Final Blog

 For my senior project, I was able to shadow Lillian Kuri. She is the Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer at the Cleveland Foundation and also the Chair of the Cleveland Planning Commission. During the past three weeks, I was able to attend most of her meetings and gain a better understanding of her roles and the inner runnings of the Cleveland Foundation. I initially choose this project because a topic I find interesting is organizational development. I thought it would be interesting to shadow someone who has a job that not only spans the government and non-profit, but both organizations work to please and collaborate with many different people with many different goals. I ended up enjoying this project and getting so much more out of it than I originally thought. The Cleveland Foundation has such a broad reach and the potential to impact a wide variety of people and projects. Additionally, there are so many people working together on the common goal of helping others. Sitting in the various meetings taught me a lot about communication and organization not only from one organization to another but also within. I think the way that the people higher up in the organization communicate with others is very important for the well-being of the Foundation. They are always willing to hear problems and work collaboratively towards a solution. I really appreciate Ms. Kuri for including me and working with me to find various interviews and opportunities. She was very helpful in clarifying topics I was hearing about and being open to answering any and all of my questions. I would encourage rising juniors and seniors to do research about their project beforehand, so they have a better understanding of the topics discussed. Additionally, take note of the people you meet because they possibly help you with future opportunities. Finally, go in with an open mind because you could learn things and gain experiences you were not expecting.


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