Life is an Adventure. Let’s Explore the Journey Together!
In education and expanded learning, we often take the path less traveled – the unpaved trail that leads to exploration and adventure! The BOOST Breakfast Club Blog is excited to spotlight the journeys of the BOOST Leadership and BOOST Ambassador teams in the Fall 2025 Collaborative Blog Series – Share Your Career Journey: Explore the Path We’ve Traveled. Thank you to these important BOOST partners for adventuring into the unknown for the betterment of our youth and communities.
The world awaits, so let’s explore the trail with Sheryl Blessing (She/Her). Thank you, Sheryl, for inviting us to join your journey! We appreciate you!
Explore the Path We’ve Traveled with BOOST Ambassador, Sheryl Blessing (She/Her)
Sheryl is the Youth Services Recreation Supervisor for Parks Tacoma in Tacoma, WA, and is a proud BOOST Ambassador.
What is your career path journey? How did you get involved in the out-of-school time, expanded learning, and/or educational fields?
My career path journey started when I lived in Hawai’i. I was first introduced to out-of-school time when I worked for Kama’aina Kids. They were in the very beginning stages of their work on the island of O’ahu. I really enjoyed my time with the kids, but it didn’t last long because I joined AmeriCorps to work with Homeless Veterans instead. Now, Kama’aina Kids is still going strong, serving more locations and impacting hundreds of students in positive and meaningful ways.
After a few years in Hawai’i, I moved to Washington State, where I switched from one job to the next. None of them were with youth, but I was always inclined to recall the great times I had working with kids. In the process of my search for what I wanted to do with my career and trying to figure out how to accomplish this as a single mom, I found myself applying to the AmeriCorps program once again. This time, I wanted to serve my community by serving young people. I was accepted back into the program and began serving in a non-profit environmental education organization as a grant writer. The role did not fulfill me in the way that I had wanted, but that all changed when I assisted a colleague with their after-school gardening program, working with children at one of the elementary schools in the Seattle area. That re-ignited my desire to work with youth, and I continued a third year of AmeriCorps as a VISTA member working with high school teens in Tacoma. That was the true beginning to my journey. I fell in love with the work, and was given an opportunity to become a paid staff at Safe Streets Campaign as a Youth Mobilization Specialist.
Two years into that opportunity, I was encouraged to apply to World Vision for their Area Development Coordinator position, working with elementary schools, churches, and other organizations in the Tacoma area to provide one-to-one tutoring programs for youth in need. I excitedly applied for the position and landed the job. The journey at World Vision took many forms as structures and priorities changed over time. In my time there, I not only performed the role of a coordinator for the elementary tutoring program, but I also worked with high-risk teens who were court-appointed to be in counseling and tutoring programs. These teens were in gangs and were receiving treatment and counseling for drug and alcohol use. From there, it changed to me teaching teens about community asset mapping and advocacy when leadership pivoted their priorities.
As years went by, World Vision leaders decided to make changes to their program priorities and stopped funding the Youth Empowerment Program work that I was responsible for. I was laid off along with 20 other YEP Development Workers. The unknown was difficult, but I trusted that God would open up another door for me to step into. Six months after I was laid off, I was offered an opportunity to serve at a local parish community in Tacoma as a part-time Youth Minister while also working as a part-time community center employee for Parks Tacoma.
I stepped into the role of youth minister and continue to have the honor of accompanying young people on their faith journey. In my thirteenth year of ministry, I’m excited to see more students continuing to invest in their spiritual journey and seeing returning students invite others along.
My role in Parks Tacoma, however, has grown these past few years. I grew in my role as a community center employee, earning the position of full-time Center Assistant Supervisor for one of the newer community centers in the system back in 2018. That all changed when 2020 happened. Centers were closed, and I was asked to enter classroom spaces with the children of First Responders in March of 2020.
Weeks turned into months, months turned into a year, and it was at this time that I became a Youth Services Recreation Supervisor. While the work is challenging, it is also very rewarding. This role gives me the ability to coach others into becoming the best youth development worker they can be, and my direct service work as a youth minister gives me the opportunity to put into practice strategies that I share with my staff team.
Now, looking back on this path of 21+ years of youth development, I can say that my cup is full. The journey hasn’t always been easy, but the growth also never stops. This field, this youth development work, is what I love to do because for me every child deserves to know that they are loved, that they are cared for, that they’re important, and that they matter. They are not only our future but our present.
What part of your career path has surprised you most?
The opportunities that have opened for me and the love that I have for the work. Since I enjoy what I do, it oftentimes does not feel like work at all. I also recognize that these opportunities were entrusted to me, and I’ve never taken them for granted.
Who has supported you on your journey as a mentor, colleague, or friend?
My number one support would be God and my family. My son and husband have been my biggest support system, and they’ve continued to cheer me on with all of my endeavors.
What keeps you in the field?
The knowledge that impact, no matter how big or small it is, can make a difference in the life of a child. My biggest “why” is that there were adult mentors/coaches who poured into me when my home life was not safe growing up. School and Out-of-School Time spaces were my safety nets, and I was so grateful for them because they showed me that I had the power to overcome the present circumstances that I was living in at the time. Perhaps my team and I are those adult mentors/coaches.
As you continue on the journey, what areas of leadership are you developing in yourself?
I am growing my ability to be present for my team and vulnerable in my facilitation. To create meaningful connections with those who report to me, and to be a better human.
What skills are the most crucial to succeeding in this field?
Knowing your “why”, being able to adapt when change occurs, the willingness to be grateful for the experiences – positive or negative – that come our way, and the desire to grow.
What would you recommend others pack in their “career backpack”? Why are those items important?
I would recommend just being open to the endless possibilities that can arise, having healthy boundaries as we also need to care for ourselves, and to enjoy learning because the journey is a lifelong one if you choose it to be.
Tell us about your BOOST adventure? When did you get started?
I first attended BOOST Conference in the early 2000’s when I worked for World Vision. I was hooked after that first time, but did not have the ability to return for many years. Then, in 2023, my proposal for a small team from Parks Tacoma to attend the BOOST Conference was approved, and I’ve been attending ever since. I love talking about BOOST and always looking for ways to spread the word wherever I go.
What is the best mistake you have made in your career? What did you learn from it?
The best mistake that I made in my career was not creating healthier boundaries with teens when I first began youth development work. I learned that in order for me to be able to pour into others, or to be able to continue in this work for a longer period of time, I needed to establish healthy boundaries for myself and the teens that I work with.
Today, for breakfast, I had…
A Cream Danish and Vanilla Latte.
Sheryl, from all of us here at TEAMBOOST, thank you for inviting us to explore the path you’ve traveled and journey alongside you. We are excited to see where the adventure will lead as you INSPIRE YOUTH, INSPIRE LEARNING, and INSPIRE CHANGE.
