Matt Engel

Matt Engel was five years old when his story started with the YMCA. Raised by a single mother, he participated in YMCA programs through financial assistance at the St. Charles County YMCA in Missouri. What began as before- and after-school care soon became much more.

The YMCA taught him how to swim. It introduced him to youth sports, summer camp and lifelong friendships. He attended resident camp at Camp Lakewood, eventually becoming a counselor-in-training. Every one of those experiences was made possible because someone believed every child deserves the chance to belong, regardless of their ability to pay.

"I've been connected to the YMCA for 31 of my 38 years," Matt says. "I'm a product of the YMCA."

Growing up in a single-parent household, the staff at the YMCA weren't just supervisors; they were mentors. They helped shape the values and character that would carry him into adulthood.

One memory has stayed with him more than any other. While attending the YMCA child care program, Matt often struggled with his behavior. His group leaders discovered something that motivated him. If he made good choices throughout the day, then after the other children left, they would play "restaurant" with him. The game itself was simple. Using donated McDonald's fry containers, drink cups and sandwich boxes, they pretended to run a restaurant together. As a child, he simply thought it was fun. As an adult, he understands what those moments really meant.

"I think about that now, knowing they had already worked a full day. They still took the time to meet me where I was. They knew what motivated me, and they invested in me when no one else was around. That's incredibly meaningful."

After growing up through YMCA programs, Matt's first job was as a camp counselor at the same camp he once attended as a child. Originally planning to become a physical education teacher, he quickly realized his passion wasn't just working with kids – it was the YMCA mission itself.

He accepted his first full-time YMCA role overseeing youth sports, adult sports, camp, and childcare before continuing to grow into leadership. Today, nearly two decades later, he serves as Senior Branch Director of Camp, Child Care and Community Development for the Greater Wichita YMCA. His career has come full circle.

"The reason I work for the YMCA is because I have a connection to the mission," he says. "I get to give other kids the same experiences I had growing up."

The YMCA didn't just shape Matt professionally, it shaped nearly every part of his personal life as well. He met his wife while working at a YMCA resident camp. Their children grew up in a YMCA-owned home. They were married at the YMCA.

"I can't imagine doing anything different," he says. "I plan to retire with the YMCA."