The Next Generation of Service

Ohio Western Reserve Ladies is an organization primarily focused on honoring those interred at Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery and supporting their families, with a parallel mission of connecting with and serving the veteran community. However, it is our often unseen commitment to youth development and engagement that will ultimately ensure this legacy endures.

When Kat and I first met, she shared her strong passion for youth outreach and involvement. That passion aligned seamlessly with our organizational need for volunteers—young people with the energy and willingness to help lay wreaths, place flags, unload semi-trailers, and fill dumpsters. These connections have grown into meaningful personal relationships and professional collaborations across multiple counties through partnerships with Medina County Career Center, Cuyahoga Valley Career Center, and Rittman School District. Jean further strengthened our youth engagement efforts by reinforcing ties with the Boy Scouts through Eagle Scout projects and service-hour opportunities at the cemetery.

Involving youth is about far more than manpower. It is about ensuring that future generations understand the significance of this work—how service transforms communities, how collaboration builds lasting relationships, and how caring for one another creates long-term strength. Our youth must learn their role in this process, and the only way they can do so is by watching us model it.

We intentionally allow students to take ownership and leadership of the projects they support. Through coaching and guidance, they gain exposure to operations, team and personnel management, public speaking, interpersonal communication, and conflict resolution. We model effective communication, teamwork, resourcefulness, and humility—especially when mistakes occur, because they inevitably will.

These lessons are grounded in service projects that resonate deeply. We weave in patriotism and emotional, familial connections to military service by sharing stories of those we have known or lost who served. We respectfully honor veterans who no longer have visitors at their gravesites, ensuring they are never forgotten.

Through these experiences, we are shaping young people who understand what service truly looks like—future generations who appreciate the power of working together, who value remembrance, and who recognize the sacrifices made by those who came before them.

As the Dalai Lama said, “When educating the minds of our youth, we must not forget to educate their hearts.” I challenge each of you to reflect on what that means in your own daily life and to take a moment to do the same. It is one of my favorite and most meaningful facets of the multitool that is Ohio Western Reserve Ladies.

Rebecca Clark is the current Senior Nurse Manager for Akron Children’s Hospital PICU & Heart Unit, adjunct faculty at Northern Kentucky University in the MSN nursing program, a 20-year OHARNG Retired Major, and current President of Ohio Western Reserve Ladies.