The Perfect Beer for the Best Internship Ever

I’m Taylor Pinson and I’m a student at the University of South Carolina. I already drink Bud Light like it’s my job, so when I received an invitation from YMC to ACTUALLY work for them and their #UpForWhatever campaign as a Bud Light Brand Ambassador, I jumped out of my seat at the opportunity.

Bud Light brand ambassador with her branded cake

As I eased into the role and my responsibilities, it became clear that this was going to be a semester full of professional experiences, good times, and plenty of #UpForWhatever moments. Over the course of the semester, I planned, promoted, and executed events including an Anti-Valentine’s Day party, a Sunday morning Kegs n’ Eggs, a #ThrowbackThursday party, and an #UpForWhatever Cruise on Lake Murray near Columbia, South Carolina. After the cruise, I was sure that my job couldn’t get any better. I had just experienced the best Sunday of my college career and was able to put smiles on the faces, and Bud Lights in the hands, of some of my best friends at South Carolina.

Then I got the call. The call came from my Program Strategist at YMC, Mike, informing me that I had been chosen as one of the top #UpForWhatever ambassadors and was therefore invited to Bud Light’s Whatever, USA! The semester that I thought couldn’t get any better was about to end with a bang.

The Weekend

Bud Light had the entire weekend planned out perfectly. All I had to do was show up and have fun? Done and done.

After a flight to Los Angeles and a ferry ride to Catalina Island, I had finally arrived. I stepped off the ferry and saw the giant Whatever, USA arches. I had found my happy place.

The weekend started off with a giant parade, a performance from T-Pain, and an epic rave on the beach featuring Diplo to end the night. I didn’t think Saturday could possibly top the night before, but it did. We hiked for Bigfoot, got schooled on the beer industry by Bud Light’s master brewers, and played Beach Bingo. I began pinching myself making sure it wasn’t all a dream when Kip Moore showed up on stage and sang about “a beer sittin’ on ice” while Snoop Dogg passed out hot dogs. For our last night, we dined in style on the pier and hit the island casino for a party all while dressed in 1920’s attire that would have made Gatsby jealous. Sunday morning came too quickly, and I began my last day at Whatever, USA.

I began to grow sad and disappointed about leaving until Lil’ Jon showed up and ended the weekend with some words to live by. “Go forth, do great things, & keep drinking your Bud Light,” the great modern philosopher said, and with that we went on our way.

I remember my Bud Light #UpForWhatever ambassador interview with YMC shortly after Christmas and answering what I thought was my “most #UpForWhatever moment” so far in college. After a weekend at Whatever, USA, this question will no longer require much thought.

I can’t thank YMC enough for an amazing experience and the opportunity to go on the journey of a lifetime as an #UpForWhatever Bud Light Brand Ambassador.

Gift This, Not That

By now you’ve survived Thanksgiving doorbusters, Black Friday crowds, Small Business Saturday strolls, Cyber Monday distractions, and are putting your focus towards holiday gifting. The only thing more stressful than those four crazy “shopping holidays” is trying to figure out what the young 20-somethings in your life really want. But don’t panic just yet, because YMC has you covered.

Step into the mind of a millennial this holiday season and avoid any gifting pitfalls. The YMC team surveyed over 250 college students to find out their gift-related wants, needs, and preferences this holiday season. Here’s what we found out: As it turns out, millennials aren’t too different than past generations. They have their own fashion identity that closely aligns with their lifestyle and individual personality. They like having the freedom to choose, with 36% of respondents saying cash is their most needed gift. Millennials are also practical when it comes to selecting gifts for one another, preferring to shop at retailers that offer variety like Urban Outfitters and Amazon, and recommending gifts that are universally appreciated, like makeup.

Hopefully our findings will save you some time this holiday season, and put a smile on the face of your favorite gift-worthy millennial. Happy holidays!

The Truth About Fostering Dogs

Here at YMC, we are all huge animals lovers (don’t believe me? Check out our Instagram). Some of us are lucky enough to own our own four legged friend, while others look forward to seeing their beloved family pets during visits home. My family has a crazy Carin Terrier, and one of the hardest parts about moving to my apartment in the city was leaving my furry friend behind. My roommate was in a similar situation, having to say goodbye to her darling Dachshund, and during the first few weeks of living in our new place we spent hours chatting about how much we missed having a bundle of fluffy energy running around and considering fostering dogs.

Leaving behind a pet when moving out for the first time or going to college is hard, especially if you’re living in a new place and just want to see a friendly face at the end of the day. My roommate and I discussed getting involved in the DC community when we finally had an epiphany; we loved animals and wanted to fill the void of not having one, so volunteering at the local animal shelter would be a perfect fit. Before we knew it, we had filled out an application to become dog fosters and were standing in the Washington Humane Society (WHS) ready to undergo foster training.

Part of the training included a tour of the facilities, which was filled with cats, dogs, and even a cage full of guinea pigs. Walking through the hallways I was overcome with emotion, there were so many dogs, some cages even had 3 dogs in one small space due to overcrowding. In only 30 minutes, we saw 3 dogs come into the shelter and learned that WHS has an average of 33 dogs surrendered or turned in from animal control every day. When we walked in the doors of the shelter we weren’t 100% sure if we wanted to open our apartment to a pet, but after seeing how much help the shelter needed, we knew we weren’t going home without a dog. Soon enough we were loading 2 Pitbull mix puppies, crates, and baby gates into my car and oh boy, were we in for an adventure.

To make a long story short, 2 puppies was one dog too many for our tiny, 800 square foot apartment, so we had to return the boy pup to the shelter, but he was adopted 2 weeks later! We ended up falling in love with West, as did everyone in the YMC DC office, because we have a wonderful pet-friendly policy and I often brought her to work. When West got adopted, my roommate and I were beside ourselves because she had become part of our little family. She’s still the background on both of our phones! However, we knew that she would be an amazing companion to the family that gave her a forever home and be happier in the suburbs than the city (we continue to solicit her new owners for pictures.) The answer to filling the emptiness of our apartment? Foster another dog in need of a place to stay! We’ve fostered 4 dogs to date, including a sweet spaniel mix with a broken pelvis and our current 8 month old puppy, Meko, who just recovered from a puppy disease and is ready to be adopted.

People often tell us how thoughtful it is that we foster and how lucky the dogs are that we take such good care of them, but I think that my roommate and I both know that we’re truly the lucky ones. Nothing brightens your day like the welcome home dance a dog performs for you when you walk in the door, and the fact that we get unconditional puppy kisses while helping the community makes it even better.

Want to learn more about fostering dogs? Click here for some frequently asked questions!