Paying it Forward While Getting Valuable Experience
By Meetal Desai, ProInspire ProBono Consultant
This past May I left a job that I truly valued after over 5 years of working at the same place. As a mid-career professional with two young daughters, I had been fortunate to work in a part-time position that provided interesting work and a flexible schedule. I was confused and worried about how to find a new part-time position while being able to honor my many family commitments. How would I navigate a very tight part-time job market, find something that financially justified extra childcare, and be flexible where I could adjust my time depending upon my daughters’ needs? The task was daunting to say the least.
After speaking with many colleagues (including ProInspire CEO, Monisha Kapila), I decided to stop overthinking and work on adjusting my own personal expectations. This was a time for me to focus on the things I like, need, and want to do. After another month of thinking and bouts of confusion- I did just that.
Firstly, I realized how important being the primary caregiver to my daughters is to me. I want to be around for most everything and did not feel comfortable increasing our childcare hours so I could work more. Secondly, I decided that I wanted something for myself in order to stay in the workforce, remain marketable, and continue to develop a strong skill set.
With Monisha’s encouragement, I became a ProInspire Consultant and started exploring volunteer opportunities with a DC-based organization called Asian American Lead (AA Lead). At ProInspire, I have learned a tremendous amount in a very short time. In terms of skills, I have conducted comprehensive research on donors, funding opportunities, grant structure, proposal writing, and the types of organizations most likely to receive large scale grants. I was willing to learn anything that I did not already know and am pleased to say I have gotten several interviews for grant writing positions based upon my experience at ProInspire alone! I have also learned about entrepreneurship and truly appreciate the time and effort that Monisha Kapila has dedicated to ProInspire- she is a valuable source of information and a true asset in the not-for-profit space.
AA Lead is an organization that works to achieve empowerment, education, and a strong sense of assimilation within the Asian American community in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. This organization is led by another pioneer in the not-for-profit community named Surjeet Ahluwalia. AA Lead’s entire mission is achieved through after-school education, counseling, and support. I was attracted to AA Lead because of the work they are doing in my hometown of Annandale, VA within the newly arrived Korean community. I sent an inquiry to Surjeet and was invited to observe an after school program, after which I immediately made a volunteer commitment. I was impressed by the staff, the teachers, and absolutely loved the children. I am currently serving as a classroom aide for newly arrived Asian immigrant children aged 6-8.
My lessons from this experience are:
- Do not hesitate to try different things, challenge and reinvent yourself.
- Pursue hobbies and talk to lots of different people about your interests.
- Take an unconventional path to achieve your goals. You never know what door will open or what opportunity will present itself if you have an open mind!
- Most of all, you can achieve a sense of personal fulfillment and contentment just by trying something new and different.
Finally, while we are all motivated by different things I personally believe that engaging in some type of public service is tremendously important throughout our individual career span.
Meetal Desai is an independent consultant and health management professional with a passion for cooking, fitness, her two daughters, and all things related to travel! She supports various nonprofit organizations in the Washington DC area, including ProInspire and Asian American Lead. Find her at https://www.linkedin.com/pub/meetal-desai/8a/b53/72a.