I really enjoyed the Empower and Help Ambassador Program in 2021 and was looking forward to doing it again this year. Being isolated throughout the pandemic, I lost some social skills. This program helped me get through it. This year’s program was different than last year’s, but it was a new thing to try. I worked on two main projects this summer, holiday cards for the gift shop and a fundraiser. Although the holiday cards were easy, the fundraiser was a more significant challenge. I partnered with another ambassador Veeksha on the fundraiser. We worked on starting a scholarship fund for youths who cannot afford leadership and empowerment classes like this one. At first, it was hard to get donations from people, but we managed to get through it by taking an active approach – talking face to face with people instead of a passive approach –  sending messages via text or email. This was key for me in growing my social skills. This program once again helped me expand my knowledge of things I did not know about.

Thank you, Empower And Help, for giving me the opportunity to be a part of this year’s amazing ambassador program. While different from last year, the program still allowed me to learn so much about making an impact. It was a great experience starting a fundraiser and using my art skills on the holiday cards for the new shop. The fundraiser presented some challenges that were hard to overcome, but with Mrs. Aditi’s help, Aananya and I managed to surpass our updated goal during the final week. Growing in knowledge and skills about solving real-world problems and taking action, I am ending this year’s program more than satisfied with the outcome of each project.

The ambassador program was a great opportunity for me.  Over the last 2 months, I got to improve my communication skills and learn to come out of my shell. The program also helped me host my own community drive and fundraiser. My favorite part of this program is being on the social media team and the newsletter team. These teams gave me a chance to work with a group and learn about days/events I’ve never heard of before. I thank Empower and Help for giving me this great opportunity.