Already over?

Wow, I really can’t believe we are at the end of the program! I’m sad that it is ending, but I’m so thankful for this experience and to have had the opportunity to meet all of you. 

While this might seem obvious, I most definitely learned a lot more about nonprofit work. Before this program, I would say I had a general idea of what it entailed, but there is so much more to it when you get into specifics with your organization and how to meet their needs. I would also say my perceptions changed, but not in a positive way. While learning more and more about SWDCJC, I often found myself frustrated at the thought of not being able to help secure funding. SWDCJC, along with all other nonprofits, rely on these funding opportunities, and I am so proud of the work we do that I wanted to be able to help as much as possible to help them survive, financially, beyond the end of the year. 

At the beginning, compared to now, I would say I was struggling to be in a routine. I never had the chance to do anything in person, and I had a flexible schedule, so it honestly took me a couple weeks to find a solid balance of a work schedule. My work changed slightly than originally expected, but all of the research I did was so important and valuable, so it didn’t bother me that it changed. 

Full transparency, I often struggled through these two months with feeling like I wasn’t doing “good enough” or comparable work to other fellows. It was really hard for me to be doing work remote, yet again, following an entire school year of online classes. My mental health was definitely impacted by this lack of routine, a lack of in-person interaction, and I think that stood in my way of building stronger relationships with the cohort. Nonetheless, I’m glad to have had this experience, and I really hope we can meet up together in the fall!