Reflection on Work Placement

Caleb Gothro

My work placement through the Fellows Program has been the most transformative professional experience of my life. Going into the program, I was excited to start my career but was very unsure of what it was going to look like. I graduated with an unspecific degree, which helped me have lots of options moving forward but also meant that my path was very unclear. When I got assigned to work at Access to Success (A2S), a non-profit based in Davidson focusing on breaking the cycle of poverty in Nigeria, I was excited for the opportunity to carry a variety of different responsibilities and work on many different types of projects. One of these projects has completely opened my eyes to my professional skillset and the type of work I want to be a part of. 

Despite being based in Davidson, almost all of A2S’s programming happens in Benin City, Nigeria, where they aim to provide agency and dignity to the community through access to education and career development opportunities. One of my main projects has been to interview many of the 40 full time employees who work in Benin City, having them show me the various data and information management processes they conduct as a part of their role through this impactful organization. My main focus has been to create systems where these processes are streamlined and automated, allowing the A2S employees to spend less time on repetitive tasks and more time engaging with the community they serve. The satisfaction I’ve felt seeing how excited everyone gets when they realize how much easier their job can be is something I’ve never felt at any other job. This experience has also given me direction and purpose for my career path moving forward. Overall, my work experience at A2S has taken me from a place of confusion and uncertainty to passion and excitement, and I’ve been able to see God work through me more clearly than ever before.