This week picked up considerably in the number of different projects I have my hands in. I am continuing to assist with volunteer program development and event planning under budget constraints with various organizations. I also began drafting an educational presentation and roundtable discussion that could take place before certain volunteer opportunities to make the experience more impactful and meaningful for volunteers. Additionally, I researched a list of nonprofits that Besa partners with so that I can meet one-on-one with a handful of organizations of my choosing. My goal is to better understand how Besa can support their volunteer needs while also picking their brains about how their organizations operate and what their individual roles look like. I also met with multiple team members to discuss the world of grant writing and what it entails, as I have little previous experience or knowledge related to grants. I learned a lot and look forward to gaining increased exposure to this side of the nonprofit world.

In the community this week, I assisted with handing out box fans at the Franklin County Office on Aging and packed and organized food and other goods at the FACCES Fresh Market. While volunteering there, I had the opportunity to really dig in with a handful of fellow volunteers and hear their perspectives on how Besa could better support them, what they think would improve volunteer retention and make volunteering a habit, and why they choose to give their time in the first place. To finish the week, I attended a volunteer event for one of our business partners at the Ohio Wildlife Center, where we saw a wide variety of rehabilitated animals and even admitted a snake we found injured in a wheelbarrow.

The highlight of the week for me personally, though, was the learning session at The Columbus Foundation. We discussed passion and what it really means. It was an extremely encouraging conversation, as I often wrestle with the idea of “following your passion” or trying to find it, especially since I don’t feel like there is one specific passion I am called to pursue. It was reassuring to hear that many of the other fellows were in the same boat and shared similar interests and aspirations. One of the biggest takeaways for me was the reminder that the journey of discovering and following your passions is rarely linear and takes time to develop. We talked about how passion is necessary for persistence, overcoming the inevitable obstacles ahead, and continuing to learn while believing in yourself. We also discussed the idea that passion is often an output rather than an input—that it grows through experience—and that we don’t need to have a fully formed vision for our passions right now. Instead, we simply need to keep searching for that vision.

It was a week filled with meaningful learning, and I am excited to see what next week holds.