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| Danielle Robinette Class of 2015 |
This semester I have had the opportunity to complete an internship as Volunteer Coordinator at La Casita Center, a small non-profit organization that serves the many needs of the Hispanic community in Louisville. At the same time I have served as Service Chair of the McConnell Scholars where I have worked to organize and encourage the service hours completed by each scholar.
I began this semester with the belief that these two roles would compliment each other and would enlighten me to the world of non-profit volunteer work in the city of Louisville. They have done just that. However, the two roles have each brought obstacles that I did not anticipate. Here are some lessons I have learned:
1. There is ALWAYS work to be done.
Earlier in my college career I had served on the McConnell Scholar Service Team and was, time and time again, surprised and discouraged when the team would reach out to various organizations only to be told that they had no volunteer needs. Through my work at La Casita, I have even less understanding of the response that there was no work to be done. Of course, there are times when volunteers are less appropriate in situations where specific training is needed or personal information is to be protected. However, in the non-profit world, there is always a never-ending list of small tasks that fall through the cracks when the number of people certified to do the work requiring training is buried in their own to-do list. I am in awe of any organization that is so well run that they have no such needs.
2. It’s not about what you know, but who you know.
In college, everyone is constantly telling you that networking is the most important thing you can do to advance your career. I spent a significant amount of time insisting that I would get by without any intentional networking. I was scared to meet new people who are already established in their field. Such meetings seemed like asking for a very awkward encounter. However, I will now begrudgingly concede that knowing people in various fields related to what it is you want to do is invaluable. In the non-profit world, people constantly come to you with a problem that they expect you to be able to solve. There will be times that you have no idea what to do. But, if you flip through your mental rolodex of contacts, my bet is that you know someone who knows someone who can help.
Everyone knows someone!
3. Fake it ‘til you make it.
In the same vein as the networking concern, when inevitably someone comes to you with a problem that you do not know how to solve, you calmly assure them that you will take care of it. Confidence is key. Even when you personally can’t help them, shake the phone tree enough and something is bound to fall out.
4. It’ll be worth it… eventually.
Here’s the thing about the non-profit sector and volunteer work. Often the work is menial, tedious, and thankless. Have no doubts that the people you are serving are beyond grateful for the menial and tedious labor that you have done. But, sometimes the thank yous are delayed. Sometimes you really have to pay attention to alternative forms of gratitude, particularly when you work with children. Work of this kind is exceptionally rewarding, I am sure of that. However, I have also learned that sometimes you have to sit and wait for the reward. It’s just one more of those instances in which my mother would remind me that patience is a virtue.
I never doubted that I would learn a number of valuable skills throughout my internship and my role as Service Chair. However, sometimes the lessons we learn aren’t at all what we expect. This fact only increases their value.
Danielle Robinette is a senior McConnell Scholar studying political science and spanish. She is from Fort Thomas, Ky.