Director of the Romulus Clubs & Belleville Club
As director of three school-based Clubs, Jill Covell is adept at bonding the resources of many schools and community services with the Clubs' professional staff and programs to offer distinct advantages to kids.
The Clubs provide a safe environment, an outlet for fun and opportunities for growth and achievement. The schools that house the Clubs contribute an attractive, clean facility to serve as a Club after school.
Several other schools in these districts provide transportation so kids can get to the Clubs. Adults at schools and community-based centers also support the Clubs by helping out as volunteers and serving as a conduit of communication.
These community resources back Jill's mission as director of the Romulus Clubs based at Merriman Elementary and Wick Elementary schools, and the Belleville Club based at Edgemont Elementary. As a youth development organization, the Clubs' mission is to "provide a positive environment that enables members to become responsible, self-reliant, caring adults."
Jill regularly attends meetings in the community to make sure that her Clubs are visible, involved in community needs, and connected to new avenues of support and funding. She notes, "Every community organization and school is 100% on board with the Clubs and the positive influence we have with kids."
Another facet of her job is one that she would prefer to keep secret. "It's fun," she confides. She enjoys the variety. "Every day is different," she said. "I go wherever I'm needed."
Some days, it may be attending a community event. Other days, she may spend all day at the Merriman Club or visit all three Clubs in a day.
One of the most rewarding and fun aspects is interacting with kids. "It's a privilege to work with the kids," she said. "They are so honest. They will tell you their life story."
While these school-based Clubs don't have as many teens as the free-standing Clubs, the teens that do attend are often student aides. Aside from the work experience they get at the Clubs, they also seek out advice from Jill and other members of the professional staff when they are having difficulties at home, at school or with their friends.
"We listen but don't judge them," said Jill. "You give whatever advice you think is appropriate as their mentor. But you also have to be objective and give them their space to figure things out."
A self-proclaimed jock who began her advanced education at Henry Ford Community College on a softball scholarship, Jill enjoys working with the professional staff on sports activities for the kids both indoors and outside.
She has worked at the Clubs since 1991, when she served an internship at the Guest Club under former Club Director Nate Rebeck. After obtaining a B.A. in Parks and Recreation Management from Eastern Michigan University, she became a physical educator at the Guest Club. She teamed up with Club Director Frank Rigger to open the Romulus Club at Merriman Elementary, and became the program coordinator there. She also helped open the Romulus Club at Wick Elementary. She returned to the Guest Club as its director for several years. When Frank became director at the Huron Valley Club, Jill became the director of the Clubs in Romulus and Belleville. To top it off, she's a member of the Academy of Boys & Girls Clubs Professionals, and of the Professional Association of Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
In her years of working at the Clubs, she believes that kids today often come from tougher situations. A case in point, she notes that more students are on the lunch program at their schools.
"It's a fragile environment that these kids live in and many of them feel that the Club is the safest place to be. We keep it positive for them," Jill said. "We can turn any school into a Boys & Girls Club by the atmosphere of excitement, the variety of things to do and the professional staff who truly care."
And that's what makes coming to work such a pleasure for Jill - it's all about the kids and how the Clubs can improve their lives now and in the future.
