Cassandra completed a year of AmeriCorps VISTA service as our Development Specialist on Aug. 19. We will greatly miss her attention to detail, positive attitude, and ability to write anything!

My year of service has ended, and I really can’t believe how quickly it has passed. Cleaning out my desk took a while because I have the tendency to keep everything. As I flipped through my files, I came across several documents that made me realize just how much I learned in the last 12 months. 

I had no idea of what to expect when I started my year of service. All VISTA members get an assignment description that tells them what they’ll basically be doing, so I knew that I would be writing grant proposals, helping with direct mail, and helping with the Girls Inc. planned giving program, but I didn’t know what those things would actually entail. Aside from having written a few small grant proposals, I had almost no experience in fundraising when I started as a VISTA, so I asked a lot of questions, did a lot of research, and figured out how to do most of the things I needed to do as I was working on them. 

There were certainly challenges along the way, but thankfully, I had the support of several Girls Inc. staff members. They taught me a lot about fundraising and nonprofits, but also a lot about how a small group of very determined people can accomplish amazing things. I know that Girls Inc. will continue to have a positive impact on girls throughout greater Indianapolis, and I hope that the financial support that I helped to raise will help them continue to do so. I’m excited to see what Girls Inc. is going to do in the next year, and I’m happy I’ll still be in the community to see the positive effects of their work.