I am currently sitting at my desk, in between editing multiple video projects, and I had a sort of “awakening”.  It is just now dawning on me that I am finally a working professional. I know, I know, that sounds slightly unusual to say out loud, but it’s true.

At the beginning of this Fellowship (NOT INTERNSHIP) I felt as though I was just another college student who was putting on a tie in the morning and simply acting like I was a grown up.  Even when you are twenty-one years old you still have moments where you feel much younger than you really are.  I mean just yesterday it feels like I was in high school and still wondering what college I would be attending.

But here I am.  I am sitting at a desk with a cup of coffee, a list of emails to respond to, and coworkers surrounding me that rely on me to do my best work day in and day out.  At this time last summer I was sitting at a desk much like this one I am in now, yet it could not have been more different.  Last Summer I was in the shadows, watching, observing, and quietly obeying.  I did not have responsibilities or even daily tasks.  I was a mere existence at a company that was so big that I was simply a number and a paycheck.

The Columbus Foundation has done something with this Summer Fellowship program that many people do not realize is so important: they actually value college students.  They look at this group of young adults and see more clearly then just potential, they see a person that is prepared to change the world today.  At my age, the only question I get asked by adults is “What do you want to do after college?”… AFTER college? What about right now?  Why do I have to have three degrees in hand and be older than my parents to finally be able to make a difference in the world?  The Columbus Foundation is so proactive with everything that they do on a day to day basis that they may not realize how incredible this opportunity is that they are giving us.  We are now working professionals.  We are now leaders in our field.  We are now changing the world.  In the world of non-profits there is no time to wait and plan for tomorrow to be the day something gets done.  So here we are, thanks to The Columbus Foundation, with an opportunity and responsibility to make the world a better place. TODAY.