Everything Converges
When I first started my NPI fellowship in the office of San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo, I was excited, but also hesitant. This was chiefly because I knew the kind of people who were also chosen as fellows. They all brought unique experiences, identities, and skills to the table, and planned to utilize all of them to build a big project or legacy in their workplace. As a Religious Studies and Political Science major, by contrast, I had no idea of what I would do at my workplace that would be distinctively “mine”, other than the work I was given.
I paused, gathered myself, and thought, “It’ll be okay, Gus. Just work hard and know who you are. If you do these things, everything will converge.” So I kept on going.
A couple of months in, I went to a staff meeting where I met someone from outside my policy office, an SCU alum, who I'll call Bob. Bob and I started talking and we soon realized that while he was an undergraduate, he had the same majors and academic advisors that I did! Not fully believing it, I asked Bob if there was something I could do with churches in the Mayor’s office. He got back to me soon after, saying that there was a new project taking off, centered on recruiting leaders of the City’s churches to house homeless veterans. I asked to be a part of it, and soon found myself juggling both the work from my official supervisor and Bob's team.
As the project went on, I found myself planning events, amalgamating databases, sending formal greetings, and learning how to manage and coordinate the interests of the City and dozens of religious congregations. I loved the new work, because I believe that it is an extension of who I truly am. I firmly believe that by doing this work, and doing it well, I am leaving a legacy that is more definite than anything I could have envisioned. In the meantime, I’m still coming in, doing the extra work, and walking away happy from my job.
Everything Converges.