Meet Our Day Camp Team: Ashley Pettinger
Ashley Pettinger, Youth Development Director of the Sage YMCA, grew up in Lake Zurich, Illinois. She began working at the Sage Y in September of 2016, shortly after she graduated from Eastern Illinois University. She started as a part-time Before and After School Program Site Lead and has since held positions in Kid Zone, Aquatics, Sports and Summer Camp. She grew up playing sports and still plays with some rec leagues in the area. Her favorite part about working at the Y is making a difference and then seeing it in our community.
Q: What do you like most about the work that the Y does?
A: I enjoy getting out to the school and out with camp and seeing the fun that the kids are having with the different campers their age. It is so much fun watching them make friends with kids from different school districts that they might not have met otherwise.
Q: What is your favorite part about Day Camp at the Y?
A: My favorite part of Day Camp at the Y is seeing all the campers at drop off as we get them signed in for the day and getting to sing some camp songs to start the day!
Q: What is your favorite memory from Day Camp at the Y?
A: My favorite memory from Day Camp is at the end of our onsite Camp Carnival Field Trip. I get to pick a ticket with a camper's name out of my paper bag. That camper then gets to pie me in the face with a plate of whipped cream. It was truly a great day at camp that day!
Q: What are you most proud of in your career so far?
A: I am most proud of the experiences I have had within each position I have held at the Y, as well as the growth of our programs.
Q: What’s one thing people don’t know about you that they would be surprised to find out?
A: I was actually a participant of the Before and After School Program at Foglia YMCA when I was younger!
Q: If you could have any superpower, what would it be (and why)?
A: My superpower would be to be able to make clones of myself.
Q: What’s the last song you listened to?
A: The soundtrack from Tangled, it might just be my favorite Disney princess movie!
Q: What’s one thing on your bucket list?
A: I would love to go to Ireland one day or travel down the highway on the west coast of California!
The YMCA of Metro Chicago believes in the power of play. We play for fun and for progress. Day Camp at the Y empowers Chicagoland youth to do mighty things — making friends, developing new skills, creating life-shaping experiences, and so much more!
Our experienced and talented counselors and staff are committed to making sure your camper experiences a full day of play, exploration, learning, and personal growth. Here at the Y, we want to show off our Day Camp team’s amazing talents and contributions to our community — and find even more talented, community-oriented individuals who want to work at the YMCA!