If someone had told me a year ago that after graduation, I would stay in Searcy to run a nonprofit organization, I would have laughed out loud. I planned to move away from Arkansas, and while I liked the idea of working at a nonprofit (I debated sending an application to the International Princess Project), I never imagined myself competent enough to run one. By the time I graduated, my plan was to move to St. Louis and start a small wedding planning business until my writing picked up (if it ever did). But my plans, like plans often do, went awry.
St. Louis is a pricey place to live, so I moved in with my parents for a while. I started a freelance writing business where I worked with local companies on their websites, newsletters and anything else they wanted written. I learned a lot about writing, HTML and how to rank on Google, but business was slow, and I spent most of my time watching “Doctor Who” and “Friends.” I was stuck in post-grad limbo with no way out.
Two months ago, my freshman roommate called me about a conversation she had overheard: The Literacy Council of White County was looking for a new program director because the current director was retiring. She wanted her replacement to be just out of college, preferably an English major, and extremely organized.
My friend had interrupted the conversation, telling the speakers that she knew just the person. Several phone calls, trips to Searcy and sleepless nights later, I got a phone call from the board chairman: I got the job. It took all of my restraint to keep from doing a happy dance in Starbucks.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Literacy Council, it is a nonprofit organization run almost entirely by volunteers and donations. One way that we raise money is by running Second Time Around Books, a used bookstore stocked exclusively with donated books. The aim of the Literacy Council is to help adults learn to read, write and compute English, which we do by offering free tutoring services, all of which are given by our volunteers. Since the illiteracy rate in White County is 13 percent, our services are vital to the community.
The past two weeks have been my orientation period in the fight against illiteracy. I’ve trained to be an English literacy tutor, mailed quarterly reports and sought computer documents that eventually turned up in the strangest folders. I sometimes feel a little out of my league, but then again, you can only learn when you are out of your league. The more I learn about the Literacy Council work, the more I love it. It’s a great cause, and I can’t imagine doing anything better to help people.
Life after graduation has been nothing I expected it to be. It has, however, been an adventure.
