How I Became A Board of Directors Member at 26

First things first, I've been putting in the work, 4 years worth of it!

In April of 2015, my aunt attended a scholarship ceremony hosted by an educational non profit and called me immediately after to tell me about the amazing CEO.

She encouraged me to connect with the woman and forwarded her contact information. I sent an email and within a week’s time had scheduled an informational interview with her. Prior to our call, I did my research, I browsed through her Facebook page, saw that we had a few friends in common, saw that she was my sorority sister and attended the same university as my sister. She was basically who I wanted to be when I grow up! We had our call, I learned more about the organization and then she asked if I would be interested in volunteering.

In the summer of 2017, I attended a scholarship reception in Washington, DC and met the CEO in person for the first time after two years of volunteering with her organization.

In the fall of 2015, I began volunteering with the organization. Conducting calls with current students and alumni and updating data tracking documents. In the summer of 2017, I attended a scholarship reception in Washington, DC and met the CEO in person for the first time after two years of volunteering with her organization. I invited my friends to the event and signed up to volunteer throughout the event.

September 2017, I received a call from the CEO. Opportunity was knocking at my door. She expressed that she wanted to devote more time to her family and wanted to loosen the reigns of the scholarship program. She was asking me to become the manager of the scholarship program! I gladly accepted. I had never managed a program before and I was eager to learn.

I managed partnerships in high schools located in three states. I served as the scholarship manager for two years. In 2018, I relocated to DC and continued to serve as a volunteer with the organization. In the summer of 2019, my friends and I attended the scholarship fundraising event in DC. Each of my friends donated to the cause. After the event, I received yet another call from the CEO.

This time she was asking me if I would be interested in joining the Board of Directors for her organization. I was hesitant, again something I've never done before, I thought I was too young, the self doubt poured in. Yet she was patient and kind and I proceeded with the application. In September of 2019, at the tender age of 26, I was inducted as the newest board member of an educational non-profit organization I'd been volunteering and supporting for 4 years.

Nothing happens over night. My journey to becoming board member was a four year process. I was willing to volunteer my time and talent to an organization whose cause I believed in. None of this would've been possible had I not been willing to schedule that initial call after my aunt shared the contact information. You have to be willing to put yourself out there and make connections because after all, it's not always what you know, it's who you know.

You posses the power to plan, persist and prevail.