Howdy! My name is Enoch Councill and I am so excited to serve as one of this year’s BRLS Honor Leaders. I am currently a sophomore studying Neuroscience at Brigham Young University and will be a sixth year on the mountain this June.
I was born in Orem, Utah and spent the first three years of my life living in Taiwan. Two short years after Taiwan, at the age of 5, I found myself in Franklin, Virginia and that is where my YMCA story begins. We moved to Franklin right in time for my aunt to sign me up for basketball at the JL C(h)amp Jr. YMCA. Even though I hated basketball at the time, I played it for several more years but also started playing soccer. With my dad as my soccer coach the YMCA started to mean more to me. However, the YMCA still wasn’t much more than a place to play sports and go to the pool until I learned about Leaders’ Club.
I joined Leaders’ Club because my dad was involved and my sister was already a leader, and it seemed like a fun thing to do. But, I quickly realized that that it was more than just a club and that the YMCA was more than just a gym.
Because of my dad and sister, I had been hearing about this magical place called Blue Ridge for years. I knew that my dad had been going for a while and that he went as a kid, and I also knew that my sister went the previous year and loved it, but I didn’t know much else. My first year at Blue Ridge is a blur. I barely remember the names of the people I met and the things I did but I do remember this: Aquatics was awful, Feeling Great was amazing, the HLs were my heroes, Steve Tarver was my idol, and I wanted to go back. And I did.
I can confidently say that because I stayed active in Leaders’ Club and went back every year to Blue Ridge, I learned more about character, responsibility, leadership, service, and myself than I ever would have otherwise. I am grateful to have been a YMCA kid. I am honored to be where I am today, and I have only my dad and sister to thank for leading the way, and the many people on the mountain who have inspired me over years. I can only hope that I can give back to the school what the school has given to me.