From the Classroom to My Laptop
By Helen Lee
Trello? Being tagged in cards? Using Slack as a form of communication? All of these things were unfamiliar to me, as I went from always working in the classroom in my past job experiences to sitting down with my laptop in a coworking space. I don’t consider myself a very tech-savvy person, so the thought of learning how to use these new applications on the first day of work intimidated me. There is a lot that happens behind the scenes at Uptown Stories and many people may not notice this until it’s pointed out. However, I never fail to feel that the work I do on my laptop is just as important as the work I do in the classroom.
During my first week of interning at Uptown Stories, I alternated between doing administrative work on my laptop for the first half of the day and assisting with a workshop called Creating Otherworlds for the second half. I didn’t know what to expect for either shifts, but I was definitely more confident in handling Creating Otherworlds. Right when I sat down in the coworking space and turned on my laptop, I was immediately introduced to Slack and Trello, two applications that we use for communicating and delegating tasks. I remember staring at the unfamiliar sites and listening to my supervisor explain everything there is to know about using them. It was a lot of information to take in and I was afraid I couldn’t familiarize myself with the sites quickly enough, especially since we’d be using them everyday and they are such vital parts to our everyday work. Luckily, within a few days, I was using Slack and Trello like a pro. That’s an accomplishment for someone like me, who isn’t much of a computer whiz.
In addition to learning how to use new programs, I’ve been doing a lot of searching for potential grant providers. Uptown Stories — being a non-profit organization and pay-what-you-can, allowing kids to enroll into our workshops for however much they can afford — can use some help with funds. I’ve never worked with a non-profit organization before, so knowing what needs to be done behind the scenes truly made me realize what a non-profit organization needs to do in order to keep running successfully. By now, in the midst of my fourth week here, I probably have gone through and researched over sixty potential grant providers and added ones that seem like a good fit to our google spreadsheet. When researching about grant providers, many times, it’s either you have a lack of information or a lot of information that you have to read word-for-word in order to make sure you’re eligible to apply and that your organization’s mission is what the grant provider is looking for. Nothing is more defeating than the moment when you think a grant would be a good fit and you see one tiny detail that proves you wrong.
For the next two weeks that I’m here, I’ll be continuing to work behind the scenes. While I am more used to being in the classroom, it’s amazing to be a part of our small team in the coworking space, doing what we need to do in order to keep Uptown Stories on its feet.
Helen is a rising senior and English major at Stony Brook University. Although quiet at first glance, she is described as friendly and animated by her close friends and acquaintances. She is an avid lover of dogs and dreams of having one of her own. When she isn’t hanging out with her friends and getting overly excited about every dog she sees, she spends her time reading poetry and prose. Standing at less than 5 feet tall, she believes she shouldn’t be defined by her short stature and allows her inner qualities to stand out instead. As an aspiring high school English teacher, she often thinks of new ways to better prepare students for their futures. She visualizes what she can do as a teacher and hopes her lessons can make a difference in everyone’s lives.
