Courtesy of Upper Arlington Civic Association
The Upper Arlington Civic Association and its golden-jacketed directors are well-known throughout Upper Arlington for events such as the Golden Apple Awards and Golden Bear Scare. But behind those volunteers is a team of junior directors working to become the next generation of leaders.
The Junior Director Community Service and Scholarship Program selects six to 12 Upper Arlington high-schoolers to serve from the end of their junior year through May of their senior year. The junior directors participate in all UACA events and are awarded a $1,000 scholarship.
Daley Straub, a senior at Upper Arlington High School and current junior director, knew she wanted to get involved with the UACA early on. Not only are her parents UACA volunteers, she also has family friends who were past directors and even knows former junior directors. Straub says witnessing their dedication to the work inspired her.
“I saw (UACA volunteers’) passion for their community and how giving and generous they were,” she says. “No one volunteers for the UACA to make themselves look good. They volunteer because they genuinely do care about the community. I saw that and knew I wanted to be a part of it.”
Serving as a junior director since May 2021, Straub has seen the impact UACA events have on the community, bringing together people of all ages. As a junior director, she’s also peered behind the curtain to see firsthand the time and effort required to organize events.
“Growing up, I would always go to the events,” she says, “but once you’re volunteering and putting in work for it, you really understand how much of a time commitment it is and how much people care about the events and the community.”
For the Fourth of July event, Straub says junior directors have a bigger behind-the-scenes role than she ever imagined. Both directors and junior directors are responsible for checking people in, making sure everything is running smoothly on stage, rolling tables in and out, and much more.
“You definitely get your hands dirty,” she says. “But that’s what public service is about.”
Even without the junior director program, Straub keeps a busy schedule. She’s a captain of the UAHS girls tennis team and participates in the school’s Student Innovation Team. Straub plans to attend college to pursue an economics and public policy degree, and hopes to build a career that combines these two interests.
Straub’s work as a junior director has inspired her to consider a career in public service or government in the future. In addition to working with UACA, she’s also participated in the Yes to a Community Center campaign, during which she canvassed more than 600 houses and discovered a passion for community building, and served as a grant reader at the Women’s Fund of Central Ohio.
“Even though it’s a lot of work, and sometimes during an eight-hour shift you don’t want to be there,” she says, “at the end of the day, seeing how the community is engaged with each other, it’s really all worth it.”
Megan Roth is a senior editorial assistant. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
