Celebrating Our Community in Action
This April, we celebrate National Volunteer Month and recognize the IT executives and professionals from across the country who engage with NPower students in high impact and meaningful events such as career coaching, mentoring, tech challenges, and more. We appreciate the individuals who give their time to transform the lives of deserving young adults, veterans or military spouses coming through the NPower program.
So far this year, dedicated partners have volunteered 429 hours with our students. As a result, hundreds of students have expanded their network and gained the professional skills they need to thrive in the technology industry. We know we cannot do this work alone and are humbled by the outpouring of support and commitment. Now, more than ever, people helping others is worth celebrating. We THANK YOU!
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NPower volunteers are talking—
and here’s what they have to say:
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“The ability to invest my energy and effort into someone else’s life and career is the highpoint of my day. ”
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“I find NPower graduates to be smart, energetic go-getters, with a thirst to learn and desire to prove themselves in a corporate environment. I’m always excited to lecture and meet because we always have spirited and thoughtful exchanges. ”
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“I have a feeling that most of your trainees are probably more assertive and eager to succeed than I ever was. Still, I hope that some of my words of wisdom can help. Honestly, I probably benefited from this as much as anyone. Thanks for what you do to help others to be successful! ”
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“I had a wonderful session with my two trainees. We did a deep dive in technical troubleshooting and did roleplays with typical problems. I helped them add some technical skills to their resume. If I were still managing a tech support team I would have hired them both in a heartbeat. Very impressed and I had a wonderful time. ”
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“This event was another heartfelt collaboration that meant a lot to us at Verizon. We thoroughly enjoyed spending this time with the trainees. I have gotten tremendous positive feedback from some of my colleagues regarding how they felt like they were ‘making a difference’. ”
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“The attendees in the breakout rooms were highly engaged and asking great questions. So happy to hear that the attendees' comments afterwards were so positive and in keeping with some of the engagement I saw. ”
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“My experience with NPower has been extremely gratifying. All aspects of my engagement from beginning to end were well delivered. The trainees were highly engaged and I enjoyed my session with the group. They were well prepared which is a testament to the planning and coaching NPower provided to them in advance. This was a GREAT EXPERIENCE! ”
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“I have been blessed by being able to work with NPower, by participating in their Mentoring and Volunteering opportunities, supporting their amazing tuition-free program. Sharing my knowledge with the students and taking the time to support the students in various ways, brings me great joy in life! I have had some amazing opportunities to meet so many wonderful veterans and young adults. ”
SHELLY (COLSON) HAYHURST, WWT
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“It was an honor to volunteer. The questions were quite insightful and gave me some food for thought for my own career. ”
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“Thanks so much for the opportunity. If the three students in my session are representative of the recent cohort, it's going to be a great spring session! ”
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“That was a very fulfilling experience. Much more emotional than I anticipated. My two participants both did two tours in Iraq and have seen a lot. In 90 minutes we developed a friendship and it felt very rewarding. ”
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“Through my volunteerism, I want to help people believe in themselves. With NPower’s mock interviews and career coaching, students gain inside secrets and tools they can use to build their knowledge. It feels good that I am able to help encourage NPower students and share ideas on how to put their best self forward, professionally, and increase their confidence. ”
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“This was the first I had heard about NPower and I am appreciative that there is an organization out there that is taking up the slack for those who don't have the resources that many of us had. ”
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“I know how intimidating the entire interview process can be for people. Going through the process with NPower participants provides an opportunity to help people become more confident in their interviewing skills. ”
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“Our National KPMG network is committed to cultivating site visits and guest lectures. I am proud to support our volunteers on behalf of New Jersey, New York, California, Texas, and Missouri students helping each of them to create the pathways to land an in-demand career with a prosperous future. ”
RICHARD "RIK" JONES, KPMG
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“I have had the privilege of partnering with NPower on resume building and interview prep for the past 7 yrs—each time has been more rewarding than the last. Assisting the students on their resumes was not only fulfilling, but fun! They really appreciate those who give their time to help them achieve their goals! I look forward to continuing to partner with NPower in the future. ”
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Interested in changing lives through volunteerism? Contact volunteering@npower.org to schedule your opportunity to give back and inspire our students.
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VOLUNTEER IMPACT:
The Student Perspective
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Jonathan Colindres
NPower New Jersey
IT Test Technician, ZT Systems
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“I had a great supporting volunteer. I liked how he guided us in the right direction, but did not give us the answer. I learned valuable skills from him as well, like how to create roles within the team, how to ask the right questions, and make sure everyone had a chance to voice their suggestions. Another volunteer also helped us with the final draft and made suggestions that helped organize our presentation. Great people!”
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The Bank of America Neighborhood Builders Award
NPower Maryland is honored to receive the Bank of America’s Neighborhood Builder award and be recognized for our work in transforming the lives of Baltimore youth through tech. Through this award, NPower Maryland has received a generous grant, leadership training for staff, connection to other organizations in the Neighborhood Builder family across the nation, and the opportunity to access capital to expand our impact.
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BNY Mellon
To build the workforce of the future, BNY Mellon is committed to advancing and supporting society’s most underserved communities to prepare them for employment in the digital age. We deeply appreciate their support of the NPower New York and New Jersey programs and look forward to shaping the future of tech together.
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