At the core of the SkyWater Search Partners promise is our commitment to the twin cities community. One way we celebrate that commitment is through our Employee of the Quarter award. Every quarter, we honor a top-performing team member with the gift of a substantial financial donation, in their name, to a nonprofit organization that is meaningful to them.
This quarter, we are delighted to say…
CONGRATULATIONS, KIRSTEN PRINS, ASSOCIATE RECRUITER!
“Right away, I knew which organization I wanted to support,” says Kirsten. “I chose Treehouse Hope because they work with at-risk or underprivileged youth.” A local organization, Treehouse Hope was founded in 1979 by middle school teacher Fred Peterson who had seen “too many teens slipping through the cracks” and decided to do something about it. Today, they help create safe environments where teens can be themselves and have fun and serve youth throughout the country through mentoring programs, support groups, and off-site activities.
Why Treehouse Hope?
Kirsten has seen, firsthand, how Treehouse Hope helps teens realize that they’re not alone and they don’t need to go it alone. “My sister is really the hero of this story for me,” says Kirsten. “She started volunteering there a long time ago.” Through her sister’s tutoring, she connected with an eighteen-year-old who had been homeless and left without a lot of consistent family support. “Before long, our whole family ended up with a bonus family member. She is part of our lives. ”
In fact, that bond has remained so strong that Kirsten and her husband named their third daughter after this young woman.
“One of the things I love and respect about Treehouse Hope is that their message to these teens isn’t that they’re only important while they’re in a certain program. They’re important to everyone at Treehouse Hope for life.”
“At first, I joined SkyWater because it was obvious that this role has all of the things I’ve always loved most about my type of work – and none of the things I enjoyed less. But when I found out I was the employee of the quarter, I was just completely surprised. I felt really, really honored. I really love this company. I love how they do business. And I love being part of an organization that values the important things."
On behalf of all of us at SkyWater, congratulations again, Kirsten, and thank you for sharing the story of Treehouse Hope. We are proud to join you in supporting them.
