Ellensburg Downtown Association (EDA) is hosting the first Young Professionals Week or “YoPro”  May 15-17. The three-day event has a purpose of helping the younger generation of Ellensburg gain connections and knowledge while also preparing for their future alongside others in the community.

“Being a young professional in today’s world presents many challenges and opportunities that older generations did not experience,” said EDA Assistant Director Molly Jones in a press release. “Young Professionals Week is a way to get people who are in similar places in life together to network, mingle, and celebrate their successes.”

Katie Eschbach, a former senior account supervisor for Central Communication Agency, helped plan the event since its conception in the winter.

“[Downtown Ellensburg] came to us with the idea to recognize young professionals within our community because we are a college town and so many of us are unrecognized,” Eschbach said. “We should take time to celebrate… and just acknowledge that we are college students working really hard.”

Eschbach said that Jones, Assistant Director of EDA, which is also a non-profit, wanted to give back to the community by putting together a few events where students could have a fun time within downtown Ellensburg.

On May 15 from 5-7 p.m., free headshots and tips for bettering professional profiles will be available at Monster Melts and Cravens Coffee. On May 16 from 5-7 p.m. there will be a craft night at Gallery One where attendees can mingle while making crafts for a $10 admission cost. A cash-only bar will be available for those over 21. On May 17 from 5-8 p.m., a “YoPro Pub Crawl” will start at Iron Horse (which allows those underage from 5-8 p.m.), move to The Tav and then end at Dark Moon. This will be a fun night of socialization and networking in downtown Ellensburg.

“Anyone can come, anyone is invited,” Eschbach said.