Often times, we don’t know how meaningful an experience will be when we’re first getting started.
In October 2017, I was a sophomore. I was focusing more on myself, after spending a year at UO trying to figure out who I was going to be, and what I was going to do. I was trying to find a job, looking for some extra finances while also maybe doing something meaningful.
Enter: The Holden Center for Leadership and Community Engagement.
I started working for the Holden Center on October 29, 2017. It was my first job, ever. I was hired as an Office Assistant (OA), where my main responsibility was to sit at the front desk to handle emails and office organization, and help out wherever else needed.
Admittedly, it wasn’t the most fascinating job. While I liked and identified with the Holden Center’s mission of leadership development and service, I found that being stuck behind a front desk wasn’t the most engaging way to get me more involved in my work, and it wasn’t motivating me to dive into deeper possibilities or opportunities either.
Regardless, I stuck with the Holden Center throughout my years at the UO. As the Holden Center was in a transitional stage, I saw pro-staff come and go, and other student staff do the same. I remained an OA. The entire time, I kept thinking “Why am I in this? What’s still left for me here? What can I gain from this experience?”
At the end of the 2018-2019 school year, the OA position would be discontinued, but OAs could choose to stay with the Holden Center as a Program Assistant (PA). I thought, “This is my chance to do something more.”
I became a CliftonStrengths Program Assistant. The CliftonStrengths Program had actually been my first introduction to the Holden Center way back in my freshman year – I loved the way that the PAs were able to connect with individuals one-on-one, doing so by focusing on things that the participants were naturally good at, and developing their strengths from there.
The past year working on the Holden Center’s CliftonStrengths Program turned out to be more fulfilling than I ever thought. Connecting with individuals during consultations nearly every day allowed me to think of new perspectives for a variety of topics. I was able to gain a deeper understanding of my own strengths, adding a level of self-consciousness and self-confidence I didn’t have before. I was able to work with the rest of the team to expand the program with new consult ideas, thinking of how to make the program even more impactful.
Getting more involved at the Holden Center suddenly motivated me to do even more. I joined the planning committee for the second Leadership Summit, pushing myself to develop my skills as an event planner dealing with a long-term timeline. I started writing more – email templates, consult scripts, even blog posts. I went from claiming that “I’m not a good artist” to doing window chalk for all passersby to see.
I became closer with all the pro-staff and student staff. I went from barely knowing anyone’s name to actively looking forward to being with people in the office. It has been incredibly fulfilling to work alongside a group of such conscious, passionate, and empathetic individuals. I
am beyond grateful for their hard work, dedication, and kindness that encouraged me to do and be the same, reaching beyond just our work environment.
Working with the Holden Center turned out to be such a meaningful experience, but I would have never known if I hadn’t been willing to put in a little more effort. Two years ago, I would have never guessed that I had gained all this professional and personal development from the Holden Center. I would have never known that the extra bit of effort would entirely change my perspective, making the Holden Center so much more difficult to part with as I graduate next month. But here we are, me having put in the effort, and having gotten so much more out of it.
Shout out HC – thank you for being the best first job I could have asked for.
