This January Forward Wayne County is highlighting local young professionals. To help add some insight, we asked Mark and Megan Broeker, from Neighborhood Health Center and Friends Fellowship Community respectively, to discuss what they love about living and working in Wayne County.
In Search of Opportunity
It took less than a month for our new neighbors to ask us “Why Wayne County.” A valid question to ask anyone that just moved to town. The word that summed it up for us was opportunity.
Meriam-Webster defines opportunity as “a good chance for advancement or progress”. Being transplant young professionals to Wayne County, we recognized opportunities that would allow for an all-encompassing advancement in our lives. Opportunities that would catapult us professionally, personally and spiritually. Both of us grew up in small towns that did not offer a lot of opportunity to eager young adults to grow holistically into our full potential. When looking for a place to call home, we wanted to be close to family, have variety of shopping and restaurant options, and an abundance of recreational opportunities close by, but yet some place that had the small town feel and a place that would allow us to flourish.
Plenty of Opportunity
Wayne County is under 90 minutes from three major cities, airports and countless state parks. If a person wants Starbucks, we have it or maybe they want a local vibe, lets head to Roscoe’s. The best ice-cream in Indiana sits on the corner of Fort Wayne Avenue and North D Street with Ullery’s Ice-cream. We can watch a play at the Richmond Civic Theatre or see a concert with Richmond Symphony Orchestra. Or maybe an outdoor ride on the Cardinal Greenway or pick flowers at the Barn at Helm. The options are truly endless right here in Wayne County!
There are ample amount of opportunities for people of all ages to become engaged and connected to the community. These opportunities have afforded us to be able to connect with individuals personally and professionally. In return, these connections offer a reciprocal role, making them feel like a family and sense of home and belonging. Having connections and a sense of belonging is key to making Wayne County home.
Creating Positive Impacts Locally
Does Wayne County have challenges, absolutely, but so does everywhere else. The question for us is what are we going to do to make a positive impact. As young professionals, it is important for each of us to play a part of creating a prosperous and thriving community for the future. For us, we serve in different capacities that are close to our heart such as serving on the boards of Birth to Five and Brighter Path Inc. Also, we continue to play a part within our community by serving on committees and participating in different groups throughout Wayne County.
These opportunities give us a chance to not only grow professionally and personally, but also allows us to give back to a community we love in order to make it a better place for the next generations. We want to look back and be able to tell our daughter and her generation how far we have come as a community and one day be able to hand over the baton to them to lead Wayne County to continue to be a thriving community for all.
In the end, it is simple; Why not Wayne County!
