For Branka, serving her community was always an important part of her life. Over the years, she worked in different capacities on activities that promoted young women in STEM education, inspiring the next generation to reach for the stars. Still, she knew there were more people she could impact. “This time, I wanted to do something different,” she shared, “but still be able to help the local community.” One quick internet search later, she found Chrysalis. What initially piqued her interest was one of our Success Bell stories. Once she read on to learn more about our mission and values, she was sold.
Branka immigrated to the United States for a new opportunity, an experience that may help her relate to and support some Chrysalis clients. In her case, she left her home country of Montenegro to get her Ph.D. Equipped with her background in academia and years of experience as an engineer, Branka is using the skills that she has developed as a volunteer.
In her volunteer role, Branka most often helps clients with their resumes and works with them to highlight their greatest strengths. She reminds job-seekers that they bring a lot to the table.“I think that many times clients are not aware of how valuable their skills are,” says Branka, “so highlighting these skills is something that is not just good for their resumes, but also for building their professional persona.”
When Chrysalis began offering services remotely, many volunteers and clients had to adapt quickly to navigate connecting with one another via phone and email. In this new virtual atmosphere, Branka thrived. Having already worked remotely in her career, she found that providing virtual resume-writing assistance was seamless. While she does enjoy having face-to-face interactions, she was happy to be able to be an efficient resource to clients during the pandemic.
Despite having only remote interactions with our clients, she still establishes strong connections with them. “Many of our clients come from difficult backgrounds,” she shared, “and I must admit that it’s not always easy to stay positive and not get affected emotionally. However, this is where I get a chance to learn from our clients’ resilience and strength.” Humbled by the experiences our clients have shared with her as a volunteer, Branka looks at obstacles in her own life in a new light. She respects and admires the tenacity that our clients show every day as they continue to work toward stability.
Likewise, the clients she works with always express a deep appreciation and gratitude for her time with them, which reminds her of the impact she leaves. She ends each volunteering session feeling fulfilled in knowing she had a direct hand in helping a client secure employment.
We appreciate Branka and the nearly 250 program volunteers who change lives through jobs with Chrysalis each year!
We are currently recruiting volunteers to support clients virtually, with in-person opportunities available in the coming months – please click here to learn more.