The Inside Story : Two Gratifying Weeks
We vividly recall the day we were selected into the organizing committee. The diversity of feelings we felt at that moment was far beyond the number of feelings psychology could ever translate, but along with joy, we were fully aware of the gravity of responsibilities given to us. With our heart full of beans, we truly commenced our journey on becoming a member of The Hult Family.
An orientation program was held for the Organizing Committee where our mentors and facilitators welcomed all of us into the team and we introduced ourselves to each other. An introduction session from our facilitator Anup Jwala Poudel, marked the beginning of the orientation program. He gave us an overview about the meeting. Putting all the tasks aside, the OC never misses out on having fun in between. We had a session called “7 minutes in the Breakout Room”, where all of us were assigned a partner from the OC. So the task at hand was getting to know each other better. It was a virtual version of “7 minutes at the closet”, had our meetings been physical instead of virtual. I bet everybody would have loved the physical version instead. We asked questions and got to know each other. After the session each of us had to talk about our partner without revealing their name and the others would guess who the person was.
It was followed by an introduction session on the “Hult Prize and the On- Campus Program” from our mentor Mr Prawesh Gautam. He left no stone unturned in tending to our queries about organizing the event; how the on-campus event was to be organized, how idea-pitchers would be evaluated, selected and how they would be promoted to Regional and Global Hult Prizes.
We then had an experience-sharing session as a campus director from our guest speaker, Mr Susan Dongol. We were really inspired by how he worked as a campus director and became one of the top 20 campus directors in the whole world. He talked about the challenges that come forth as a member of the organizing committee, and how we can overcome those with discrete planning and teamwork.
It was followed by a session from our mentor, Mr Hari KC on “Responsibilities as an Organizing Committee Member”. He instructed every member in detail about their portion of the workload and portrayed a picture of how the following months would be like for all of us. He acquainted us well with our responsibilities. By the end of the orientation program, each one of us had been assigned something or the other. Now, it was time to work.
We were divided into different groups like the Writers’ Group, Designers’ Group, Marketing, Social Media and more. Yet, we had a common goal; creating a platform for youths which transforms how youth envision their own possibilities as leaders of change. From writing bios to designing every post, contacting changemakers to looking for sponsors, approaching clubs to writing proposals, something or the other was always going on. The OC members were formally announced to the college community through our Facebook and Instagram pages. They received tremendous love and support which further pushed them to making Hult an experience of a lifetime.
The designers were busy as a bee, designing posts day and night, trying to keep it minimalistic but appealing. The promoter and the ambassador; “The Face of Hult” as we call them, were constantly contacting previous directors, participants, discussing marketing strategies, approaching sponsors and bridging ideas back and forth. The Finance Head had a really difficult time planning the budget, owing to the fact that we are still unsure about having a physical or a virtual event. The content guru was busy as a beaver, working days and nights writing bios, making proposals, sending mails, and writing letters. The community coordinators and HR Head were the ones approaching the clubs and societies to make sure nobody was left out in becoming a part of the Hult Family. The deputy campus director and director were guiding and monitoring everyone throughout the process, making sure that everything went smooth and fine.
We then had our first weekly Organizing Committee Meeting, where we had multiple agendas to work on and discuss everything that had been done as well as things that had to be done. We updated every member about the tasks completed so far then switched to marketing strategies and constructing concrete plans and visions for weeks to follow.
We organized our first international webinar, which encompassed experience-sharing and question/answers sessions from the Campus Directors of Pashchimanchal Campus and the University of Central Punjab and Community Builders of Nepal and Pakistan. The webinar proved to be really productive. The directors and community builders shared their experience as competitors in the Hult Prize and shared their goals and plans on how they would conduct the event in the midst of an international pandemic. After that, they answered queries from viewers.
The webinar was followed by another orientation program for all the OC members in Nepal. We had experience-sharing sessions, mindfulness and question\answer sessions from the facilitators, regional analysts and development practitioners. The orientation was really fruitful where we were divided into breakout rooms based on our posts. We were thoroughly instructed and advised on how we could make the on-campus event purposeful yet fun to be a part of.
These weeks have proved to be taxing for our changemakers. But with their strong determination, it is without any doubt that they’ll overcome any challenge that comes forth. As surreal as getting into the OC had been, the significance of being able to leave a mark has been ever-motivating. We are learning not only the true importance of dedication towards our duties but also the vitality of good leadership in shaping the lives of countless, including self. What these weeks have truly taught us is that despite the storm, we will strive to shine as bright as we truly deserve to, and help ignite the same spark in others too.