Columbus Foundation Fellowship Programs

This week at CXC I helped turn a residential apartment into an office space. Previously, CXC has not had a dedicated working space for employees. While CXC only has two employees, besides volunteers and committee members, they were lacking a dedicated space which could be called “CXC headquarters”. The organization had kept an apartment which acted both as storage and a space where the executive director could work out of and live part-time. However, this space was not suitable for a dedicated office space, and did not have space for CXC’s other employees. Fortunately for CXC, they were able to acquire some office furniture which would help transform the apartment into a new base of operations. While I was not responsible for moving furniture, as dedicated moving contractors were hired, I was responsible for helping clean and organize the space beforehand. This was primarily thoroughly sweeping and mopping, but I also collected and threw out trash items. I also helped by taking stock of some of the items stored at the apartment, and reorganizing the stored items to fit more comfortably alongside the new furniture. While I was unable to stay to see the end result, my efforts certainly helped to create a new workspace for CXC. 

Regardless of CXC’s apartment-turned-office, I will continue to work from home for my remaining time with CXC as their employees settle into the renovated space. For the past week, and the next week, I have and will be drafting messages to the various clubs and interests groups which I have been collecting contact information on. To this end I’ve created a template which I can follow to insert special guests and events, and provide suitable information, which I feel would be most relevant to the groups focus and interests. I’ve then created sample drafts which are focused on particular audiences, such as an anime and manga draft which highlights creators that would be suitable to clubs focusing on such. As I continue to wrap up at CXC, I’ll create different versions of these base drafts which include personalized details such as club names, leader names, and other personal touches. I’ll also be preparing for the final luncheon and presentation, which will be the final wrap up event.

As the summer sun sets on my time as a Columbus Foundation Fellow at Central Community House, I find myself reflecting on the incredible journey that this fellowship has been. This summer has been nothing short of a transformative experience, filled with moments of growth, exploration, and newfound adulthood.

When I first stepped into Central Community House, I knew I was in for something special. As a fellow, I was provided with a unique opportunity to make a difference in the community and contribute to meaningful projects that align with my passion for social impact.

From day one, I dove into various experiences, each presenting its own set of challenges and rewards. It was a summer of adulthood, as I navigated through unfamiliar territories, honed my skills, and embraced the responsibilities that come with being a part of a community-driven organization.

One of the highlights of my fellowship was receiving a scholarship from the Columbus Foundation. The scholarship not only provided financial support but also served as a validation of my commitment to making a positive impact in the community. It gave me the confidence to push my boundaries and step out of my comfort zone to take on new challenges.

Throughout this journey, I had the privilege of growing in my role and discovering my strengths. Collaborating with a diverse team of passionate individuals at Central Community House taught me the value of teamwork and the power of collective efforts in creating meaningful change.

As the summer unfolded, I witnessed firsthand the profound impact of the work we were doing. Whether it was supporting programs for students, engaging in community outreach, or organizing events like the Village Makers Festival, every initiative was geared towards empowering individuals and fostering a sense of belonging within the community.

This fellowship has been a stepping stone in my personal and professional development. It has helped me cultivate skills in leadership, communication, and project management, which will undoubtedly shape my future endeavors.

As I bid farewell to this enriching experience, I carry with me a heart filled with gratitude for the Columbus Foundation and Central Community House. I am deeply humbled to have been a part of an organization that is so dedicated to creating positive change.

As I embrace the new chapter ahead, I am reminded that this summer has not just been a season of adulthood, but a season of inspiration, growth, and purpose. I am excited to continue my journey, knowing that the lessons learned and the connections made during this fellowship will stay with me for a lifetime.

Thank you for joining me on this incredible ride. Let’s continue to shape a world where the spirit of community and empowerment reigns supreme.

The past two weeks have been a whirlwind at Green Columbus. I’ve been keeping busy, attending parties, and working on editing our website.

Recently, our board welcomed two new members, and we celebrated their arrival with a fun party last Wednesday. At the event, I tried BLT pizza for the first time and found it surprisingly delicious – definitely worth recommending. One of the new board members is a sustainability wedding planner and shared a fantastic pro tip: after the wedding, donate the flowers to hospital or hospice patients. Despite being the youngest at the party, I enjoyed interacting with and getting to know the other board members. Their knowledge and experience in environmental conservation far exceed mine, but we also connected on other common interests.

We participated in a tree nursery tour with members of the community, exploring different nursery setups and exchanging ideas. It was eye-opening to see how others run their nurseries, as I had become quite accustomed to our own practices. Our Linden nursery was an example of a small tree nursery. We toured a large nursery and medium nursery in Springfield. I proposed a capstone project to OSU, suggesting we merge our two nurseries into one for better efficiency and security.

Recently, I completed my first report for one of our Earth Day grants. While it may seem like a mundane task, understanding how crucial grant funding is for nonprofits like ours made it feel important and rewarding. Seeing the impact of the funds and the difference they made kept me motivated throughout the process.

Exciting changes are happening on our board as well, with a new president taking the helm. This switch in leadership brings fresh approaches to organizing our organization. Since Green Columbus is primarily run by our executive director, Shelly Douglas, we’ve decided to form teams within the board to share responsibilities and support Shelly. We also learned the importance of effective information organization for a nonprofit, especially during transitions. To that end, I’ve been helping organize and document project cards to streamline processes for both us and future volunteers.

Our nurseries have been bustling with activity as we hosted two volunteer days in the past two weeks. Corporate groups lent a hand in caring for our trees, and I thoroughly enjoyed working hands-on with the trees and interacting with the diverse group of volunteers. Additionally, I’ve taken the initiative to plan our social media schedule for the upcoming tree giveaway and created graphics for future use by Green Columbus after my departure. Keep an eye out for sign-ups for the free tree giveaway in the coming weeks! If you’re interested in volunteering for the giveaway, check out our website for links to sign up.

I am sad there is only two weeks left at Green Columbus. I have enjoyed my time working with Shelly and working at this nonprofit. Hopefully I can volunteer at the giveaways to see all of our baby trees get new home!

I would categorize this week as mostly uneventful. In fact, the most eventful thing of this past week actually centers around something that didn’t happen. My bi-weekly paycheck came late! As a result of miscommunications and general misunderstandings, my check wasn’t cut on the day it was supposed to be. Let me be clear in stating that this did not matter at all to me. I knew I would get paid!

This post isn’t going to be a complaint about how my check came a few days late, rather it will be an exploration of how my non-profit operates. Similar to every other semi-large or large company or organization, there are a lot of moving parts that are required to make Equitas run. Being a non-profit, I imagine that the multitude of independently moving and working teams and departments is larger than a for-profit industry as their operations are two-fold: streams of traditional revenue and outputs of social profit. This dichotomy was first emphasized when I traveled to Dayton to visit Equitas’s office there. The main Dayton location is split into two camps. The operational and social coordination side that I was best acquainted with shared a location with the medicinal and pharmaceutical side of Equitas that I was not as familiar with. Nurses, doctors, patients, and family members filled the spaces as they engaged with Equitas as plenty of people do – as a form of primary care. I was previously impressed with the scope and lengths to which the work I was associated with went to impacting people, but I was doubly impressed upon seeing firsthand the medical work that Equitas engages in.

From a macroscopic point of view, I as a summer fellow employee am not critical to the daily operations of Equitas. There are bigger fish to fry and more pressing matters to attend to every day. I didn’t feel ignored or overlooked – mistakes happen. In this case, it becomes especially understandable and forgivable upon considering the scale that Equitas operates at.

Looking forward, I’m hopeful that the rest of my time at Equitas and with the Columbus Foundation will prove to be as productive and enjoyable as it has been to this point. I’m eager to share and present my summer and make connections between my goals and the experiences of my time.

As my internship at Central Community House through the Columbus Foundation nears its end, I’m feeling a mix of emotions as we get closer to the Village Makers Festival. This event is all about celebrating the wonderful talents and creativity in our community. So, mark your calendars for August 12th at 5 pm and come join the fun!

I’ll be honest; sometimes, the responsibility of helping with such a big event feels a bit overwhelming. But don’t worry, because our team at Central Community House works together like a well-practiced team to make sure everything runs smoothly.

This internship has been an amazing journey of learning and growth. Working with the outreach team, I’ve seen how we impact the community. It’s been awesome to see how these programs positively impact young people.

I’ve been part of creating ads that show the festival’s spirit and excitement. It’s been cool to come up with ways to make people want to be part of the fun. Also, I’ve helped plan the details to make sure everything is ready for the big day. Through it all, I’ve realized that building a strong community is like putting together a beautiful puzzle. Every person plays an important role, and together, we create something amazing.

So, I want to personally invite you to join us at the Village Makers Festival on August 12th at 5 pm. This is a chance to celebrate our community’s diversity and talent. Whether you love art, music, food, or just being part of a great time, there’s something for everyone. Let’s navigate this exciting time together! It’s all about unity, having fun, and making a difference in our community. I can’t wait to see you there, smiling and enjoying the festivities with us.

Thanks for being part of this incredible journey. Let’s make the Village Makers Festival a day to remember!

The last two weeks have been preparation and planning for tying up loose ends and getting the next projects ready to go. Now, it is full speed ahead. The social media “thank-a-thon” campaign is going to start next Tuesday, on top of an awareness campaign for the Business Services Membership Program. It’ll be conducted on social media and through email.

I have spent this week creating the content to be posted next week and planning out a schedule for what will be posted on what day and at what time. I worked with Canva to create social media informational graphics for the Business Services campaign. Also, I designed an frame to be utilized on all content being posted that was not made in-house. This was a fun task for me – I liked being creative and playing with graphic design.

To support, and shed light on, the Business Services campaigns, I also helped create the email blast that will go out. JFS uses Mailchimp, an email marketing service that lets you design how every aspect of your email will look, organize your audiences and segment them appropriately, manage replies, and monitor interactions with your email. I learned that JFS uses Mailchimp earlier this summer and asked if I could work with it during my time here. This was another fun task. It was cool to learn, hands on, about the software.

A lot of this week was also spent in meetings. Monday had a Resource Development Team Retreat, and then I met with the Business Services Consultant almost daily to iron out final details for her campaigns. The meetings were fun and productive – I like getting together with everyone.

The Google Ad Grant campaigns are also full speed ahead. I’ve written an ad that will go live early next week, with a second to follow shortly after. I recommended to JFS that they start slow, going one campaign at a time. We agreed to do so. I think it will be best to learn as we go, and as the campaign continues taking down notes of what works and what doesn’t. With some experience, JFS will then be ready to bring other campaigns on and scale them. But, my time with the campaigns are not over – after this one goes live, I’m going to put together the two that will be launched next. That way, whenever JFS is ready, they have everything they need to get started.

Last night at approximately 7 p.m., my well of blog ideas was as dry as [a bone, the Sahara desert, your mouth after you eat a saltine, my history professor last semester]. Whatever you choose to fill in the blank, the point is that I was dropping the ball. I’m not kidding. Here was my brainstorming list: 

I’m not really sure why I thought writing “Come on, think of something” would help me, well, think of something, and the ending, “AHHH,” felt like the only utterance appropriate for my current lack of keenly perceptive analogies and fascinating scientific discoveries. I tried my usual tactic of sitting in front of my computer with my eyes closed, poring over the events of the week in my mind’s eye, but to no avail. I replayed, over and over again, conversations I’d had, interactions with the kids, things I had been planning, but nothing. Nothing, nothing, nothing. Quite frankly, I was over it. I guess necessity really is the mother of invention though, because then I wrote this. I was getting desperate.

Sarah’s Hope of Finding Something to Write About

My alarm goes off. I get up but I drag my feet because I’m tired. I go downstairs. I make scrambled eggs. I pack my lunch and my work bag. I go back upstairs and get dressed. I do my hair and makeup. I grab my computer off the charger, bring it down stairs, and put it in my bag. I put my shoes on. I say “Bye, love you!” to my dad. I leave the house. I open the garage door. I start the car. I turn on a podcast. I . . . 

Wait. Back the truck up. The podcast. It’s an award winning one called Serial, and it tells a true story, week by week, every season. It’s hosted and produced by a reporter named Sarah Koenig, who was one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2015, and who also worked as a producer on another well-known podcast called This American Life. My friend David introduced me to it a few weeks ago, and ever since then, I’ve been hooked. For 21 straight days, my drive to work has been filled with the voices of reporters, defense attorneys, judges, police officers, witnesses, the subjects of the stories themselves, and of course, Sarah Koenig. The show’s iconic intro has become a kind of comfort for me: “For this American Life and WEBZ Chicago, it’s Serial, one story told week by week. I’m Sarah Koenig.” 

When I was a senior in high school, I began writing for my school’s newspaper. I had always enjoyed the writing process, but my journalistic undertakings at The Lantern added some real fuel to the fire, in a good way. When I wrote my first story, I actually wasn’t even officially on the staff. I had taken an introductory journalism class my sophomore year, and I submitted one of our assignments as a guest piece. (You can read it here—I’ve come a long way since then). 

As my senior year continued on, I wrote two more stories, big ones. They were tributes to two students who had passed away: one of an overdose, and one from suicide. They taught me a lot of things, but mostly that our words have the power to change people: change their minds, change their feelings, and allow them to view an issue from a perspective they’d never considered. And that’s what I liked about Sarah Koenig’s reporting. It was simple, yet thorough, and it was unbiased. If she interviewed the defendant in a court case and they told her a story, and then she heard another part of the story from the police officer that arrested him, and maybe another part from a witness, she’d simply pause, reflect, and say something like, “Well, I don’t know what really happened, because I wasn’t there. But, at least I have Mr. A, Mr. B, and Mr. C, who all experienced the same event, yet each from a unique perspective. If I put them all together, I can make a fair conclusion about the real course of events.” I love listening to her, and not just because she has the same name as me. It’s good reporting, plain and simple. (I know I’m nerding out about journalism right now, but you would be too, if you listened to this podcast). 

I think living a good life is sort of like writing a good story. If you only write from one perspective, you’ll never get the whole picture. If Sarah Koenig were reporting on that same court case, she could write a story derived only from the defendant, only from the people who liked the defendant or thought he wasn’t guilty. The problem with this, though, is that it eliminates the possibility to discover that, maybe the defendant is guilty because he lied during the interview, or maybe a witness saw something else, something that neither the police nor the attorneys could have told Sarah. 

When I finally stumbled upon my idea for this blog, I shared it with a friend, and, in turn, he shared this parable:

Three blind men are up close with an elephant.

One at the trunk says, “It’s a snake!”

One at the side says, “No, you’re wrong. It’s a wall!”

Yet another one by a leg says, “No, you’re both wrong. It’s a pillar!”

No matter where the men were standing, it was still an elephant, even if they didn’t see it that way. That’s kind of how life is too. (Also, I found it funny that a parable about a change of perspective was in my brainstorming list, long before I shared my idea with my friend). 

Westfield, Indiana, where I grew up, is a sheltered place. While tragedies like overdoses and shootings do happen, they’re not by any means run of the mill, and they’re kind of taboo. People don’t like to talk about them. I wrote in another blog post that I like to be honest, so I will be now too. I don’t know what it’s like to live in a place where those things happen frequently, and to people you know. 

This internship, though, is sort of like a magnifying glass into a whole different world, one that I’ve never experienced. I’ve been standing at the trunk of the elephant my whole life, but this summer, I’ve slowly been making my way around to its leg. I go home wondering what it would be like, to have an incarcerated parent, or a dead one, or to not even be able to go home. It’s like the new interview to my life story. I’ve realized that if you never take a step into the lives of those around you, if you never try to walk from the trunk to the leg to the side, your perspective of the way life works is going to be pretty jaded. You’ll have a hard time understanding that the choices that people make and the ways they act are so often a product of their circumstances, and not simply because they want to be in a difficult place. Let me end with a quote from Sterling K. Brown, an Emmy and Golden Globe award winning actor, who also followed Sarah Koenig as one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People a few years later in 2018: “Empathy begins with understanding life from another person’s perspective. Nobody has an objective experience of reality. It’s all through our own individual prisms.” So, I’m going to challenge you this week. Begin the walk from the trunk to the side. Begin a new interview in your life story. And maybe, just maybe, you’ll finally see the elephant. 

This past week was filled with sweltering hot weather, and lots of action. As my time at PrimaryOne Health is coming to a close I am finding myself still learning new things. This past week there were a lot of meeting and marketing materials made. We also held an all day event promoting the stuff the backpack event that was partnered with NBC4 news and Urban One radio. I have attached a photo of sone of the crew from the event. Although it wasn’t the most well attended event, it certainly was great coverage and got P1H’s name out there. It was great getting to talk and get to know my colleagues more on a more laid back and personal level. Everyone has their own stories beyond just their job titles and that is what I believe to be the most important. . It is one of my colleuges final week before she heads over for graduate school. It is so important to make connections with people and to seek friendship in all places. It was great to have someone who was always looking out for me and keeping me engaged with projects. Her impact extends so greatly through the company and it was such a testament to her hard work and dedication to the company. There are so many people who are in world to make it better, and I have thankfully met many of these people throughout my time at PrimaryOne Health. I am looking forward to the next two weeks and the events that we have coming up. I think it is an exciting time not only for P1H but also for me as I end this chapter and begin the next.

This week has been the final stretch in preparing for our Gateway event tomorrow! I am very excited for all of our hard work to come to fruition, and next week’s blog will be sure to recap how it went.

This week I was also able to attend the WAVs program retreat with the WAV staff. One activity we did was pass around papers with all of our names on them and write one positive message about that person. Then we read aloud whoever’s paper we had at the end, and it was really moving to hear all of the words spoken about us. My paper included comments on my kind energy, my approachability, and my curiousness. It was really nice to see how I come off here at WAV to those around me, and it made me feel very seen.

We also got the chance to participate in the portrait project that our youth have participated in throughout different summer and after-school programs. I actually missed the day the kids did it this summer because I was at a Columbus Foundation Fellows Learning Session, so I was really excited to do it this week. We all spent about an hour on our portraits and then took the time to share them with each other. It was really cool to work on a project that WAV students do all the time, and actually see how it feels to go through part of the program. Overall the program retreat made me feel personally very connected to WAVs mission, and I loved being a part of it. 

Today also marked my last day of class as an Ohio State Student, and even though submitting my last assignment online was a little anticlimactic, I am so excited to graduate next weekend. I feel very ready for the next steps in my career, and this summer has really prepared me for that.

This week was the second teen session of the summer and the projects that the campers completed this week were detailed and expressive. I loved watching them develop into finished pieces! The structure of Teen Camp is similar to that of the Young Masters Camp, with a few variations. The camp is in session from Wednesday to Friday and campers can work on the same project for the entirety of the camp, allowing them to produce detailed final works of art. 

In the morning and afternoon, there are two groups of campers with very different projects. In the morning, the two sessions were called Plant Creature and Lino Block Party. In the Plant Creature class, the campers were given small terracotta pots and epoxy clay to create creatures that are emerging from or living in the pots. Throughout the week they decorated their creatures with paint, marbles, random beads, and any other materials they felt would develop the personality of their creature. The Lino Block Party class was taught by a former high school art teacher who has taught the craft of printmaking to her classes in the past. Each student was given a piece of foam on which to practice their design by imprinting the negative space of the design that they would like to print. After practicing their design, each camper was given a block of linoleum and specialized carving tools to complete the creation of their stamp. 

The afternoon sessions were called Here, Fishy Fishy and Dessert Party. Here, Fishy Fishy was taught by the Plant Creature class artist, who led the campers through the creation of individual fish sculptures, each with unique appearances. This artist instructor specializes in detailed, unconventional sculpture work, often centering around the theme of Halloween, and the campers leaned into this style. Dessert Party was also a sculpting class. In this class, campers fashioned large-scale replicas of their favorite sweet treats out of cardboard and expanding foam, and then painted their work to add detail and dimension. 

Project-wise, this session has been my favorite. Each camper has produced such amazing, detailed work, and their creativity and individuality has been incredibly inspiring. I love seeing how each teen’s personality and individuality shine through in their art. 

Next week will be our final week with campers, a Young Masters Camp themed RecyclArt. Each lesson centers around the idea of using recycled or repurposed materials for their projects. We have several campers from previous weeks returning for the final week of camp and I am so excited to see some familiar faces again!