“When I started, ‘coffee chats’ has already been scheduled on my calendar with every member of the team that I wasn’t going to be working with directly. These chats allowed me to understand the organization through the eyes of each of the employees and get a glimpse of what everyone was working on. This sort of thoughtfulness and support extended to every aspect of my co-op. “
Oriana Dominguez , Human Services and Sociology Major
Co-op Term: Spring 2020
Position: Program and Special Events Co-op
Employer: Social Innovation Forum (SIF) in Boston, MA
Oriana Dominguez found a tight-knit and considerate community this spring as a Program and Special Events Co-op. The Social Innovation Forum is a Boston-based capacity and network building resource for nonprofits. Although she had nonprofit experience, Dominguez was excited to learn more about the nonprofit resources for growth and success. Her experiences with diverse projects and employees, illuminated the importance of her academic coursework as well as the need for passion in the work place.
Her favorite aspect of the position was the continuous flow of projects and tasks given to her on a daily basis. Described as a fast-paced environment with an event-heavy focus, Dominguez often had to manage different events in addition to her office tasks. However, she was more than comfortable tackling these projects as she always had the support from her team when she needed help. When the pandemic forced SIF to “go remote” Oriana worked with the technology teams to modify events to a virtual setting. . Working remotely made it more difficult to create personal connections, but it also emboldened her to contribute more ideas and opinions at formal events.
Learn more about Oriana’s co-op experience in her reflection paper.
Oriana was involved in organizing The Social Issue Talk series coordinating multiple events in the span of one week.