First, Amber Holup, 16, took some of the eclectic mix of classes at Bridge Teen Center in Orland Park. Then, she became such a fan that she volunteered to help write grant proposals for the facility and now is paid as a development assistant.
“At the time, I didn’t have a lot of friends and was looking for a different social outlet,” she said of her middle school years. She started in the culinary program, where area chefs work with students to make meals. She also got involved in kickboxing and various service projects. “It is very holistic programming.”.
The junior at Tinley Park High School works 10.5 hours a week during the school year at the center and 20 hours a week during the summer.
“It meant a lot to me that the founder and executive director saw that I’d make a great employee for that position and that I was qualified with the skills needed. I just love giving back to the Bridge and being on the team and making sure it is there for future generations to come,” Holup said.
“Since I’m a student, I can speak to how the Bridge Teen Center impacted my life. It is, and continues to be, a safe place to hang out with my friends. It provides a social outlet and there are people here who care about me,” she said.
She is passionate about non-profit groups. lLast year, she organized a group of students to meet at school on a Saturday to bake and deliver cookies to 9-1-1 call center employees serving area police departments.
“We served 85 9-1-1 operators serving 16 communities,” Holup said.
Her mentors are Rob and Priscilla Steinmetz, who founded the Bridge Teen Center and run it today.
“They provide me a lot of support. I know that I can go to them and get advice on any given topic that I have. They don’t have children of their own, so they treat me like their own daughter, which is really cool,” Holup said.
At school, she is a member of Interact Club, Junior Leadership, student council and mathletes. She is also the junior class president and captain of the golf team.
In January, she hosted the first Bremen Community High School District 228 Leadership Workshop. She lined up three speakers and with the help of Interact Club, motivated 36 students to attend.
“I saw the need to have a distric-wide leadership workshop where any student could come regardless of their club and listen to professionals share their wisdom,” she said.
After high school, Holup would like to attend Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais.
“I want to major in business with a concentration in non-profit administration, which will lead me to a full-time career in the non-profit sector after school,” she said.”I have always been very business minded. I have a mission. I want to impact other people’s lives and give back to other people.”
She says her parents, Craig and April Holup, impressed upon her the importance of community service.
“Since I was little, I remember volunteering and going to volunteer activities with my family. When I was five, I helped feed the homeless and I did work with 4-H. My parents instilled in me the desire to give back. I’m grateful they did that for me.”
Cheryl Dangel Bartolini is a freelance reporter.
