“Every individual has the capacity to achieve more than they know and impact just as much. Some people just need to be given a chance.” – Charli McMillin
In our continuing parade of senior shoutouts, this week’s young leader is a creative force to be reckoned with. Charli McMillin, a twelfth grader from Frontier High School, has been a part of the Youth Philanthropy Council since its inception in 2023.
Since joining the council, Charli’s passions and skills have served the YPC in a number of ways. Each council member is responsible for identifying needs in their school communities. Charli keeps a close pulse on Frontier, readily connecting teachers to the grant opportunities the YPC offers, working to uplift the school community. An empathetic soul, Charli sees those quiet needs that can sometimes be overlooked and seeks to find creative and impactful solutions.
This semester, Charli is serving on the planning committee, a small group from the YPC who is working to bring together their first awards ceremony this spring. As the YPC deepens its work in the community, the Foundation is working with this committee to celebrate their good work, recognize the incredible impact made, and provide another platform to share their important mission.
When asked which grants get her excited, Charlie shared that the purchase of new dancing shoes for the show choir for Twin Lakes “will go a really long way and completely change the experience for those involved.” In the early discussions around the grant, shoes were brought in showcasing the desperate need for an upgrade; straps held together by bandages and soles peeling apart from the bottoms provided the perfect recipe for a safety hazard.
When reviewing grant applications, each council member is responsible for researching into that need and discussing those options together with their team, before coming to a final vote. Charlie’s goal for her work in the YPC: “I hope to make decisions with my peers that lead to a better and more comfortable environment that makes students excited to learn.”
The grants speak for themselves: Charli’s goal is already coming to fruition.
Charli has also served the Youth Philanthropy Council by sharing her artistic abilities. In the inaugural cohort, members were invited to design a logo to represent the group and its mission. Charli’s design immediately was voted to the top and is still used today.
When Charli isn’t serving on the YPC, her evident passion of helping others shines through her other extracurriculars. Holding multiple leadership positions, she’s involved in Sunshine Society, Student Council, Forensics, BPA, Art Club, DND, and Convoy of Hope. For the future, Charli plans to graduate from Purdue University with a degree in Visual Communications Design. “In the long run, I hope to find myself in a job that has a positive impact on a wide scope of people, even if it’s just short-term amusement.”
Originally funded through a WHIN Regional Cultivation Fund Grant, the YPC is now developing endowment-building strategies to sustain this program forever. To support the development of the next generation of philanthropists, reach out to Director, Lucy Dold at (574) 583-6911. “I am more than grateful that I got the opportunity to work alongside all of the passionate individuals in the YPC to impact our communities. I’ve had a great experience, and I can’t wait to watch it continue to flourish!”
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