colleen hentschel (SHE/HER)

What do you like most about your job?
I am passionate about encouraging, supporting, and empowering others to achieve and exceed their goals and meet their full potential. I love working with young people and being a part of their life journey. I enjoy working with numbers, creating processes that support people in their work, building and participating in a strong work culture/environment, and engaging in strategic projects to promote growth and impact.

Where did you work before YJC?
I worked at different non-profit organizations before joining the YJC team. My longest tenure is with Chicago Run.

What was your first job?
My first job was at a restaurant, working as a hostess.

What did you learn from your first job?
A smile and pleasant attitude go a long way.

Has your career path gone the way you expected?
No, I wanted to be a famous singer when I was younger. By the time I went to college, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. I studied kinesiology, business, and music and didn’t have a clearly defined path. I started working in corporate fitness, transitioned into a teaching position, and then began working at a youth-serving non-profit organization. I don’t know if I ever had specific expectations for my path, but I am grateful for the direction it went.

Fun fact:
My first job after college was at the NBC fitness center in NYC, where I worked down the hall from the Saturday Night Live studio.