As a finance fellow, we were given the opportunity to have one-on-one training sessions with our director, Chris Sinclair. During these Zoom sessions, we would discuss the intricacies of grant writing, financing a nonprofit, and nonprofit work in general. After our trainings, we worked as a team on some sample letters of inquiry and grant applications, and were given the chance to work on grants by ourselves and have them peer-reviewed live by those in the meeting. My grant application for the Brinson Foundation was one of the ones reviewed and received generally positive feedback. I learned the importance of relaying a nonprofit's mission in the most clear and concise terms as possible, as well as the ways grants should be tailored most effectively to the grant-provider’s mission. FLIP National's mission is to uplift the voices of first-gen low-income college students, and its efforts rely on the support we can provide through our fundraising efforts.

My major is likely going to be computer science. Although I did not primarily work with the tech team, I spoke to them about their projects. The skills I learned don’t necessarily apply to computer science in itself, but rather to the corporate world, more generally. In terms of specific skills (time management first comes to mind), at FLIP we had deadlines that we would have to meet, as required in any corporate position. Additionally, FLIP helped me gain exposure to what working in the remote world is like. Working remotely certainly has its challenges, but I did enjoy it a lot and certainly see myself working remotely in the future. Furthermore, the research aspect of grant-making did interest me significantly, allowing me to narrow down what would be the best fit for the nonprofit. This rigorous research taught me about tax codes and best practices when applying for grants. But, more importantly, the work I did gave me an appreciation for the first-generation low-income space, which made me realize that I enjoy supporting this population, which comes from a similar circumstance as my own.

I think that the biggest challenge I faced was the lack of organizational leadership. Our director was a bit absent and we did not have very challenging tasks. As fellows, we did not really have the experience we wanted; however, the fellows did what they could to make it a worthwhile experience. We uplifted each other when things got a bit tough, consistently collaborated on assignments, and ensured that we kept up with one another socially. The fellows I worked with were diverse voices who valued the inclusion of others. No one felt like they could not rely on their fellow peers. It was truly a great first-gen space to be a part of.

My main takeaway from the experience manifests as a general knowledge of nonprofit finance and how the corporate realm, especially remotely, functions. Still, despite setbacks, I feel content that I was able to be a part of a first-generation low-income space, and was able to contribute to it in a meaningful way. Being a fellow for FLIP National meant that others, like myself, are able to attain resources they can use to further their education and enrich their lives. My experience at FLIP National was certainly not perfect, but the lasting relationships and connections I’ve made with fellows, and the intricacies of navigating a Slack-fueled remote space.