Finding my place
April 28, 2025
| By La Crosse Community Foundation |
When I boarded the flight from India to the United States, I carried more than just suitcases — I carried dreams, worries, and a deep desire to belong somewhere, somehow, far from everything familiar. As an international student, we face additional barriers when seeking professional opportunities. It’s not uncommon for doors to close even before they open. But the Community Engaged Fellowship didn’t just open a door for me — it threw open the windows and let the light pour in.
Walking into the La Crosse Area Community Foundation (LACF) for the first time, I felt a rush of uncertainty. Would I be understood? Could I contribute meaningfully? With English as my third language, my Indian roots, and a background shaped by a family of business leaders, I wasn’t sure how I would fit in. But those doubts quickly gave way to something much more powerful: belonging. At LACF, my differences weren’t seen as obstacles; they were embraced. I was welcomed not despite my background, but because of it. I found not just a place to contribute, but a place to grow and thrive.
One of my first major projects immersed me in an exciting challenge: integrating Mailchimp with our core database, Community Suite. While it was certainly technical, it became a meaningful journey for me. Navigating API connections, resolving sync complexities, and bridging two dynamic systems strengthened my technical toolkit and sharpened my problem-solving instincts. With thoughtful guidance from my supervisor, Megan Pierce, I confidently proposed an effective integration strategy that enhanced our communications workflow.
Soon after, I was entrusted with a project that significantly deepened my perspective on organizational strategy: a full-scale operational cost analysis for the foundation. This initiative pushed me to explore hidden and unconscious costs across funds and departments. I embraced the challenge — mastering advanced Excel functions, developing intricate financial models, and collaborating cross-functionally with staff and Operations Director Erin Belby. This wasn’t just financial analysis — it was a firsthand look into the heartbeat of the foundation’s financial ecosystem.
Another standout experience came when I was asked to work on the foundation’s Net Promoter Score (NPS) initiative. Instead of relying solely on online resources, I immersed myself in “The Ultimate Question 2.0” book by Bain & Company and discovered that each score reflected deeper themes of trust and loyalty. My final presentation to leadership connected data with real human experiences. As someone whose third language is English, delivering that story confidently was more than a professional milestone — it was a personal victory I’ll always be proud of.
Beyond the projects, it was the culture of LACF that left the deepest imprint. Watching Jamie Schloegel, the foundation’s former CEO, lead board meetings with grace, emotional intelligence, and fierce integrity was a crash course in leadership. I learned that true leadership isn’t about commanding the room — it’s about listening to it, feeling it, respecting it.
Before this fellowship, I had passions but no clear direction. I liked numbers, strategy, ideas — but where did I belong? Now, after months of learning, growing, and contributing at LACF, I know I belong in operations — building the unseen structures that make impact possible. Thanks to the operations team, Sara Marsolek, Diane Finnegan, and Erin Belby at LACF, for enriching this experience.
Being an international student often feels like walking a tightrope between worlds, but LACF gave me solid ground to stand on. It showed me that with the right support, determination, and heart, borders are just lines on a map — not barriers to what’s possible.
This fellowship didn’t just give me experience — it gave me clarity, confidence, and community. For good. Forever. I am grateful.