Meet Twenty under 40! honoree Eric Young: 'Don't be afraid to volunteer for extra tasks.'

Editor's note: Twenty under 40! is a collaborative effort between the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce’s ystark! and the Canton Repository. It recognizes young professionals in Stark County. This year’s honorees are being featured each weekday leading up to the awards celebration, which will be Tuesday at The Quarry Golf Club & Venue in Canton.

Eric Young serves as vice president for enrollment and marketing at Malone University in Canton.

The 37-year-old's goals are "to continue to be involved in my local community in Louisville and the greater Stark County area. Additionally, I would like to continue to see Malone University thrive as Northeast Ohio’s only Bible-based university."

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Who nominated Eric Young for the Twenty under 40! honor?

Malone President Gregory Miller nominated Young for the Twenty under 40! honor.

"Eric Young is an outstanding leader who already has had a successful career in higher education, with experience in student life leadership and extensive experience in university admissions," he said. "Leading an enrollment and marketing division in a university in our historical moment is no small task. Yet Eric has done so with demonstrated success and skill — and Malone University's growing enrollment is concrete proof.

"He is perhaps the best leader of Gen Z employees whom I have ever seen. He has such demonstrated skill in leading Gen Zers to success that I have encouraged him to serve as a resource for other industry leaders in our area. He excels in creating an environment where there is cohesion, quality and diligence. He manages both to create an enjoyable work atmosphere and at the same time to hold his teams accountable for excellence. He has a bright future in higher education and I am excited to see the continued expansion of his leadership responsibilities."

Young has been in leadership positions in higher education

• Chair of the Ohio Recruitment Leaders Committee through the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Ohio.
• Member of the Anti-Racism Task Force in 2020-2021 at the University of Mount Union.
• Strategic Planning Committee member for the Collegiate Information and Visitor Services Association.

He has a doctorate from Kent State University

• Dover High School
• Bowling Green State University, with bachelor's degree in adolescent to young adult history education. He was founding father president of his fraternity and now serves as the vice chair for the alumni board for the chapter.
• Kent State University, with master's and doctorate in higher education administration

What advice would you give the younger generation when it comes to advancing in their careers or strengthening Stark County?

Don’t be afraid to volunteer for extra projects or tasks in your workplace that will help you expand your knowledge and skills.

Even if something falls outside of your responsibilities, volunteering for an extra committee or project team will allow you to develop in ways that will help you grow holistically in your professional development while making you better prepared and more marketable for future job opportunities.

What motivates or inspires you to better the community?

I am passionate about working with youth and helping create positive experiences for kids and young adults.

Professionally, I believe that the work we do to recruit students and help them obtain a college education changes their life. A college degree on its own is life-changing, but a school like Malone that is focused on providing a Christian education can be even more transformational.

Personally, I believe I can have the same impact of young people’s lives through my involvement with youth sports. Seeing a kid learn, grow, have fun, and gain self-confidence through their involvement in youth sports allows me to see the impact that we can have on kids through these activities.

What is the best career advice you’ve ever been given?

Don’t be afraid to go after what you want.

After graduation from college, I spent a year teaching high school history. There were parts of the job that I loved, but the work was not my passion. My passion was working in higher education and I decided to go back to school after a year of teaching.

My master’s degree from Kent State, and time working as a hall director and graduate assistant at Mount Union helped me recognize the difference between doing a job that makes sense from a logical standpoint and doing a job that you are passionate about.

What’s the most challenging part(s) of your job? How do you tackle these obstacles?

The most challenging part of my job is to overcome common media misperceptions about higher education, specifically private higher education.

The narrative is often focused on college being unaffordable for students; however, at a place like Malone University, we work to create a financial aid package for every student that places us in a competitive price range with local public institutions.

We work to tackle these obstacles by being transparent with students and their families as they navigate their college search.

List some things people might not know about you.

• I am an avid bobblehead collector. I have over 60 bobbleheads between my office at Malone and my home office.
• I am a Cleveland sports fan.

Why do you think Stark County is a great place to live and work?

There are several things that I think make Stark County an attractive place to live and work.

I appreciate the strong sense of community and neighborly spirit that I’ve experienced in Louisville and across the county. The support that we have for our high schools, local businesses, and community events create an engaging and fun environment.

I also appreciate the cultural and recreational opportunities with museums, theaters and parks across the county.

As a professional who works in higher education, I also appreciate the wealth of opportunities for our young people to explore college without having to travel too far from home.

What are your top three favorite things to do in Stark County when not working?

• Go to parks or other recreational areas with my wife and three boys, including Beach Creek Botanical Gardens near Alliance and Dogwood Park in North Canton.
• Youth sporting events with my wife and three boys.
• Explore local restaurants. My favorite local restaurants are Basil and Deli Ohio.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Meet Twenty under 40! honoree Eric Young: 'Don't be afraid to volunteer for extra tasks.'