My co-op at uAspire
Derek Lin Sociology
Spring 2014 co-op
Why co-op at a non-profit?
• Value-driven organizations are filled with self-motivated and enthusiastic people
• Emphasis on service guided by mission and vision rather than monetary incentives
• From my [now confirmed] understanding, non-profits are never overstaffed
• Happiness
Why uAspire?
• College affordability and accessibility is a pressing issue garnering national attention
• Education should be available for everyone, especially in America
• The college application and decision process is not something 17-19 year olds should navigate alone
• College should be an option for everyone
Goals for my first co-op, Goals at uAspire
• Treat co-op like a full time job
• Take on responsibility and workload of a regular employee; understanding the restrictions of being part time
• Establish a better understanding of the work place and organizational operations specifically in a non-profit
• Be a memorable coworker
• Sharpen computer, tech, and writing skills
Goals cont’d… • Assist in grant writing process
• Get my foot in & through the door with anything related to marketing/branding
• Increase Social Media presence
• Get into classrooms (Early College Affordability Awareness)
• Become the webmaster
Responsibilities
• Collaborative Efforts
• *Website Management
• HR Heavy
• Social Media
• Data Entry
• Misc. Tasks
• Front Desk Duties
What have I learned about the college affordability issue?
• Huge grey area for low and lower-middle income households
• Discrepancy with EFC
• Some students just do not file Financial Aid profiles because they do know about them
• Inadequate information for students (ages 17-19) making a life changing decision
• Schools do not have the capacity to meet every student individually
My Growth at uAspire
• First experience working in an office setting for an extended period of time
• Improvements in Soft skills
• Teamwork, communications, organizational skills, multi-tasking, time management, confidence in my work
• Hard skills
• Salesforce, Excel, Outlook
• HTML, CSS
• Writing
Challenges I faced, Suggestions for future co-ops
• First day I was told I would get a new supervisor
• Old office setup left me isolated
• But new office is amazing; I see more faces, work with more people
• Didn’t get a chance to have a sit down introduction with folks at start due to manager leaving
• Would have got to work on more projects, with more people
• Coming up with a new Salesforce password each month…
• Making this a full time position would be awesome
My takeaways from uAspire
• Without a doubt my biggest takeaway from uAspire is the power of non-profits.
• The people, the work, the commitment
• Student-Centered, Collaborative, Excellent, Dedicated, Systems-Focused
• Always be composed and prepared- cannot always control everything
• uAspire inspires and empowers teenagers to be proactive, taking on their own responsibility- coming into and meeting with advisors
Looking forward from a personal standpoint
• Marketing or branding at a sportswear/footwear company has always been something I have been interested in
• Working for uAspire has opened my eyes, heart, and mind to pursuing a career in non-profits
Societal Inequality – what I noticed
through my job
• Vast majority of students uAspire served across the Commonwealth are racial minorities
• These individuals come from lower-income households where caregivers often have minimal post-secondary educations
• Inequality in work force demographics- white, blue, pink collars
• Every workshop I have been to consisted of African American, Asian, and Hispanic students
• Many will be the first in their family to go to college, others from a lineage of college-goers have an advantage in what to expect
• Some of these students have to navigate the financial aid process alone because of parents who do not speak English
Societal Inequality (continued)
• Understanding these inequalities adds another level of importance to the work we do because inequalities should have no place in modern society
• uAspire aims to arm everyone with the financial “know how” to find a way to afford college
• Essentially we are breaking down inequalities so everyone can have a path to and through college