I have had so much fun over the past 10 weeks at Central. This would be much more bittersweet if I was not continuing to work with them after the conclusion of my fellowship, but I am!

I am proud of everything I was able to accomplish, and thankful for everything I have learned. 

Here are some highlights:

• I applied for $1,367,557 in grants this summer! Grant writing was priority #1 for me coming into the fellowship, and I feel extremely comfortable writing proposals at this point. I think this is a skill I will be able to utilize throughout my career in nonprofit work
• I helped hire someone! I really enjoyed getting to speak with many different applicants, and I am so excited about the person we were able to hire for a marketing and outreach coordinator role
• I got some marketing experience, including creating materials, updating social media, keeping the website calendar up to date, and sending marketing email blasts. I had a lot of fun with this, but I am excited to see someone more qualified take it over, and I hope to learn from them
• I got a tiny taste of what it takes to plan fundraising events, as well as soliciting donations from the community
• I got to embrace my inner history geek and compile a history of Central for the 85th year celebration. I am super excited to turn this into a display that will showcase the growth of Central over the years
• I learned about so many new programs, and I furthered my knowledge about social issues that really matter to me
• I met some amazing people, and I look forward to continuing to develop those relationships in the future

This experience was so important to me. Four years ago, I was directionless in my career, and so unhappy. After discovering my passion for nonprofit work, I made the decision to return to school, but the path isn’t exactly easy once you make that decision. The Columbus Foundation has created something so meaningful in this fellowship program. Not only was I able to add capacity to the work Central was doing this summer, but I was able to get the “boots on the ground” experience that I was craving (and I was able to do it while getting paid! – not the point, but so important for students). 

I am entering into my second year of grad school refreshed, and ready to take on the world, and I owe it all to Central Community House and The Columbus Foundation.