Brendan McConnell

I really like the energy and excitement for after-school programs. At this branch particularly, all the kids are super excited and willing to try new things. I personally love chess, and I started running one of the chess clubs here. I was shocked to see all the kids willing to try—even if they had never played before or had played a bunch—they were open to learning new things. I was really impressed with that energy.

That photo is an example of the energy the kids bring to the library. It was from a fashion show we did. I was really impressed by both the kids who dressed up and those who didn’t, who just came as they were and were still willing to make up a story around their outfit to try to sell themselves to the fashion show judges. I was impressed by their creativity and how they embraced the moment.

Listen to Brendan’s West End story: