This week features Sadie Webb ’22 who now works as a Communications Associate at the American Councils of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA). ACTA is a nonprofit organization that works with alumni, donors, trustees, and educational leaders across the U.S. to support liberal arts education, uphold high academic standards, safeguard the free exchange of ideas on campus, and ensure the next generation receives a high-quality college education at an affordable price.
Sadie graduated Magna Cum Laude as a double major in Political Science and International Studies. She was the co-founder and first president of the Denison Debate Society. In her role now as a Communications Associate, she found that her experiences in her majors enabled her to narrow down her interests for her focuses in her role post-grad.
As a Communications Associate, Sadie reports to the Vice President for Communications by providing them a broad range of logistical services. Specifically, she is responsible for managing and producing content for their social media, conducting research, and contributing to the development of ACTA’s various media initiatives. She also works with the Vice President of Multimedia and Campus Partnerships, supporting ACTA’s College Debate and Discourse Program, and their podcast HigherEd Now. She travels to different campuses to act as a moderator for braver angel debates. She’s even been back to campus to moderate the last two braver angel debates this fall!
Sadie has learned a lot over the last several months working for ACTA. She has a few pieces of valuable advice for students looking to work in the nonprofit field:
1. “This is advice I got, and it is absolutely true. A good first boss is more important than a good first job. Because your first job will be an entry or lower-level position, it’s really important that you have a boss who respects you and has your best interest at heart. Your first job won’t be perfect and likely won’t be your dream job, so it’s really important that you’re able to use it as a stepping stone for future success… this is way easier if you have a supervisor or boss who recognizes this as well and wants to help you succeed.”
2.”In the non-profit world, it’s gonna be tough to find a role that feels exactly perfect, so focus on making sure the actual work you do aligns with your personal values. Especially in DC, politics are involved in everything. You will most likely be working with people who hold different values from you in some capacity, so focus on making sure that the work you are doing aligns with what you believe.”
3. “Use your connections, and make the leap! Nothing will be perfect right off the bat, but you have to go through one door to have others open for you. Trust that there is no wrong or right decision, there are only choices and results! Once you’ve made one, don’t spend time second-guessing yourself because you’ll have a ton more choices to make soon.”
4. “Involve yourself in things that encourage (force) you to go outside of your comfort zone… the resulting experiences will be worth it.”
Lastly, employers are looking for articulate, responsible, and thoughtful graduates. Even if your major does not align with your future career, Sadie wants Denison students to know how important their liberal arts skills and education are in the nonprofit world.
If interested to connect or learn more, students can connect with Sadie via Linkedin, or by email (webb_s1@denison.edu)!