Hi everyone!

My name is Graci Jackson, and I am a rising senior at The Ohio State University currently pursing a BFA in Dance and minors in Nonprofit Management and Integrative Approaches to Health and Wellness. This summer, through The Columbus Foundation’s Summer Fellowship program, I have the wonderful opportunity to work with The McConnell Arts Center in Worthington, OH. The MAC, as we fondly call it, is an arts organization that has a focus on “building pathways [for people] to experience the joy and wonder of the arts”. I am looking forward to all that I will experience and learn this summer thanks to the amazing people at both The Columbus Foundation and The McConnell Arts Center!

On Monday, I started off my first week with an orientation at The Columbus Foundation. It was, honestly, an inspiring start to the fellowship as we engaged with Simon Sinek’s TEDx Talk titled “Start with why — how great leaders inspire action” and used it as a springboard to both illustrate and narrate our own whys for pursuing nonprofit work. My nervousness soon turned to excited anticipation as I was inspired by my peers and reminded that we all have the power to live inspired and to make an impact on the world around us.

During the rest of the first week, I got the chance to familiarize myself with the MAC and its staff and their roles through one-on-one meetings. Everyone on staff is so friendly and so willing to share their knowledge, and I found this extremely helpful as I am someone who wants to eventually work in a nonprofit organization but does not yet know what role I would want to fill. In my first week, I also got the opportunity to attend a Worthington Partnership meeting with the MAC’s executive director. The Worthington Partnership is basically made up of for-profits (mostly small businesses) and nonprofits and members of the city who have a heart for their community and who want to support one another. In this meeting, I learned important information surrounding waste and financial management. I got to wrap up my first week by attending the Columbus Arts Festival, with MAC staff, where we had a craft and information booth. I had a wonderful time, amongst artists and community members alike, as I got to practice my marketing and outreach skills.

I am excited to see what next week holds, especially with the upcoming Worthington Arts Festival organized by the MAC next weekend!

Talk to you soon,

Graci Jackson