Erin Robles's life has been dedicated to the betterment of children in her community. Whether it is through her time at the Portage Township YMCA as Childcare Programs and Marketing Director or as a mother to her children, Robles uses every day to give back to children in the Portage community who need it the most.
Before coming to the YMCA, Robles knew that she wanted to work with kids through social work but wasn't sure how to find an outlet to apply herself after earning her bachelor degree. After what she refers to as a "life altering event", Robles began attending Real Life Community Church in Portage.
It was here that she began working with their early learning center and was eventually pointed to the YMCA as a location to develop her growing skills and passion for working with children.
"I started in childcare as a teacher," says Robles. "I was an assistant to the CEO at the time but once the marketing director left, there was a need to fill that position so it was given to me."
While Robles filled a role that was half marketing and half assistance to the CEO, she also welcomed a second opportunity to work as the Childcare Director, essentially leading her to two full-time positions simultaneously.
"At the time, I was the only one next to the CEO with proper training to handle this job," says Robles. "It was because of this I decided to do both positions because they both offered something that I loved to do."
While most individuals wouldn't enjoy the pressure that two simultaneous jobs would offer, Robles looks back at the overall experience as something that allowed her to pursue both of her passions, something very few careers offer.
"When I was an assistant to the CEO, I genuinely missed being with the kids," says Robles. "I always enjoyed seeing them come to the Y with smiling, happy faces while greeting them. By doing both things, it allowed me to do all the things I enjoyed at once: paperwork, working with kids and taking photos for marketing purposes."
While it may seem that these two jobs offer vastly different experiences , Robles has managed to find the similarities between the two and through these connections has allowed her to perform even more effectively.
"The two may seem different but really, they're not," says Robles. "Both require you to be really creative and eye-catching. This includes planning curriculum that is also flexible and creating programs that also as a parent, I know what I would want to see and create from that input."
Robles doesn't see herself working two jobs, nor does she see herself as being overwhelmed and overworked. For her, this is embracing her life and her dreams and using the Portage YMCA to serve children from the community.
"To me, childcare is so important. It's important to have the doors open for children, especially in the younger years to look up to someone and have an inclusive environment to be a part of," says Robles. "I can't imagine what would happen to Portage without the YMCA. It's such an important part of the community and if I can make a lifelong difference in the life of even one child, it's worth it to me."