My first experience with outreach was on my high school robotics team. My social worker had told us that our high school had a concerning number of unhoused students who needed assistance. As a sophomore, there wasn’t much that I could do. But as a member of my robotics team, I had some pull. That year, we started a care package drive and hosted a Thanksgiving Dinner for around 26 families. Knowing that I could be a part of bringing any type of peace to people who were struggling brought me my own sense of peace.
Coming into college I struggled to decide what I wanted to do for the rest of my life — as we all do. I was constantly torn between majors, and had no idea what my future looked like. I took classes that I didn’t like, and worked at jobs that didn’t drive me. I knew I wanted to help people, but nothing felt like ‘me’. Fortunately, in the sea of electives I took, I found my human development class to be really enticing. What interested me the most was learning about how our nature influences us just as much, if not more, as our genetic make-up. I ended up changing my major, and was immersed into a new community of advisers and students.
“I think more and more people from the social sector should run for office and serve in the public sector, because they have an understanding of the real social issues. They know their audience on a personal level and they know what the root of the issues are.”
After better understanding what I wanted my future professional career to look like, I started trying to get experience. I landed a job as a Program Assistant for Good Neighbor Emergency Assistance, helping to prevent homelessness in my community. Shortly after, I picked up another position as an Outreach Educator for “Parenting: It’s a Life” where I was presenting different curricula to students about how important decisions are throughout their lives. Getting to watch the faces of students when something in their minds clicked, was truly inspiring. Working in the social sector has provided me with the most fulfilling experiences ever. Every connection I’ve had with a student or a client has made me think differently about the world and the systems people have to navigate every day. Having recognized the importance of these connections, I am really honored to be working with YSS to bring about a cohesive way to track their connections.
In addition to my Human Development & Family Studies major, I am a Political Science major as well. I love the idea of working in the public sector and serving a larger community. I love working at non-profits and advocating for causes. But I would also love the opportunity to be the one listening to those advocates – writing policies, voting on legislation, and getting to connect with individuals of all backgrounds. I think more and more people from the social sector should run for office and serve in the public sector, because they have an understanding of the real social issues. They know their audience on a personal level and they know what the root of the issues are. Their perspectives are necessary.
Going into my final year as an undergraduate at Iowa State University, I still don’t really know what the future holds for me. But I do know that my experiences will lead me to where I want to be the most — helping families across the world. What exactly my role will be in that, is to be determined.