Early Impact: Youth Leadership at EMA

Finding a job just out of college that pays well, takes full advantage of your skill sets, and offers a chance to make real social impact can feel like a pipe dream. Imagine if you were given that opportunity while you were still in college—or even just out of high school. For the young team members at EMA, this is no fantasy. Here are just a few examples of some of their earliest experiences with EMA, doing the work and making a difference. 

The first project that I worked on at EMA where I felt like I made a tangible impact was the BYkids Community of Learners (CoL) in 2023. I helped co-design the workshop sessions for our inaugural cohort with [Director of Education] David Grace and [Executive Director] Bill Meyer, and then helped facilitate most of the sessions. It was the first time I was facilitating a discussion at that scale and with people who were older and had much more professional experience than me, yet everyone treated me with respect, and that was awesome. I felt like I was actually moving the conversation into new directions and in ways that generated new ideas. It felt like every person—both student and teacher, young and older—learned something new from the conversation that I held. I didn't know I had that kind of power in me, or even the confidence to do it, but I did!  It was also incredible to see how the teachers in the session eventually integrated the BYkids films in their respective classroom settings, and being a part of that year-long process— seeing the outcome of the discussion that Dave, Bill, and I held together was really something else. 

—Erika Cao, Senior Project Manager

The first partner I was really engaged with supporting directly was Asylum Access, by helping to design and produce social media posts and content. Seeing those in the wild and then getting incredible feedback on their performance and how they later translated to things like their donation campaign numbers made this the first time at EMA I could feel that ripple effect we often speak of-- the work I was doing was out there getting views and bringing in a big audience!

—Anna Crawford, Communications Manager (and former intern)

I recall a moment during a meeting with the BALANCE docuseries team that left me feeling especially confident in the impact of our work. One of the main purposes of the meeting was to discuss ways to amplify BALANCE’s message and movement, especially across social media. As a member of Gen-Z, I was thrilled when they turned the conversation to me and my EMA peers to inquire about the best ways of entering the social media arena. I remember thinking how empowering it felt to be sought after for my expertise as a young person (about Instagram, nonetheless!)—to get to contribute to a movement far bigger than myself, one that would allow countless women to know more about their bodies. My most meaningful contributions were meaningful not because of a degree I had or an internship I had scored, but because they were different from the insights of those who were older—and we had created a space to synthesize all of these contributions so we could all be more informed. We were making an impact on two fronts: We were devising ways to push BALANCE into the forefront, and the people doing the devising were people who would typically be excluded from the space. How cool is that?

—Rachel Grace, Partner Relationship Manager

My first project at EMA was working in the inaugural BYkids Community of Learners (CoL) cohort. I had just graduated high school and quit my dance career, and I felt stuck in the liminal space on the precipice of a major life change. I hoped that I would find motivation in work again, but I felt more stuck than anything else. Then, I started working with the CoL. From the very first meeting, the impact of this initiative was clear. We started developing potential lesson plans for the films, and [EMA Director of Education] Dave Grace and I worked on a resource spreadsheet for [BYkids film] Return Date: Unknown. After that first session, one of the teachers sent me an email and thanked ME for participating in this project, acknowledging young people's involvement as vital for any kind of change-making. As an 18-year-old, I thought I was too young, too idealistic, and too inexperienced to have a tangible impact on the world, especially in the nonprofit sector. Yet, I was not inexperienced. I was just unformed, but brimming with ideas. As I worked on further developing curriculum and professional development opportunities along with the teachers and my EMA peers, I felt a sense of unfettered pride, knowing that resources I contributed to were out in the world changing how students learned and teachers taught. Even my own sister's teacher used the BYkids films in her class, and my sister was shocked to find out that I, fresh out of high school, had contributed to a curriculum that was now being used in the very school I had attended. She laughed and asked me "Who the hell is letting you do this?!" I smiled proudly and responded: "EMA." 

—Julia Minassian, Research Project Manager

My first team meeting at EMA was dedicated to reviewing, organizing, and transcribing fundraising content produced by SafePlace International. The short-form videos captured members of SafePlace's community answering various questions about their journeys with the organization. Not only was this activity one of the most profound ways for me to get acquainted with the deeply important work of a partner, but it also granted me first-hand experience of how EMA goes beyond the dollar and uplifts underrepresented voices. I have often thought back on the appropriateness of that first meeting as an introduction to the core values and method of EMA as an organization, exemplifying how we follow the lead of our partners as experts and foreground the stories that arise from their work. The energy that permeated that first meeting signaled to me that I was not simply part of a team, but part of a caring community. It was apparent to me that our partners were not engaged in a transactional relationship, but that there was a deep respect, trust, and care driving the work and undergirding the partnership.

—Olivia Reibel, Development Associate

When I joined EMA it was to help drive many of the organizational changes that would improve our ability to not only serve our partners, but also present ourselves and our work to the world. Because of this, it really did feel there was tangible impact being made as early as my first conversations with [Executive Director] Bill Meyer and [former Director of Finance] Zack Cohen. One example involved the evaluation of EMA's existing hiring practices and then restructuring them, along with a handful of internal HR procedures, to ensure we were providing opportunities to a diverse set of candidates with the right skills to take us where we wanted to go. Looking back on what that's meant for the organization now, I'm truly filled with pride to know I played a significant role in creating that structure and finding a handful of the phenomenal people who have joined our team over the past year. The impact that these individuals now have on EMA is evident everyday. For me, ensuring that the organization is functioning in a manner that enables them to thrive, feel supported and connected to its operations while working efficiently to build relationships and create impact alongside our partners is critically important. 

—Jalen Walker, Director of Operations