My life has been marked by seemingly random and scattered periods of service, like that stint as a soccer buddy or my time volunteering at a rescue ranch for horses and donkeys. My schools and my parents encouraged me from a young age to spend a chunk of my weekends volunteering. “Mandatory” service may not sound great, but it didn’t feel like a chore. Doing service early on made it feel like a normal part of my weekly routine and life, and I enjoyed having something purposeful to do in my free time. However, the problem was that I didn’t actually have a passion for what I was doing. Why, of all the causes that I could have devoted time to, was I playing soccer, shoveling horse manure, or making blankets?

 It wasn’t until high school that I really found my passion for service, starting with volunteering as a tutor and mentor at a local elementary school. The tutoring wasn’t nearly as legitimate as what we do at Reading Partners, but in between reading together or reviewing coin values, I had the chance to get to know my students and enjoy the time that I spent each week supporting their growth. I found an outlet through service that felt fulfilling in a way that I hadn’t known before. That discovery played a huge role in the courses I pursued in college, my degree, and how I chose to spend my time.

As I approached graduation and began thinking seriously about life after college, I realized I had somehow lost sight of experiences like these—moments of service that had once meant so much to me. I joined a business fraternity in college, knowing that as a first-generation college student, there was so much I didn’t know about finding internships and exploring career prospects. That also meant being surrounded by people who, more often than not, had little interest in careers outside of banking or consulting. 

Now, almost a year into the fellowship, I’m so grateful for the time that I’ve spent with Reading Partners and with my fellowship cohort. As I transition into my time as a second-year fellow and begin thinking more deeply about my post-fellowship plans, I’m grateful for the many opportunities this role has given me to reconnect with longstanding passions of mine and experience the ups and downs of working at a nonprofit—especially in this climate. I’m proud to continue contributing to the impact that Reading Partners has on families across NYC and am incredibly grateful for the many ways service has impacted my life.