We have a guest post from Ambassador Tessa Rothwell (RHHS ‘19), who completed her first year of grant making this fall. She advocated for the Girls’ Leadership Worldwide Summer Conference- not only did Tessa attend GLW one summer, but Director Ali Fraenkel (RHHS ‘11) also attended, a few years earlier!
If you had come up to me a few years ago and told me that I would have written a grant by the time I was 18 years old, I would not have believed you. Yet here I am, writing this in March 2020, having just attended my very first grant presentation as a Class of 2019 Ambassador for the Ascienzo Family Foundation. I wrote my grant for the Eleanor Roosevelt Center at Val-Kill (or ERVK for short), specifically for their Girls’ Leadership Worldwide (GLW) Summer Conference, which I attended as a participant over the Summer of 2018. The grant will be used to provide funds for girls in need who will be attending future GLW conferences.
From the moment I sat down at the table at the Elmendorph Inn during the December 2018 get – together, I was already getting excited about potential grant making opportunities. It was my first time meeting the ambassador network, and I was already hearing some very inspiring stories about grants which had just been approved over the past grant writing cycle. By the time it came for me to introduce myself, I was already discussing my transformative experience at Girls’ Leadership Worldwide and my aspirations to work with ERVK. A year later, at the same table and gathering, I was reporting about my successful grant for ERVK which had just been approved. As Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams,” and this was an absolute dream come true! Knowing that these girls will be able to participate in such a powerful leadership conference with the help of our AFF grant really means the world to me.
I would not have been able to succeed at this without the help of both the Ascienzo Family Foundation and ERVK. Both non-profits were able to assist me in turning this dream into a reality. I want to give a very special shout-out to Mr. Ascienzo and the ambassador network, which provided me the support and encouragement that I needed to get the job done! From sample grant proposals to a timeline of events, I was able to stay on target and write a successful grant without feeling overwhelmed.
On March 9, I had the opportunity to be present when Mr. Ascienzo met my connections at ERVK. We were able to meet with the executive director, director of programs and development, and two of the ERVK board members. It was such a memorable day – I never thought I would be involved in such an incredible opportunity. Many thanks to Mr. A and the AFF ambassadors, as well as everyone at ERVK: April, Lys, Kathryn, Erica, and Kristin, for their support. Here’s to many future years of partnership with ERVK!
-Tessa Rothwell (RHHS ‘19)