Seeing MAC Through New Eyes Recently joined members capture club’s infinite possibilities
BRANDON DAVIS
By Jake Ten Pas
Since joining the club last year, business owners Ashlee and Arturus Espaillat have uncovered endless opportunities for their 5-year-old daughter, Amaia.
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here’s never enough time for all that MAC has to offer. That seems to be a through line for new members, and probably many who’ve been part of the club for decades. When more than 20,000 people make up a community, attempting to find any constants related to their diverse experiences might seem like folly, but similarities suggest themselves, nonetheless.
First of all, MAC’s community isn’t the only one in its members’ lives. The club’s ability to meet, and often exceed, the needs of those who’ve learned to define the term “community” in so many different ways is a testament to its near-universal appeal. For example, Les Vuylsteke joined the club in retirement after working in university systems most of his life, when his search for a new place to serve both his social and athletic needs led him to the perfect deployment of his hard-earned savings.
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SEPTEMBER 2022
Arturus Espaillat grew up the Dominican Republic, spending his free time in a private club where kids could play by the pool while parents socialized. His wife, Ashlee, on the other hand, sees comparisons with her time swimming competitively in high school.
As a longtime former lobbyist and current director of children’s cancer charity UKANDU, Jason Hickox has been a part of both the competitive world of Washington, D.C. politics and the nurturing environs of the nonprofit sector. Yet he continues to find new and life-affirming connections in a club brimming over with individuals who never stop seizing the day.
What one place could possibly resonate with all of these disparate journeys? Every member knows the answer, but it’s still worth looking at the value of membership through the eyes of the recently initiated. Even the seasoned might be surprised at what they find.
Home Away from Home Les Vuylsteke might not be able to see like he used to, but it doesn’t always take 20/20 vision to recognize a good investment. Diagnosed with Fuchs Dystrophy a number of years ago, Vuylsteke is now legally blind, which isn’t the same as being totally blind, he points out.
A former university librarian, the 73-yearold says he regularly consumed a book or more daily for more than 40 years. His diminishing eyesight has slowed that pace, but where there’s a will, there’s a way. His doctor has taught him a variety of coping mechanisms that make reading possible, and Vuylsteke still manages to enjoy one of his primary passions, learning about the world. After retiring 15 years ago, he moved from Cincinnati, Ohio, to Portland in search of new life experiences, from joining St. Mary’s Cathedral, to volunteering with Central City
