Terilee grew up at the Dubuque YMCA, signing up for swim lessons, diving team, breakdancing, day camp, softball, and babysitting certification courses. Her favorite Y memory, though, is playing 6-on-6 and 5-on-5 basketball with her dad, Terry, as the coach. There on the YMCA court, she learned the fundamentals of the game that her father loved (that's her in the pigtails!).
Later, Terilee moved to Tuscon and again found herself at the Y. “I didn't know anybody and wanted to get involved, so I reached out to the Ott YMCA to see if they would need a 3rd to 4th-grade basketball coach. It was how I found my community, my group of friends.” She coached 12 seasons of youth basketball, volunteered for numerous other programs and events, and served on the board. For her efforts, she received the Volunteer of the Year Award in 1999 and the Distinguished Service Award in 2000.
Today, Terilee is back home in Iowa as our HR Director, helping create Y opportunities for all. “Working at the Y means that I get to help behind the scenes and ensure that the feeling of belonging to a community continues for others. It’s important to me, also, to make sure that kids can still learn the fundamentals of various sports and how to swim at the Y, like I did.”
When you give to the Y, you help inspire a kid like Terilee to realize their full potential. Make an enduring impact right here in our community and give today!