Club/Organization Spotlight - CYI

Min Zaw - Mmz31@uakron.edu

CYI has changed my life. That’s not a hyperbole or an over-exaggeration. When I was a freshman, I joined CYI simply because my sister did. But the more I spent time with this group, the more special it became to me. So in this article today I want to highlight the organization that is CYI for people looking to join. 

 CYI is split into four committees that are fundraising, volunteering, event-planning, and media. Each has a specialized role they play in the organization and are led by our ambassadors. Fundraising allows us to be able to give back to our community via nonprofits, it raises money for senior scholarships, and funds our events. Volunteering is our direct way to give back into our communities by actively finding nonprofits and organizations to work with. These committees both have one event each per semester that is mandatory for members. Of course, you can make up the hours if you can’t make it.

CYI also has other committees that are more tied to our organization. Event Planning, which allows for CYI as a community to get together and build bonds in team-building activities. The Media Committee spreads the name of CYI and recruits future members into the organization. Overall, all our committees work in unison to provide the experience of CYI. 

CYI also doesn’t take up a lot of your time. We hold meetings every first friday of the month and on the third friday we hold an online meeting. Only two meetings per month and one of them you don’t have to even attend in person. The time is from 4-5, which is perfect for athletes and busy individuals as it allows them to end their clubs at 4 and start sports at 5 which most do. So even if you're for example joining a track you can still be an active member of CYI. You do however have to meet a certain amount of volunteer hours which you can make up with ASIA or attend our mandatory events.

 In conclusion, CYI is an amazing place to build a community, get your volunteer hours, and learn to be a leader. Personally, my public speaking skills have exponentially grown from just volunteering and having to talk to strangers. It is also a great place to find a community of people as I’ve also made a lot of friends there. If you are interested in joining you can pre-register by emailing Ms. Kelly at Kle@asiaohio.org. Please email your address, name, and that you’d like to pre-register for the 2026-2027 term.