A local youth employment service hopes to gain a new perspective by appointing two MSU students to its leadership board.

English senior Ericka Sudo and building construction management freshman Peter Linsmeier were appointed to fill vacancies on the Youth Development Corporation’s 24-member board last month. The 31-year-old Lansing-based community organization helps those 16- to 21-years-old find employment and provides mentoring programs for at-risk youth.

John Tucker, executive director of the group, said the board decided it needs input from the age group it represents. Both Sudo and Linsmeier, who are former clients of the program, will serve until January. They’ll then decide whether to seek three-year terms.

“They seemed to be people who would speak out,” Tucker said of the students, who were recommended by an employment counselor at the organization. He explained that they were chosen, not on the basis of academic accomplishment alone, but also due to their involvement in the community.

For a $25 fee, the group assigns the client a counselor who helps with résumé and cover letter development, filling out applications, interviewing and providing job leads and education and career planning. The group boasts a 97 percent success rate at helping the client find a job in 60 days or less.

Sudo says she is excited about the opportunity to add a youth perspective to the board. Adults who are not actively involved with youth tend to “lose touch with that generation,” she said. “We can give them new insight on what they are doing.”

Serving on the board is “a way to serve the community and an opportunity to learn,” said Linsmeier, who used the program to find a job at a lawn care company. His success has led him to refer several friends to the corporation.

Sudo said the corporation can be a valuable service for MSU students. “Campus jobs just don’t pay what students really need,” she said. “You just can’t make it sometimes on the wages they pay.”