Katie Is Thankful For This Opportunity

I cannot believe it is already Week 10! I have enjoyed learning about the ins and outs of nonprofit organizations and have gained so much valuable knowledge from the Board Immersion Program. Having this experience has really allowed to me to think about what I would like my future with nonprofits to be like and how I envision working with nonprofits in the future. This experience has confirmed my more recent revelation that while I would still like to attend graduate school to become a Physician Assistant, I would only be happy in my life by remaining significantly involved in the nonprofit sector. I could see myself working as a PA in a clinic for a low-income area or underserved population. If I continue my path to work in pediatric oncology, I would love to get well connected with nonprofits that support the cause. I would enjoy working with nonprofits in some capacity with my future career, but I know for a fact that my personal life will involve volunteering for nonprofits that I am passionate about.

Throughout the course of the quarter, I have reaffirmed my future career goals (in a partial non-specific way). I have truly enjoyed learning about the role that a board plays in the success and future of a nonprofit organization and this is definitely very appealing to me. I think it is extremely beneficial to learn how to strategically plan for the continued success of a nonprofit organization and this is very appealing to me. I have learned a lot from the guest speakers we had the chance to talk with and from the readings. I am not sure I would say I was necessarily ‘surprised’ by anything specific, but I definitely was interested in the inner workings of how the board works with the executive director and other employees. I was also very interested in the more specific ways to make a nonprofit more impactful on the community/population it is serving.

With Thanksgiving finally here in a few short hours, I guess it seems appropriate for me to say one of the many things I am thankful for in my life. And the one that makes sense to say here is how thankful I am to be a student at The Ohio State University. I am so fortunate to have had the opportunity to attend school out of state and the opportunities I have had are absolutely incredible…the Board Immersion Program being one of those opportunities. After interning with a few nonprofits, this experience has allowed me to see the other side of the organizations and find a different way to continue work with nonprofit organizations in my future. And for that, I am incredibly thankful.

Quote of the Week: “If you can imagine it, you can achieve it; if you can dream it, you can become it.” William Arthur Ward