It is incredibly hard for me to summarize the end of this experience in a 300-word blog post, but I’ll try my best. Time does fly when you’re having fun!

When I started this fellowship, I came in with little to no expectations, only wanting to learn as much as I could about nonprofits and about the community here in Columbus. I love learning, especially more about what interests me, so I was excited to see what was in store for this summer.

I genuinely could not ask for a better experience. The team at Seeds of Caring embraced me and my curious brain with open arms and made me feel like a full-on team member. I knew at any point I could go to a team member for help or to ask more about what their role is, and they would be more than willing to help me. The amount of support I received from everyone was overwhelming and I have so much appreciation for this team. All these women have inspired me with their leadership and passion for the Seeds of Caring mission.

I feel honored that this team trusted me to aid in facilitating their programming, let me sit in on meetings discussing the future of Seeds of Caring, build new projects with current staff members, the list could go on. I have gained more confidence in myself as a person as well as a young professional in this field, and I have Seeds of Caring and The Columbus Foundation to thank for that.

Seeing kids’ faces light up when they find out they are being helpers, improving the days and lives of people they don’t even know was a key highlight from my time with Seeds of Caring. Kids have the biggest hearts; this summer has taught me that. They have the most empathy and capacity for compassion I have seen. Kids aren’t naïve. They know that there are things wrong in their communities. They’ll even say it- “well that’s not fair”, “why does that happen”, “can’t they get help?” are just some of the words I’ve heard from kids when talking about different needs or struggles our neighbors in Columbus have and are facing.

Seeds of Caring empowers kids to make their communities a better place for those in it by planting a seed of compassion, of friendship, of caring in children so that they grow with an understanding that they CAN make a difference, even if it is small in their minds. To others, it makes a world of a difference. As I close out my time with Seeds of Caring, I want to express my gratitude. I have learned countless lessons from all the amazing women at this organization. I have grown so much because of them, and my experience this summer is truly invaluable. To the entire team at Seeds of Caring, thank you all for sharing your mission with me and welcoming me. You all have made an impact on me, and I will never forget it.

To Brandy Jemczura, Sarah Jorgenson, and Liz Martin- thank you for being inspiring, encouraging, and supportive mentors to me throughout my time this summer. You took me under your wings and given me so much knowledge about this space and how I can make my mark and given me to confidence to do so.

To the fellows, thank you all for sharing your experiences this summer. I have appreciated hearing from you all about the impacts you’re making in Columbus. To The Columbus Foundation, thank you for this opportunity and for matching me with Seeds of Caring. It was the best fit for me, and I am so grateful.