Meet Savannah Heath of Boys and Girls Club of Greater Scottsdale

Today we’d like to introduce you to Savannah Heath.

Savannah, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I spent my four years at Arizona State University studying business, specifically Economics and Supply Chain Management in the W. P. Carey School of Business. While in school, I started a job that would quickly grow into a passion of mine, despite having no relation to my studies. I began tutoring through a program called America Reads at a local Boys and Girls Club. The Club was on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community and the kids were spunky and fun, but mostly from low-income families and Title 1 schools.

During my 3.5 year employment with this ASU-run program, I went from being a tutor to being promoted to Lead Tutor and then being promoted to Supervisor for two different clubs during my last 3 semesters at ASU. The program became my life and serving those kids and mentoring my tutors was my purpose. As my graduation approached, it was mind-boggling to think that I wouldn’t be working with my kids anymore. I had them all sign my graduation cap that said, “Do It For The Kids,” and then sadly closed that chapter of my life upon graduation. I was hired as the full-time Project Manager at an international non-profit called Orchard: Africa that I also worked throughout college. I spent about a year and a half there before they regretfully reduced me to part-time because they needed to repair their misdirected budget. Although this was a bummer, I took it as an opportunity for something new. I applied to work in the afternoons at one of the Boys and Girls Clubs that I used to tutor at. I began working in the Learning Center and tutoring and helping kids with their homework. It was a lot of fun working with some of the same kids I had in my program years earlier.

A few months after I was hired, a full-time position became available as the Education Coordinator for both of the clubs that I once tutored at. I hesitated to apply because I felt uneasy leaving the job at Orchard: Africa when they seemed to need me most, but then decided that applying for this new position was what made sense for me professionally. I interviewed and was hired on the same day. Although my path has greatly differed from my peers at W. P. Carey who took the corporate route, I wouldn’t have had it any other way and I love being able to say that my job makes a tangible difference in the lives of children every single day.

Has it been a smooth road?
One of the struggles I encountered professionally was being reduced to part-time at Orchard: Africa. Luckily, I was able to turn what seemed like a huge obstacle into a whole new career path that I am incredibly passionate about.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
The Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale that I work at are called Lehi and Red Mountain. As I mentioned before, they are on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community that borders the east side of the Loop 101. Our club members mostly attend Title 1 schools and live in a low-income area. We specifically keep that in mind throughout all of our Programs and ensure that kids have a safe and fun environment to go after school. We run a multitude of different programs, including one to help boys turn in well-rounded young men and one for girls to understand their full potentials and how to get there. We offer a Program for teenagers about managing money and finances to help prepare them for the real world. We also have trained tutors who can help struggling kids catch up with the rest of their classmates. I am proud to work at clubs that provide so many much-needed programs to underserved populations within our community. I personally oversee the education programs at both clubs, including tutoring, STEM, homework help, and the technology lab.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Our type of organization will always be needed to assist working parents in developing their children into contributing members of society. Boys and Girls Clubs of America are scattered around the nation and particularly make big differences in low-income areas. It would be in the best interest of anyone looking to help develop the next generation of society to look at how the Boys and Girls Clubs do what they do to make such a lasting impact.

 

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