As someone who seeks to create social impact and change in the world, I am applying for a position on the AICES’ Board of Directors.
In a world with so much turmoil, there is an ever more need for organizations like Amnesty to keep governments, corporations, and other institutions accountable for their actions. I want to be a part of the Board to continue the mission and momentum of this organization. I aim to leverage my academic training, professional experience, and my entrepreneurial experience for this role.
To begin, with my BA in Political Science from the University of Pennsylvania and a MPhil in Development Studies from the University of Cambridge, I have rigorous academic training centred around international law and politics. This academic training provides a foundational base that will always center my work on the Board for the purposes of championing human rights. This is especially important with regard to oversight of vision, policy, governance, and performance. It is essential that Amnesty is not progressing for the sake of progress, but rather that the organization is being intentional and meaningful in its progress to ensure we continue to advocate for human rights at home and globally.
Furthermore, my previous experience as a management consultant at Monitor Deloitte equips me with the expertise to monitor strategic oversight. In my role as a consultant, I supported clients from various sectors to solve their problems, which often were broad and ambiguous. I spearheaded 5 and supported 5 other projects that were solved by supporting the client in creating and / or enhancing their strategic plan. I will leverage such skills as a Director to help support AICES in progressing and achieving its strategic goals.
Not only so, in my current role as the Supervisor of National Program Partnerships at a not-for-profit organization, Skills for Change, and with my previous experience of running my own non-profit, Side by Side Agency (an educational agency that provides free tutoring & mentorship services to underserved grades K-12 students across Canada), I have relevant insights to the inner-workings of not-for-profit organizations. Distinctly, I have come to an understanding on the importance and the need for nonprofits and charitable organizations to be responsible stewards of donations, funds, and grants. In both organizations, there have been challenges to meet this mandate, and I took strides to address them to ensure appropriate governance over the allocation of resources. Specifically, I developed strategy, created new processes, implemented corresponding systems, and collaborated with others to see the successful delivery of such initiatives.
Given the reasons above I believe I make an ideal candidate for the Board of Directors. I hope to keep up the important and essential work that the Board and AICES are doing by taking on this role.
