A fun place for youths to learn

Marysville center returns to its roots

A place for youths to learn, prosper, grow and connect has been rooted in the Marysville community for at least two decades. Undergoing a new face and being revamped, the nonprofit wants to go back to its original roots and principles.

The Marysville Youth and Civic Center, formerly known as the Allyn Scott Youth and Community Center, started that process by returning to its original name.

Allyn Scott and her husband, Ken, opened the center, which was initially a hotdog stand, in the 1990s. According to the Yubasutter Chamber of Commerce website, the center “allowed teens to pay off their credit by busing tables, doing dishes and cleaning up the facility,” when they couldn’t afford to pay for food.

The hotdog stand eventually turned into an after-school program for students from elementary through high school to have a place to learn through “fun and exciting activities.”

Brendon Messina, current vice president and programs committee chair, said he started working with the current president, Cory Quinn, in a county capacity through his former job.

Messina’s passion for working with adolescents stemmed “from being a disadvantaged youth.” He’s been working or volunteering with youth since he turned 18.

He wants children to know “regardless of their age, background, educational or financial status, that they can be successful.”

“With working with youth, I’ve learned you have to have empathy,” Messina said. “Look

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