Census data shows more than 52,000 people in Tallahassee are in their 20s about 1 in 4 residents. With three major colleges and universities in the city, Tallahassee consistently attracts young adults. The challenge is keeping them connected after graduation. The Tallahassee Urban League Young Professionals is working to change that.
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Tallahassee group works to keep young professionals rooted in the community
The group works alongside the Urban League through community programs, service events and outreach, with a focus on building deeper roots among young adults who might otherwise move on after school.
Darren Mason, the president of the Tallahassee Urban League Young Professionals, says the work is about ensuring someone is ready to carry the community forward.
“We are the bridge between the leaders of tomorrow and us that are here for today. We are the bridge between the generation coming behind us and embracing the gap for the work of right now,” Mason said.
That mission connects back to a longer legacy. The Tallahassee Urban League has been serving the community for 50 years. Mason says young professionals can help extend that work by bringing new skills, new connections, and new energy into programs already in place.
Now the group is creating more space for those connections to happen. Thursday night, the young professionals are hosting “The Link Up” at Hotel Indigo. The event is free, but Mason says the goal goes beyond a typical networking event. He wants young people to make connections that last for a long time.
“So that you don’t just pass a big business card, but you actually plan your next link up. So that can be at a coffee shop. That could be a photo shoot. That could be a business planning. Whatever that link up is that you need, we hope that you’ll meet that there,” Mason said.
The Link Up starts Thursday at 6 p.m.
Mason says he hopes more young professionals stay connected to Tallahassee and find a place to serve through the Urban League.
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