Alyssa Hartley YP Member Spotlight - March
Name: Alyssa Hartley
Where do you work? City of Abilene Parks and Recreation Department
What’s your job title/what do you do? Multimedia Specialist - taking care of all the marketing/photos & video/social media/website for Parks and Recreation!
Where are you from? I grew up a military brat so I've lived all over the place, but the longest place I've ever lived is Abilene, and that's what I call home now!
If you’re not from Abilene, how long have you lived in the area and what brought you here? I lived in Abilene from 2006-2013, moving up to Minnesota in the summer of 2013. I then moved back to Abilene in 2015 because I missed this town, along with the friends I grew up with.
What is your favorite thing about living in the Big Country? I absolutely love the West Texas culture about the Big Country. The people, the hospitality, the history, the lifestyle, the sunsets - I love every single thing about the Big Country!
What do you do in your free time? I play basketball and I enjoy weightlifting and running. I also love taking photos and videos on my own free time aside from my side business, and I incredibly value spending time with friends and socializing with others. If I have enough free time, I love to spend time exploring the outdoors! What does being an Abilene Young Professional mean to you? It means new opportunities to grow professionally and make new connections, whether it's new business relations or friendships. It's also about being a part of a growing town and community and watching the growth unfold before your eyes, and having a small bit of pride because you see the town and people you love reaching success and making achievements. Being a part of this group makes me feel like I'm helping Abilene grow into something greater.
What organizations (non-profit) in town do you choose to support and why? Do you serve on any boards in the community or participate in any other groups? If so, what do you enjoy about your participation? I work for Parks and Recreation, and I absolutely love working for them and supporting them in all that they do for the community. I volunteer at my church Beltway Park and work with the kids there each Sunday, and at least once a month I do storytimes with kids at the Abilene Public Library as a Disney Princess character. I really enjoy working with kids, especially when I'm dressed up as a character to make kids smile. There's nothing greater than making kids genuinely smile from ear to ear because of their excitement when seeing their favorite character come to life.
What’s something you’re passionate about and why? I'm passionate about people. There's always a story to be shared, whether young or old, male or female, black or white. I'm always interested in hearing other people's stories and learning more about them, and just hearing about what other people are passionate about, their values, and culture always fascinates me. Plus, I incredibly enjoy making new connections with others.
