There was no summer vacation for former Marist lacrosse star Kayli Grant.
For the past two summers, Grant worked for the Village of Oak Lawn.
Her resume says she was a “summer helper,” but she had some important responsibilities on her plate.
She picked up insight on how a town is run as she did behind-the-scenes work for various events and parades in the community.
She designed flyers, coordinated with vendors and managed contracts.
Also a part of her job in the past two years has been conducting business license reviews, helping out with fee structures, auditing data from the Illinois Liquor Control Commission and the Illinois Gaming Board for license compliance issues.
“It’s a great job and it’s going to look good on my resume so I’m glad about that,” Grant said. “I’m getting government experience and I get to help people down here. Once I graduate college, I want something that will give me real-world experience.”
Grant, a junior, is working on sociology and criminology degrees and will enter a new world this fall as she transferred from Akron to John Carroll.
When it comes to lacrosse, she is hoping for a bigger role at the Division III school.
“I’m just 40 minutes away from Akron and I had a great relationship with my teammates and roommates,” Grant said. “I’ll still be close to them.
“But I’m excited about the lacrosse portion and starting fresh somewhere new. I’m working on leadership skills and attack. I want to make a difference on the field and want to enhance team culture.”
Before her summer stint in Oak Lawn kicked in, Grant helped with lacrosse practices at Marist this year. The RedHawks had a historic season, finishing fourth at the state tournament.
“I helped out and tried to give them insight that they might not get at the high-school level,” Grant said. “I love having that team connection. I love being able to help younger girls.
“I’m really blessed to be able to help other girls and be a leader on teams. It’s just something I’ve loved my entire life.”
Fire report
New Chicago Fire star Robert Lewandowski scored two goals in his home debut as the team beat Charlotte 2-1 on Aug. 1 at Soldier Field.
He scored his first goal in the 20th minute, just two minutes after Charlotte opened the game up with a goal. The Polish scoring machine had what turned out to be the game-winner in the 68th minute for the Fire (9-6-2).
Earlier in the week, Philip Zinckernagel became the first Fire player since 2008 to score in an MLS All-Star game when he had a goal in the 42nd minute of the MLS’s 4-3 win over the Liga MX All-Stars on July 29 in Charlotte.
The Fire plays three Leagues Cup games at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview on Aug. 6, Aug. 9 and Aug. 13.
The Fire II’s Christopher Morales recorded three assists to help the East All-Stars beat the West All-Stars 6-1 in the MLS NEXT Pro game on July 28 in Matthews, North Carolina.
The Fire II then bashed Cincinnati 7-2 on Aug. 2 at SeatGeek Stadium. Jason Shokalook had a hat trick for the Fire (8-6-6).
Chicago hosts Toronto at 2 p.m. Aug 10 at SeatGeek Stadium.