Reno-Tahoe Young Professionals Network Leadership Summit

Friday I volunteered at the Reno-Tahoe YPN Inagural Summit. The theme was "Challenge for Change" and our keynote speaker was Rebecca Ryan of Next Generation Consulting. Her entire speech was amazing and spoke to me on so many levels, but the point that really hit home to me was her advice to choose to be positive about Reno. Just like when we hear someone make a racist joke and we let them know we don't find it funny, don't keep quite when someone makes fun of the city we love.

That is so true. I've chosen to be a champion of the city I love and I won't abide by anyone bringing it down with stereotypes and negativity.

Another benefit of being there was meeting so many amazing and like-minded young people, including Pete Parker of Sage Ridge School. His passion for giving back to the community was palpable and inspiring. I spoke to him about what I'm trying to do by bringing the CoolPeopleCare.org presence to Reno and I look forward to getting him and the rest of the RTYPN Give Committee involved.

I must have something wrong with me, but when I come home at the end of a day of volunteering bone-tired and nearly starved to death because I've been too busy to sit down for a moment or eat, I feel better than ever. Even though my feet were so sore I could hardly walk by the time I got home, I was looking forward to getting up this morning and volunteering for the annual Truckee River Clean-up with Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful. I spent the morning at Mayberry Park wrapping trees with chicken wire to prevent beavers from eating them and cleaning up trash along the river. I had no idea there are beavers in Reno! A group of about 40 high school students from Upward Bound were there for the clean-up. I was psyched when a bunch of the girls commented on my Cool People Care shirt and wanted to know where they could get one. I told them all about the website and one of the girls said that I've started a movement and I'm going to start seeing people all over town with that shirt on. I told her I hope so!!

My house looks like a bomb went off in it, I haven't been grocery shopping in over two weeks, and I haven't cracked open my CPA Exam study materials in over a week. I wonder what I can get involved in tomorrow . . .