Alumni Spotlight – Jonathan YC9 (’13-’14)
The Ripple Effect
From Soft-Spoken Student to Outdoor Leader
JONATHAN BURKHEAD
Year 9 Alumnus (2013-2014)
As the Adventure Manager at Camp Canaan, Jonathan helps students push past their fears and find their confidence—something he first learned to do as a high school sophomore in Youth Corps. In high school, Jonathan was quiet, uncertain, and often found himself fading into the background. “I was involved in soccer but wasn’t confident. I didn’t think I had anything to offer in a leadership sense.” He wasn’t lost—just unsure of his own potential and waiting for the right spark.
That spark was Youth Corps. Jonathan joined the program and quickly discovered something new within himself. Through modules like the signature Leadership Weekend, Business & Economics, and Philanthropy & Nonprofits, and ample opportunities for soft skills grow weaved in, Jonathan found a space where he was both pushed and supported. “It gave me confidence in who I was and what I was capable of doing,” Jonathan reflects. “The structure, the challenges, the exposure to different people and ideas—it was all so formative.”
One experience stands out in his memory: leading his teams flower business during the Business & Economics Module. “That was huge for me,” he said. “It gave me the first taste of what leadership in the real world feels like.” Even after graduation, the support didn’t stop—Jonathan found himself staying connected with Youth Corps, even completing volunteer hours through the program during a difficult season.
Today, he leads college students, youth groups, and summer campers in outdoor leadership and team-building programs. “The path I’ve taken is clear when I look back,” he reflected. “I didn’t know it at the time, but Youth Corps set me on the trajectory I’m still on.”
The gift Jonathan received from Youth Corps wasn’t just confidence—it was a sense of purpose, a supportive community, and the opportunity to become the leader he never knew he could be.
Through every story, we see it: the power to change a life—and the world beyond it. An endless ripple of impact.