What an Upward Bound Project Director at Education Nonprofit Wishes They Had Known Before Entering the Education Industry
The Project Director III found the role "a lot more draining than I would have imagined," requiring significantly more energy than initially perceived to effectively engage with students and staff. This experience, however, led to personal and professional growth, ultimately proving "worth it" despite the initial challenges.
Project Management, Communication, Stress Management, Resilience, Overcoming Challenges
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Lidia Alfaro Chavez
Project Director III, Upward Bound
Education Non-Profit
UCLA, 2014
Pepperdine University, MA Social Entrepreneurship & Change, 2017
Anthropology, Sociology
Nonprofit, Foundations & Grantmaking
Operations and Project Management
Scholarship Recipient, Pell Grant Recipient, Greek Life Member, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. The role is more draining than it initially appears; it requires more energy and effort than expected.
2. Strong interpersonal skills and extroverted behavior are necessary for effective interaction with students and staff.
3. Personal and professional growth are essential for success in this demanding role.
Transcript
What have you learned about this role that you wish someone would have told you before you entered the industry?
It's sometimes a lot more draining than I would have imagined when I was in college. I saw other people who were project directors, or directing some kind of grant-funded project as their full-time job, their career. It just looked so easy on the outside.
"Oh, well, you run the program, you tell the staff to do XYZ, and the students show up." It looked a little simpler. But what I didn't know until I really got into it was that there's so much more that goes into it, so much more energy that it takes. And it can be very draining.
I'm a bit more of an introverted person, but when I'm with my students and my staff or in a professional setting, I flip a switch and become more extroverted. So much more energy goes into it because I want the students, the staff, and everybody I'm serving to know that I want to be there. I want them to know I want to engage with them, hear them out, have discussions with them, and participate in activities with them.
So, it's definitely a process. It takes quite a bit out of you, and it can sometimes be a challenge to grow personally as well as professionally. But ultimately, I found that it's worth it once I was able to get over that hurdle and challenge myself to grow as a person in the role.