Collaboration keeps popping up in every area of my life right now, and what it keeps reminding me is that there is power in togetherness. Nowhere is that more apparent than in my work placement. I’m placed at Dress for Success, and there are so many moving pieces that interact in a day to create a singular experience for a woman stepping into our offices. Every person in the office has an integral role in accomplishing the organization’s mission: from walking in and being greeted with a smile from whoever is working the front desk to the coaches who give advice to the person who answers emails about job placements. One person could never do all of that, but all of us together can. And do, even when the days are long and we’re out of coffee and I’m very, very tired of listening to the mall soundtrack that only contains Carrie Underwood songs. It’s not only in my placement, either: it’s in every co-cooking night in our house, it’s in every impromptu wisdom session with an old corps member, it’s in every talk with my friends as they’re all planning their impending weddings. Collaboration and togetherness are definitely the way we’re all meant to be.
–Elena Rivera is serving at Dress for Success Triangle NC. She enjoys creative writing and is currently working on writing a sitcom.
Collaboration is one of the 5 values we focus on during the service year. Here is the JSC definition:
Collaboration: I trust in the abundance of creation to provide all that is needed, so that individuals and groups can collaborate instead of compete. I strive to engage others in full participation and lead in such a way that builds leadership in others.