Our generation of achievers was raised with a “do, do, do, network, search, apply” mentality that is incredibly difficult to let go of. To some, the thought of not worrying about next year is absurd, but the funny thing is that when we stop worrying about tomorrow, we begin to connect to and understand the experience we are in today.
February of my junior year, a culmination of illness and apathy for schoolwork encouraged me to take a leave of absence from school. I realized that I could return to my hometown and pick-up a part time job, but that wasn’t the break I was looking for. I wanted to feel alive again. I wanted to feel connected. I had no degree and little experience outside of academia, so for me it wasn’t about figuring out what I wanted to do for a year, it was about finding something to keep me alive for a year – emotionally and physically (providing enough money to put food on my plate). I had met some Americorps VISTAs over spring break and decided to apply to the program.
When I began the Americorps application process, I was looking for some kind of environmental activist organization that would provide me with experience for my Environmental Engineering, Engineering and Public Policy resume. Understanding that the west coast is on the forefront of environmental activism, I applied to every VISTA position that seemed somewhat fitting to my skill set.
As you can imagine, I was surprised when I received a call from Shakti Rising, a social change organization in San Diego that empowers young women and girls often recovering from co-existing illnesses such as addiction, depression and eating disorders, in reference to an RD position. When I submitted my application to Shakti Rising I thought RD meant Research and Development, a position that would be well suited for someone with my level of research experience… It meant Resource Development.
In that interview I learned more about this life-saving organization, and after a second interview (despite my lack of fundraising experience) Shakti Rising decided to offer me the position. At the same time, the 4-H state office in Vermont offered me a VISTA position as an agricultural/environmental engineering instructor – the kind of position that would be perfect on my resume.
The decision preoccupied my mind for a week, and on the day I was supposed to make my decision between an opportunity that seemingly had my name written all over it, and another in which I had no background experience, Erica told me to throw a coin in the air. As the coin hit the ground, before I saw my fate, she told me to ask myself, “What do I want to see – heads or tails?”
Three weeks later I was on a plane to San Diego. I had one year before I knew I would return to Carnegie Mellon, one year to simply LIVE.
The year of service did 2 things: (1) it shifted my perspective on life, and (2) it highlighted my skill set in concurrence with my passions. Non-profits offer their staff and volunteers the opportunity to not only heal through service but to test their skills on various organizational challenges. As the assistant to the Director of Resource Development, I struggled to help the organization raise money through grants and donor relations. I was, however very perceptive of the way things operated and the way information was transferred and stored in the organization, and had several ideas for improvement. Shakti Rising graciously allowed me to try my hand at designing a Client Relations Management (CRM) system for their organization (which was risky considering that I had NO experience with the system, or databases of any sort). Needless to say, the system is up and running, and I still assist with making it more user friendly and effective. The whole experience shed light on my ability to see the big-picture of an operation and my ability to teach myself whatever skills I need to execute a project I am passionate about.
Do I know what I am going to do next year? Nope, not a clue. Am I worried? Nope, not at all. I know that there are plenty of organizations out there that have a missions I believe in, and I know from experience that when I believe in a mission I can direct my skill set to make change. So I guess I do know what I am going to do next year - I am going to change the world.
Sometimes it is not about looking for what you want to do, it is about telling the world what you believe in (through a resume, application or email) and letting yourself experience something.
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