Next Friday, Aug. 14 will be a bittersweet day at the Boothbay Region YMCA as we say goodbye to one of the Y’s short-term but truly impactful staff members, Emily LeGree. 

Emily is headed to Boston to begin law school at New England Law Boston, founded in 1908 as the nation’s first and only law school for women. Somehow, that feels especially fitting. Those of us who have come to know Emily understand that beneath her calm demeanor and easy smile is someone with strong convictions: a belief in equal rights, kindness toward every living being, and speaking up for people who need someone in their corner. 

A native of Norfolk, Virginia, Emily recently graduated from the University of Virginia with a degree in education and global sustainability. She moved to Boothbay in October 2025 to be closer to her dad, stepmother and two young stepbrothers, Charlie and Sam. 

It did not take long for Emily to become woven into life here on the peninsula.She worked as a substitute teacher in theelementary school and volunteered as a coach for the Y Dolphins swim team. She became what she cheerfully describes as a “Y-rat,” spending hours working on law school applications in the Y’s sunny gathering spaces, working out, playing volleyball and picking up her brothers after basketball and swim practices. 

In March, Emily joined the Y staff part-time as communications coordinator. She quickly became the woman behind the words of many of the stories that readers have seen in this very column, writing about the people whose generosity, leadership, and everyday acts of kindness make this community stronger.Writing those stories required more than putting words on a page. Emily listened. She asked good questions. She noticed things. And she had a way of capturing not simply what people did, but why it mattered. 

That same willingness to step in wherever she was needed became a hallmark of her time at the Y. With her experience and natural affinity for working with children, Emily helped at Harbor Montessori School when it faced a staffing shortage and lent a hand at Camp K when extra support was needed. A former  volleyball player, she also became a regular in the Y’s Wednesday night pickup games. 

Super smart and a quick study, Emily’s many gifts included a ready wit, an easy smile, a calm presence and a genuine “can do” attitude. She connected easily with her colleagues, members, and the children she knew from the school and through Charlie and Sam, and those relationships made the Y feel even more like home for her. 

One moment captured that connection particularly well. As part of the Y’s effort to raise funds for the renovation of Russell Gymnasium, the Y held an in-house “Dunk, Dribble and Shoot” tournament. Charlie won an award, and no one in the gym could have been prouder than his big sister.There will now be another piece of Emily permanently placed in Russell Gymnasium. Jersey #13, the number she wore as a volleyball player, has been named in her honor as one of the ways to thank her for the work she has done for the Y. 

During her tenure, Emily has written twelve “Community Catalyst for Good” articles. Through them, she has introduced readers to people doing good work throughout the Boothbay region. In the process, she became one of those catalysts herself. CEO Meg Benvenuto remarks, “I have truly enjoyed getting to know Emily this summer.She has a welcoming spirit, a generous heart, and a remarkable ability to make those around her feel valued. Emily is a rising tide, lifting everyone around her through both her kindness and her actions. While she will be greatly missed, all of us at the Yare cheering her on as she begins this exciting next chapter in law school. We have no doubt she will make a meaningful difference wherever her path leads.”    

While Emily will trade Boothbay for Boston and community profiles for casebooks, we suspect the qualities that made her so adept at telling other people’s stories will serve her equally well in the law: curiosity, empathy, careful listening, a strong sense of fairness and the instinct to speak up when something matters.We cannot wait to see where those talents take her. 

Thank you, Emily, for the words you have written, the children you have encouraged, the stories you have told and the mark you have made on the Boothbay Region YMCA. We will miss you, and we will be cheering for you in whatever comes next.