Photos by Angelica Ramos
Angelica Ramos
Contributing Writer
CHRISTIANSBURG- The Christiansburg Parks and Recreation department has four exceptional young people setting examples for the next generation.
Seanna Perkins, Kenyon Buchanan, Raphael Rico and Deirdre McCurdy all work for Christiansburg Parks and Recreation. They work together in many ways, working the front desk at the Rec Center, managing and supervising at the new Huckleberry Park, scorekeeping at Harkrader Sports Complex and working popular events like Rockin’ Main Street and the Christiansburg Farmers Market.
Each of them started their journeys with Parks and Recreation differently, from scorekeeping to doing community service to wanting to give back to the community sports organizations they were part of as children. Now, these four young adults, through their work, strive to help members in their community, foster relationships with residents and support those around them.
The sense of community Christiansburg has seems to be the center for the passion these young people have.
“I have seen how the community,” Perkins, originally from Giles County, said, “is so tight knit. So, whenever I see things like Rockin’ Main or even the opening of this park [Huckleberry Park], I’m like ‘Wow’. It’s kind of cool how I see the same faces every time I go to these events. That makes me really motivated to continue.”
Buchanan started his sports career in Christiansburg through playing football and basketball through the Parks and Recreation department. He sees working with this department as giving back to the community that helped him grow into who he is today.
Rico has had a passion for building strong lifelong relationships since high school and sees his work as an extension of that foundational belief.
McCurdy started her work as a volunteer originally as part of her college experience and found that the staff, the community and the opportunity to grow as a leader were essential to her growth.
“I’ve been given so many opportunities,” McCurdy said, “that have pushed me in all the right ways. Don’t be afraid at all to do something new. That’s when you grow and get to see who you really are.”
All four young adults agree that the experiences they’ve had and will continue to have in their roles will empower them in their future endeavors with dreams of becoming teachers, therapists, a center of support for other communities and Kenyon’s goal to just make people smile.
“I think it’s great to have a great community around you,” Rico said. “I think it’s just great for everybody. I think it’s important to have a happy place to live.”
