Columbus Foundation Fellowship Programs

With the start of week 8 of my internship, things were starting to mostly fall into a normal routine. Just when I thought I was getting into the groove of my work schedule, my Tuesday morning commute surprised me with a flat tire. This lead to lots of staring at the spare I didn’t even know lived underneath the floorboards of my trunk, phone calls to my parents, and ultimately leaving my car to go to work. Luckily, when I told my boss about my car I abandoned in a random parking lot near my house she instantly texted one of our colleagues and he stepped in to help me replace my flat tire during lunch. 

When my supervisor first offered to find some colleagues in the building to help me change my tire, at first my answer was, “Oh I don’t need to bother anyone else I can figure it out on my own!” Yet, after thinking about how I would manage handling this task, I did take her up on her offer and she found someone to help me. (Thank you to Binh for the lesson in changing tires and thank you to Rachel for the ride home!) 

Dealing with a flat tire is a fairly common–and annoying–experience for many, but this moment helped me realize one facet of my own personal and professional growth this summer: learning to ask for help. I often enjoy working independently on projects and want to prove to my peers that I am capable of producing excellent results on my own. I want to seem as if I have all of the answers to tackle problems myself, but that is almost never the case. Oftentimes, this mindset leads to me feeling unable to ask others for help. This summer, I’ve grown tremendously in this area and was reminded of my growth thanks to my flat tire. 

Outside of dealing with car trouble, I’ve learned to both ask for help and accept help within my professional life, too. Many of my projects this summer can lead to a lot of independent work, but I still encounter moments where I need help–from generating a list of interviewees for the oral history to asking for advice when tutoring students in summer school. I’m so lucky my supervisor and colleagues check in with me and allow me to feel comfortable asking for help when I most need it. This has helped me feel much more productive this summer and I can truly reflect on how I am growing thanks to this fellowship. Everyone finds themselves needing help navigating challenges in their professional and personal lives, and I’m glad I’m learning to embrace this!

As I sit here greeting visitors on this warm Saturday afternoon, I can’t believe I only have one last week here at the GIAC. At the same time though, my first day here feels like such a long time ago–I feel so comfortable and valued here that it’s hard to believe I’ve only been here for eight weeks, either.

This week definitely flew by the fastest! I worked the front desk Saturday and Sunday, and aside from accidentally locking my keys in my office and setting the alarm system off during a wedding brunch, I had a great time welcoming visitors and seeing what goes on during events. I also baked cookies on the dashboard of my car during the heat wave, and they turned out surprisingly well! On Monday our monarch egg hatched into the teeniest lil caterpillar–I couldn’t find it until the end of the day! We also had a program on birds again, and although I’ve helped facilitate that program ten times or so by now, I paid extra close attention to the lesson and the other activities because I will be leading that program on my own next Friday!

Then, Tuesday and Wednesday were my days off, so Monday night I drove up to the Akron area to visit some family, then spent all day Tuesday at Cedar Point! I hadn’t been in awhile, so it was definitely worth the quick trip up and the 5 am wake-up to drive back here in time for the Learning Session on Wednesday. I really enjoyed the peaceful moments to reflect on my summer and to hear about the journeys that my peers have experienced, and Doug’s insights on ambition in our personal and professional lives will stick with me for a long time. His ambition to have no regrets and his belief that you should not make decisions before you have the opportunity to do so are valuable pieces of wisdom as I head in to my final year of college and think about what’s after graduation. Sometimes I feel like I’m not ambitious because I don’t know what I want to do after I graduate, but I have to be ambitious if I want to earn the chance to have multiple options and opportunities in front of me.

We had a habitat program I got to help lead on Thursday, and our group took the longer to finish our activities and sit spots because the kids were so excited to share their reflections and observations, which always warms my heart. I also had time Thursday and Friday to keep working on my framework for the environmental justice program we’re planning. To help me with planning, I met with a former panelist during a past environmental justice event we hosted and I also talked to a volunteer from Columbus Audubon about her insights. I had enjoyable and productive conversations with these women, and it was helpful to hear feedback and support for what I’ve been working on. It’s been hard not to feel stressed out about this work sometimes because I feel like I need to have everything planned and spelled out before I leave–I’m not used to working without an explicit deadline, and I only have one more week to work on this. However, I hope to still be involved in this project even after my time here is done, plus I will still have some access to the GIAC this semester as I will be helping out as a part-time facility attendant.

I have so much going on in my last five days here–from helping out with five programs to moving out of my apartment and attending Wednesday’s board game fundraiser night at Kingmaker’s (Y’all should come! (: It’s from 5-8 pm, and you can register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/game-for-good-grange-insurance-audubon-center-tickets-63581485936?aff=efbeventtix&fbclid=IwAR3pxW77Ve7Lh4-hIyiSHAsw_bbvCljT1fUUoyYHCKLgIybCEX9kxqnM3dc). I’m looking forward to making the most of the time I have left and creating a few last memories!

Enjoy your weekend, everyone! (:

Last weekend was the weekend I had spent all summer waiting for, it was Leadership Conference weekend.
I think that it is safe to say I had a lot of expectations in a lot of different areas going into Leadership Conference, and I can honestly say that every expectation I had was not only met, but exceeded.

Throughout the summer, the topic of leadership and empowerment has been discussed pretty intensely, but I was actually able to visualize both of these while at Leadership Conference.

A main focus of the conference is on providing individuals with an Intellectual or Developmental Disability (IDD) the skills and experiences to become leaders themselves, and empower them to become active and engaged members of their community. One of the skills in focus is public speaking, and I had the opportunity to work in one of the rooms focused on public speaking. Throughout the workshops, volunteers were only there for guidance when it came to public speaking, individuals with IDD empowered themselves through their own words and developed a “speech” telling their story, which they were to present in front of a crowd. I was just in amazement about the confidence all of these individuals had and how well they were able to move the room, seeing as public speaking is such a terrifying experience for so many. It really put into perspective how transformative Best Buddies can be, it provides an opportunity for individuals with an IDD to empower themselves and also the opportunity to lead in the direction of change.

Finally, I just met some of the most amazing people while at Leadership Conference. The personal and professional stories are truly inspirational and really put into perspective the importance of the nonprofit world and helped to solidify why I have the career goals that I do.

As I am writing this I cannot believe that I only get to spend two more weeks at Ohio Wildlife Center! I have had such a great time learning how their organization runs, working with and for wildlife and meeting coworkers that turned into great friends.

I got to do a lot of cool things this week, including going on the set of Good Day Columbus! I went with other staff from OWC to promote a partnership with the Columbus Foundation to Save our Songbirds through their crowd funding platform called Better Together. I wasn’t on TV, but it was cool to see how things are run at a news station and after it aired, the campaign reached its goal of $5,000!

This week I also got to go on a release with staff at our pre-release facility! We released two litters of young skunks into the wild and I was there to capture it all on camera. It was very cool to be a part of this release because Ohio Wildlife Center’s mission is “Dedicated to fostering awareness and appreciation of Ohio’s native wildlife through rehabilitation, education and wildlife health studies,” and watching rehabilitated skunks going to live the rest of their lives as they should in the wild was a great feeling.

I have been able to be involved in a variety of projects in different areas that come with working at a nonprofit. I have done photography, worked with donors and at events, marketing, social media initiatives, animal care and much more. I have a very valuable and well-rounded experience and I am excited to make the most of the next two weeks.

Heading into my senior year of college, I stand before a fork in the road. Based on my interests, skills, and double major in both Music and English, there are a lot of paths I can take post-graduation. I could pursue writing, or teach private lessons and play in orchestras, or search for another internship, or any number of other arts-based adventures that might lead to a steady job. It’s a very scary place to be standing, to see all of the paths in front of me and feeling like I have to choose one to walk down the rest of my life.  

Prior to this week, I wasn’t considering graduate school as an option because I was thinking that I would try to find a writing-based job, which typically only requires a bachelor’s degree (depending on the job, of course). However, in Wednesday’s Fellowship meeting, the president of The Columbus Foundation came in to talk to us. Right before he left, he spoke about motivation to succeed, and how many people avoid applying to graduate school because they don’t want to put in the work to apply or are scared to. He said that if we were considering graduate school, we should just take the darn test!  

That statement really hit home with me, and it’s given me a lot to consider. My main thought right now is that I absolutely love what I’ve been doing at the MAC. I feel so at home when I’m organizing events and working with the arts and promoting the arts in the community. I see my supervisor and the Executive Director, who are rock stars at their jobs and who both have graduate degrees related to the field. If I do some serious self-reflecting, I know that in order to pursue arts administration the way I want to, I need to just take the darn test and apply to programs.  

I don’t know for sure where this path will lead me, but I want to take a second and thank The Columbus Foundation and the McConnell Arts Center for showing me this path and giving me the slight kick in the pants that I needed to actually begin the research and application process.  

This past week I’ve been moving. This will be my 3rd move since getting to Columbus for my graduate program. It’s come with logistical stresses, sweat, sunburns, and many bruises and scrapes from handling furniture and belongings. However, my time at the Siemer Institute has taught me that it also comes with and stems from privilege. I have voluntarily moved. I was never forced out due to high rent, inhabitable conditions, or an income loss that left me reeling. I’m moving because I wanted a different space, a better neighborhood, and to live under the same roof as my partner.

But the families Siemer funds don’t have this luxury. They have children to worry about displacing, they are moving because they have to, and rarely is to a better and more stable situation. All of the little complaints about drafty windows, lack of a/c, noisy neighbors, and inattentive landlords are inconsequential, compared to the struggle of making ends meet. Moving by choice is a privilege.

When thinking about the stories of housing crises I’ve heard over the last 2 months, I even feel guilty for being stressed at all during this move. If something went wrong, I have family to support me. My roommates and I are reviewing oodles of furniture and housewares to nest our new home. In contrast, some Siemer funded families move into a different home and apartment despite having no furniture and no solid back-up plans.

So, when searching the web for funny moving puns I became genuinely upset to learn that there is an entire market out their for greeting cards, silly moving box stickers, and house-warming gifts. They all make it seem so casual and natural. You can mention moving in small talk and nearly anyone will comment with a commiserative anecdote about their own moving woes.

However, instead of insinuating that people that move voluntarily should feel guilt, I suggest that they should instead feel grateful – feel humbled. And maybe, for at least a moment, think about what it means to move. Think not only about the stress and the bruises, but also what it might mean for those less fortunate.

This week’s blog is going to serve as a collection of musings and reflections regarding the pursuit of nonprofit work as a career, if that’s alright with y’all.

Unrelated to my time at HFF, the fellows attend bi-weekly “learning sessions” where we hear from nonprofit leaders in Columbus about a variety of topics. This Wednesday, we capped off our ongoing conversation about leadership with a message from the president and CEO of The Columbus Foundation, Doug Kridler. I knew as soon as he sat down at the table that I could learn  lots from his experience and outlook on the sector.

He prompted us with an opening question: “are you ambitious?” We mumbled some yeses and nodded some heads. But he pushed further: “is there ambition in working for nonprofits?” After some silence and scattered attempts at a response, he gave us respite. The group at large immediately resonated with his analysis of an ‘outsider’ reaction to hearing that our career goals were set on the nonprofit sector. He mentioned the condescending comments and metaphorical head pats, which I, too, have experienced in my very short time in the nonprofit world. It’s discouraging, because I know firsthand the enormous impact people in these spaces can make on a community, a nation, a globe. Our ambitions are seemingly deemed ‘less than.’

Which brings us back to his question. What does ambition in the nonprofit sphere look like? Is it baked into the essence of the field? To me, societal standards of ambition tiptoe around, but never truly come out and say, that money equals excellence, and it’s no secret that professionals starting out in nonprofit jobs make a very modest salary. It’s in the name, for heaven’s sake! Perhaps people feel that because nonprofits aren’t prestigious—meaning not high paying jobs—truly ambitious people choose other career paths. Remember, ambition often equates to money-making.

I know, however, that this isn’t the case. Just like any other field, our leaders are innovative, bright, and effective at what they do. It’s difficult to conceptualize what ambition looks like outside of money.

What does ambition mean, if not for the sake of personal gain and cold, hard cash? I choose to believe that nonprofit administrators and leaders seek to ambitiously change lives for others who have even less means than themselves.  I believe they have the skills and passion for advocating for the marginalized, which is excellence regardless of what judgement may follow; I believe truly ambitious people cast aside the judgement to zealously pursue their goals.

            Happy week 8 everyone! I’m using the blog this week as a tool for analyzing the experience I’ve had so far, how I’ve succeeded and failed in my environment, and what this means for me moving forward as a college senior.

            In thinking about my favorite experiences from this summer, it is clear to me I value human interaction in whatever job I pursue. Some of my favorite days included the BLT (seeing the matches interact), interviews with potential volunteers, and going out to workplaces and talking about what we do. The common thread between all of those events is that I am up and away from my desk and getting to interact with new people. However, I need to be cognizant of the fact that most jobs require administrative work and time in the office in some capacity. I think finding a balance between these two areas will be a sweet spot for my happiness in whatever my first job may be.

            Something I am realizing I am open to, and may even prefer, is nontraditional workdays/hours. While most of this summer I worked a traditional 9-5 workday, the days I came in early to meet someone or stayed late for an event I enjoyed because it was a change of pace. I thrive on change and often struggle with monotony. This is something that may be more difficult to find in a first job. However, I have seen a lot of flexibility and variability in nonprofit hours given the many hats each employee wears along with the outside-of-the-office obligations.

            A more trivial success/failure is my organizational skills. I am very organized with certain things and very disorganized with others, which is great to realize this early in my career so I can address the chaos! I keep a color coded calendar for everything in my life. I am incredibly organized with dates, knowing when things are due, when events are, where they are, what I need to get done for the week, etc. I even remind my supervisor when meetings are starting and where we’re meeting! However, my workspace itself can sometimes be overwhelming. I love sticky notes but they can often be overbearing in my space. I do not have folders on my desktop to organize my documents into different categories which would be beneficial. I also often put loose leaf papers in my drawers/shelves as opposed to putting them in folders or clipping them together. This is a skill I hope to work on this academic year and continue to improve for my future.

            Overall, I have learned a lot about myself and my skills this summer, and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to learn these things about myself before I begin my first fulltime job and learn the hard way!

Our Columbus Foundation Fellow meetings have been immensely thought-provoking for me. Yesterday, there were many moments that inspired me to think deeper about my summer in its entirety and many situations I’ve found myself questioning throughout the summer.

One of these moments was when a peer in my fellow cohort said that we can never get upset with a child who displays negative behavior when it’s likely that they aren’t being taught the difference between right and wrong at home. I’ve heard this before, but for some reason it seemed more profound when I heard it yesterday. It made me reflect on every time over the summer where I have dealt with difficult behavior. In some of these situations, I’ve become frustrated knowing that no matter what I said, the child would continue to act out. However, reflecting on this made me realize that many of these children were dealing with various issues at home; hunger, trauma, or a multitude of issues I will never know. I realized that sometimes the best thing I can offer a child is my attention and patience, rather than trying to make everything into a teachable moment.

Another, non-camp related, moment was when the CEO of the Columbus Foundation, Mr. Kridler, visited us. One thing in particular struck me. He noted how important it is to never make a decision without first having an opportunity. So many times, I’ve made a decision without even having an opportunity to decide on. Thought I cannot convey a concise description of when I’ve done this, I think it’s a common issue that many people face. We decide whether or not we want a job without having an offer; we decide whether or not we will continue our education without being accepted into a program or school. Yesterday was the first time I ever realized that I fell into the pattern of prematurely making choices. The importance of staying open and flexible shined through Mr. Kridler’s story, as even he had learned throughout his life that we must do the work to first even get an opportunity to make a decision on.

As the summer winds down, I am more inspired to reflect deeper on my experience. I hope to include these reflections on next week’s blog, as summer camp is coming to an end and I will have more time to think without feeling fried.

Today we all got to meet the President and CEO of the Columbus Foundation, which was very informational. What struck me the most was his confidence in his abilities to do any job he has had correctly; the story about being shunned from a student organization that he later ran and vastly improved made it evident that he has always been able to be confident in his abilities to make a change. I think confidence is incredibly important in nonprofit work. We also talked about how many view this sector as second tier, and I think having confidence that you are both making a difference in your community and running an effective organization helps others see that the nonprofit sector is full of smart and capable people.

During the first few semesters of my undergrad career, I was told no quite a lot by jobs I wanted or organizations I wanted to be part of; this truly tested my confidence in myself and what I am capable of doing. I remember finding this Fellowship opportunity, knowing that this perfectly aligns with my personal and professional goals, but still thinking that I probably wouldn’t even get an interview. Even after being told I was going to be a Fellow, I continued to question if I was really cut out for a full time job.

Looking back, I can see a huge difference in how I approached the opportunities I did not get and how I approached this one. Before, when I would interview or talk to leaders of organizations, I was almost trying to be someone else. I overthought what these organizations wanted from me and tried to transform myself into that person. While interviewing at KidSMILES, it was completely different. I think I was given the opportunity to be authentic and to confidently discuss my strengths and interests. This was mostly due to the positive and welcoming nature of KidSMILES and the people that work there. The opportunities I have had throughout this summer have only strengthened the confidence in my knowledge and abilities; my accomplishments and responsibilities throughout the Fellowship has made me stop second-guessing myself; I have continually felt respected, and my opinions have always felt valuable during my time at KidSMILES.

While the point of this Fellowship is learning about nonprofit leadership, I am very grateful that it has also showed me how important it is to be professionally confident. Along with this, I am much less scared to ask questions. I no longer think that my superiors will judge me if I ask them for help or for their advice, which I think is another form of confidence. Even though it has only been 8 weeks, this Fellowship has had a huge impact on me professionally and personally!