My Experience as a Teen Leader

by Krupali Kumar

Generation SERVE Teen Leader

When initially joining Generation SERVE, I was very excited about participating in service projects to help my community. There are a multitude of issues plaguing our society and getting involved in service is a great way to help raise awareness and advocate for these issues. I was particularly looking forward to helping the people in the homeless community, since Austin has a very prevalent homeless population, especially in urban centers. I wanted to not only participate in these projects myself, but also extend my knowledge of volunteering and advocacy to more kids and teenagers. Essentially, I wanted to create change by getting more kids involved in service work so they could understand how to actively make a difference in their communities.

The Teen Leadership Program provided me with exactly this opportunity!

Overall I was very excited about becoming a Teen Lead, but I was also extremely nervous about some aspects of the program. One thing I was anxious about was the interview stage of the application process. This was a face-to-face interaction and my ability to present myself well in the interview determined whether or not I would get accepted into the program. Ultimately, with a lot of preparation and practice, I was able to convey my passion for volunteering and social advocacy during my interview and I was accepted into the Teen Leadership Program.

Once I got into the program, I was nervous about leading my first volunteer activity. Even with all of the training I received during the summer program, I still wanted to make sure everything would run smoothly. So, I looked through all my notes about what to do as a Teen Lead, while also reviewing the techniques for engaging with family volunteers. The feelings of nervousness, whether it was during the interview stage or when I was about to lead my first activity, all expressed my passion and care for volunteering and helping other people!

I have now been volunteering with Generation SERVE for around two years and I have gained a lot through my experiences as a Teen Lead. I have been exposed to multiple nonprofit organizations, which has allowed me to gain experience in volunteering with different types of people and helping with a multitude of issues. This has given me a better idea overall of the issues that I want to strongly advocate for in the future.

Generation SERVE has significantly improved my communication skills. I have had to frequently interact with parents, kids, and other Teen Leads, which has helped me become better at developing my interpersonal skills. Being able to lead volunteer activities without supervision and take on the responsibility of making sure these activities run smoothly has allowed me to take on the role of becoming a reliable, responsible, and influential leader in my community.