Long-time Syracuse resident is active in the community
By Phoebe Muthart
Staff Writer
When Kay Young was a young girl growing up, she would spend her summers on Lake Wawasee. She fondly recalled swimming in the lake and “just being kids,” she said.
Today, not only is she a successful real estate agent, but also someone who gives back to her community, volunteering her time and talents.
Young grew up in Muncie, but spent the summers in Syracuse with her parents. Eventually, the family moved to the lakes area permanently when she was a teenager. She graduated from Syracuse High School in 1965.
“My dad grew up here in the summer, and we had a cottage on Lake Wawasee,” she said.
Young has had several jobs over the years. She drove a school bus for Wawasee Community School Corporation, worked at a bank, and sold advertising for a Goshen newspaper. She was later approached about selling real estate by Joe Todd, owner of Todd Realty.
“I thought real estate sounded interesting,” she recalled. “I thought I might be a good fit for the company and evidently I am.”
She has been a licensed Realtor since 1988. She has been associated with Todd Realty ever since then, and has been the real estate company’s top salesperson 16 times. She is past president of the Kosciusko Board of Realtors. She was named Realtor of the Year for Kosciusko County in 2005.
“It was a huge honor to be named by my peers,” she said of the prestigious award. “It’s nice to know you are a member of a community that has high standards.”
The best part of her job as a real estate agent, she said, is: “Helping people make their dreams of homeownership come true,” she said. “I’ve been very blessed with good clients and a great community. It’s made real estate a fun business for me.”
Young is also a member of the Syracuse-Wawasee Trail Committee. She has served on the committee for 10 years and is currently chairman of the board. The trails, she said, are a big asset to the Syracuse community, “making them a safe venue for citizens.”
Serving her community makes her proud and something that was instilled in her at a young age.
“It’s a way for me to give back to the community,” she said. “My mom volunteered a lot, too. I like being involved.”
Young has also been president of the Wawasee Property Owners Association for 17 years. She joined the WPOA board in 2003.
In 2010, Young was awarded the Wawasee Area Conservancy Foundation Cattail Award for her outstanding environmental service to the Lake Wawasee area. She represents the WPOA on the trail committee, as well as helping with advertising and public relations.
In addition, Young also serves on Kosciusko County Community Foundation’s board of directors. She joined the KCCF board five years ago.
“It’s such as great organization for our county,” Young explained. “It’s a way (for me) to give back to the community.”
Young and her husband, Jim, have been married for 33 years. Between the two, they have five children, 10 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Her hobbies include boating in the summer and spending time with friends and family in Texas.