What were some of your greatest takeaways from YEP?
(A) For one, you are never too young to serve and participate in your community! Secondly, good things happen when people commit to coming together to dream about and implement change. Choosing a time, place, and vision in routine gatherings can lay the groundwork for profound change. Lastly, we typically are not needed to “fix” or come up with new solutions if we want to seek change. If we look and listen carefully, we will find communities and individuals already doing the good work who just might need more support or people to learn from them.

(Q) How are you currently (or plan to in the near future) giving of your time, talent, and treasure?
(A) I have committed a lot of my time, talent, and treasure to the nonprofit I work at and the neighborhood I live in. The mundane parts of my day – cooking, eating, driving to work, running errands – are so enriched when I get to share them with this community. Spending extra money at the grocery store to have food to offer to a neighbor, slowing myself down to let someone who might be less efficient help me find joy in cleaning up dinner, or running errands with someone who can’t drive but can keep me smiling – all have been great gifts of mutuality!

(Q) If you could pass on any knowledge or advice to current YEP members, what would that be?
(A) Find opportunities to meet regularly with others – whether it’s a community organization, a club at school, or a group of friends. Like I mentioned earlier, finding a place, a time, and a vision for routine gatherings are where good ideas and relationships are nurtured and can flourish.

“Instant-gratification feels good, but the best things are slow, take commitment, and are typically hard.”

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