JR Reese II
Probably not too different than most of my classmates, when I first joined this class, I expected there to be a lot of reading and a lot of note taking while not being that interactive. Though we are only in the early stages of the class, I have been pleasantly surprised to see that it has greatly exceeded my expectations. Our professor, Dr. Laura Trull, has been a very outgoing and easy-to-listen-to teacher that not only brings enthusiasm to the class, but also reassures us of the benefits we will receive from taking it and how it will only help us in the future as grant writers. In this class, we each have been assigned to committees with different responsibilities, but we are all tasked with teaming up with local nonprofits to write grants that are then compared against each other until we decide on two winning charities. For a hands-on learner like myself, what better way to learn about writing grants than to actually take part in writing a real one? Not only is it a great learning experience, but ultimately we are working to make a difference in a community where we believe really needs it, and that’s what’s most important.
Everything we do, we decide on as a class, and move forward with a decision by majority vote. Of course, we are still very early on in the semester, so we still have a lot to learn and accomplish. So far, we are a tight knit group that has the opportunity to achieve great things by working with and learning from our neighbors, to help make a difference in the operations of deserving organizations. At the end of the day, the most exciting part of it all is that this is a class full of like-minded individuals that are looking to make a difference in areas that need it most. Even though we all come from different backgrounds and experiences, I believe that’s what makes us work together so well. Everybody has a different insight which can provide good ideas for people who wouldn’t have thought about it otherwise. Then tying that altogether with our philanthropic mindsets, we form a great team. Being a part of this new generation of youth philanthropists is something that I consider very special.
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