stevenhaderer

The irony of the name “Nourish” is never lost on me. Whenever family members or friends ask me about “that club thing that you’ve started,” they always assume it’s something to do with feeding people. That would make sense, I suppose, but after thinking about it for a long time, even though our mission does not directly tackle hunger specifically, Nourish has satiated a form of hunger, at least for me.

For three years at American University, I’ve been more productive and effective in my career growth and development than I was in 18 years growing up at home. I’ve worked on amazing political campaigns, worked on Capitol Hill for two true role models, met some amazing friends, and found my voice on campus as an aspiring political operative and mental health advocate.

But more and more frequently throughout my junior year and heading into my senior year, as my “successes” piled up, I felt more lost than ever. I felt as if my life was being funneled down a certain path as I hurtled closer and closer to graduation, and I was unable to control the direction anymore. I was hungry for something my life wasn’t giving me. Then, I found Nourish.

Or well, Nourish found me, really. Anna Marie Carr, a development coordinator for NINO and the older sister of my closest friend from home, sent me a simple message asking if I knew anyone who wanted to start a chapter of this “amazing organization that engages students and empowers communities to make a lasting impact on extreme poverty.” I blindly said yes, and I am thankful each and every day that I did.

In our first 3 months of being a chapter, I’ve regained confidence in who I am as a leader, I’ve made some really cool friends who I wouldn’t have otherwise met, I’ve been able to draw closer to older friends who I had strayed from, and I’ve been able to do exactly what Anna Marie first told me – I’ve engaged students, 25 on a weekly basis, to make a lasting impact on extreme poverty. Gone is this feeling of being trapped in a career-fueled funnel, replaced instead by a creative freedom spurred by an amazing network of 63 other chapters around the U.S. and Canada that continually amaze and inspire me with their ingenuity on a daily basis.

Coming into Summer Institute (which was my first real Nourish experience), I was terrified. I’m a communications student with an eye on law school. What do I know about international development work? Business ventures? Philanthropy events? I stood no chance. But what I quickly learned is this: it doesn’t matter. You don’t need to be an international development wonk or someone who can map out revenue and profit models in their sleep. To be successful in an amazing, international network like Nourish, all you need is to be passionate about making a difference. If you’re passionate about making a difference, whether in the lives of a community living in extreme poverty or the life of a student who is looking for something to do on campus, everything else will fall into place, and you’ll find happiness within Nourish, like I have.