Halfway between a volunteer and an intern, I’ve seen a lot of the inefficiencies of working in a nonprofit, as well as some of the really rewarding aspects such as being part of a team of people who are incredibly passionate about the work they do and the mission of STCP. My time has really been defined not just by the work I do with our beneficiaries across our various events, but also by all of the volunteers I interact with daily.
Specifically, my LiA has been greatly influenced by Safi, the STCP Operations Manager. Despite holding this leadership position, there was not a week that went by where I didn’t see him in person helping out with the day-to-day tasks required for food outreach and CSR events. He ran the French language exchange events, showed to coordinate food distribution, and spoke about the mission in front of high school programs and finance firms. Particularly for CSR events, there can sometimes be detachment from the students or workers who are volunteering with us: it might be a requirement for them, or they may not know why it is they’re helping make sandwiches or hygiene kits. Safi is an incredibly engaging speaker, and during one of these events, he spoke about his own journey as a refugee, and how vital the role of STCP can be in the lives of many people. His introductions tend to run long, but he’s an incredibly engaging and very funny speaker, and he forces people to think more about what they’re doing. He often asks simple questions like: can you define the word refugee? Are you friends with any refugees? And among high school students and older workers alike, it makes people stop, think, and respond. As a person, he’s also very encouraging and enthusiastic and pushes people to learn and do more.
In an earlier blog post, I was lamenting not having any of the resources to work on marketing, but I met Emily, another volunteer, who runs the English Language Exchange program, and alongside two other interns, I will be working to create lesson plans for the upcoming year.
This photo is from the partial solar eclipse that occurred towards the end of my time in Paris.
Hi! I’m Kamtoya Okeke (she/her). I’m a rising junior at Columbia University studying Cognitive Science, focusing on Economics and Human Behaviour.
My research was focused on destruction myths, stories which depict the end of the world, and I explored how these myths reflect societal values and fears, as well as how they showcase the power of storytelling. I had the opportunity to publish my research poster, and have continued this research with external funding!
My LiA is at Serve the City Paris, a nonprofit which supports refugees, asylum seekers, immigrants, and the unhoused in the city with food, language and culture exchanges, and more.
Feel free to reach out if you're interested in literature research and/or narrative forms, or just want to chat!
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