This past fall, my Management 100 team, QUINTEssential, had the opportunity to work with the National Adoption Center, a nonprofit organization based in Philadelphia. In order to prepare for the National Adoption Center’s 40th anniversary gala in the spring, we were responsible for creating a commemorative video detailing the center’s vibrant history, which will serve as the centerpiece of this event.
This task required us to sort through 40 years of footage and interview the children, parents and staff affiliated with the National Adoption Center.
My favorite part of this project was when we had the chance to interview Carolyn Johnson, the founder of the National Adoption Center. When I learned that Ms. Johnson was from my hometown of Buffalo, N.Y., I was intrigued by this connection and wanted to learn more.
After talking with Ms. Johnson, I learned that she founded the National Adoption Center at her kitchen table using a wooden recipe box, which she divided into three sections: waiting children, prospective parents and possible matches. She never imagined that her “home-grown” adoption initiative would become a prolific organization with 40 years of success.
My team’s interview with Ms. Johnson proved to be inspirational and motivational, and I hope that someday I will be able to have a positive influence the lives of others in the way Ms. Johnson has done through the National Adoption Center.
(Editor’s note: This post first appeared on the Undergraduate Program’s Student Voices blog on March 21, 2012.)
