Discuss how you have engaged with a community or organization.

Sample One

In 2008, I deployed to Afghanistan as the commander of an embedded training team. The mission of my 10-man team was to mentor the 156-strong Afghan National Civil Order Police (ANCOP) in Ghazni. To succeed in this mission—establishing trust and effecting lasting change in Ghazni—I had to learn to see the world through Afghan eyes and adapt to our individual and cultural differences.

Several months into my tour, a great divide still existed between the ANCOP and my men. My team was “all business.” We were meticulous in our planning and mission-execution. In contrast, the Afghan soldiers did not embrace the same work ethic. My men didn’t trust them and vice versa. It was critical for us to come together and I started by reaching out to Colonel Ayoob, the ANCOP’s leader. I spent every evening with the Colonel, enjoying many cups of chai and talking late into the night. Hearing his stories about how he and his comrades had bravely fought and defeated a superior Russian force, I developed a deep admiration for Colonel Ayoob as a warrior, a leader, and an Afghan patriot. At one point, he began to hold my hand, a sign of respect. At first, it was slightly uncomfortable, but my Dari interpreters explained to me that this was a gesture of great honor. Our partnership established a tone of acceptance and comity. Following my lead, my men started to bond with the members of the ANCOP.

Our next challenge was to gain the acceptance of the locals. The colonel and his men were predominantly Tajik, and Ghazni was Pashtoon; so the the locals viewed him as an unwelcome intruder. That made two of us. We agreed that the best path was to call a shura, a meeting with the village elders.

At the closure of my first shura, I recognized the power of engaging the local leaders, something my predecessors had not done. To gain their acceptance, we addressed issues of critical importance to them, such as installing traffic control points in areas of Taliban activity in order to protect truckers who were constantly harassed by Taliban fighters. We provided funding for a local hospital, which was running dangerously low on supplies. The 2008 Ghazni elections, the first free and fair election in decades, were the ultimate measure of our success.

Sample Two

After moving to Boston, I wanted to volunteer with an organization dedicated to students, as I believe that mentoring and support systems are keys to success later in life. Searching online, I discovered Key Mentoring, a non-profit that provides life mentoring and coaching to at-risk teens through action sports. Key’s mission resonated with me, as I attribute many of my personal qualities that have led to success, including determination, drive, and attention to detail, to my intense ballet training.

Founded in 2005, Key was still in its infancy in 2006, so I volunteered to join the two-person Events Committee of the Advisory Board. There was plenty of work to be done planning fundraisers and events to raise Key’s community profile. Two months later, the Executive Director appointed me as Events Committee Chair, and I became responsible for coordinating all of Key’s annual events and managing the committee, which had grown to six people. During my tenure, I have organized nine events, from community outreach efforts, like the Skate Jam, to large-scale fundraisers netting over $75,000. I’ve rebranded Key’s summer benefit to focus on young New Yorkers, seeking to address their under-representation in our donor base. For the 2008 benefit, by forming a committee of young professionals responsible for ticket sales and event promotion, I ensured a sell-out fundraiser for a new donor demographic, mining young professionals’ potential as donors, mentors, and volunteers. I also implemented a new signature fundraiser for Key, the Key Awards. The inaugural event was extremely successful, raising over $60,000, the highest revenue of any Key event to that point.

I have also dedicated time and effort in many other aspects of Key. Some of the issues I’ve helped to address are effective donor tracking, timeliness of thank you notes, and the provision of staff benefits, including health insurance. I led the effort to create standard presentations, one-sheets, and letter templates, which was gratifying because it tested some of the marketing skills I have learned at Granite Investments and also professionalized Key’s external communications. Most importantly, I’ve been lucky to spend time with Key mentees, providing mentoring and training sessions at the office and on program days when mentees are learning to skateboard, surf, or snowboard. Seeing so many youth empowered by mentoring and sports reinforces my commitment to Key and why my work raising funds has been critical to the success of their mission.