As I near my completion of the Master’s in Nonprofit Management program, I reflect on my academic, professional, and personal experiences during the past two years. In March 2020, I made the decision to go back to school and study for a Master’s Degree in Nonprofit Management. Up until that point, the thought of enrolling in a graduate program had not crossed my mind, yet I knew pursuing this path would be an emotionally, mentally, and spiritually transformational experience.

After obtaining my bachelor’s degree at Florida State University in 2017, I had a deep yearning to commit my life to something more substantial than working in a career with no emotional and spiritual connection. Feeling uncertain of my life path, I moved back home to Orlando, and I spent the following nine months contemplating the next steps. My parents suggested that I look into joining AmeriCorps which would require taking a year off from working a full-time comfortably paying job to volunteer for ten hours a day in an unfamiliar environment, all while living on a government stipend. Despite its drawbacks, I applied and was invited to serve as a tutor and mentor with City Year Orlando (CYO).

In July 2018, I started my two-year AmeriCorps service journey. The first time I walked into the CYO office, I noticed a big wall with the words “Ubuntu” and underneath in writing stating “My humanity is tied to yours. I am because you are. – Zulu Proverb.” In that moment, I knew that my values, aspirations, and choices had all aligned to offer me one of the most life changing experiences that would dramatically shift my mind and change who I am. Ubuntu became the inspiration and motivation for choosing to serve, in other words, my “why”. The people I met throughout those two years challenged me to think differently about my identity and the role I play in shaping society. More importantly, the students who walked into my life unknowingly gifted me invaluable wisdom about the power of empathy, patience, and deep community bonds.

Toward the conclusion of my second service year, I decided to apply for UCF’s MNM program. The professional network I had built through City Year Orlando presented me with the opportunity to advance my career further than just enrolling in the MNM program. The summer prior to my enrollment date, I was offered a Graduate Research Assistant position with UCF’s Office of Downtown Community Engaged Scholarship. During my first two semesters in the program, I worked on a Volunteer Florida planning grant to develop an AmeriCorps program that would be housed in the School of Public Administration, Downtown campus. The planning and development process for creating a service program from scratch was a rigorous and enriching learning experience. In fact, I was required to learn several critical grant proposal concepts, such as theory of change and the fundamentals of a logic model, before even completing the Grants & Contract Management class. However, the connections I made collaborating and coordinating with several Central Florida community organizations, continued to be my source of inspiration, even when I felt overwhelmed with class deadlines and project deliverables.

At the end of my contract with UCF, I wanted to apply my newly forged knowledge and skills to a full-time job. For the past two years I have fulfilled the Grants Manager position with Heart of Florida United Way (HFUW). There are not enough words to describe the incredible synergetic experience working at HFUW while also studying for this degree. The MNM program has provided me with the knowledge, skills, and resources to excel within my role and make a significant impact on HFUW’s larger vision, including participating in several leadership meetings where I am consulted for my research, grants management and DEI expertise.

Moving forward, the next phase of my career is to continue working and consulting small and start-up nonprofits advocating for the right to quality education. Ultimately, my long-term career goal is to be a trusted community leader by maximizing collective impact through strategic partnerships. However, the nonprofit sector is constantly shifting to meet the needs and priorities of our communities, and as much, my career aspirations are also susceptible to change. Nevertheless, I plan to build upon the knowledge, skills, and resources I have acquired from the MNM program to unite, advocate, and transform communities.