ELBA’s Volunteer of the Month for June 2018 is Amira Popovic of Citi. Amira is nominated for her outstanding efforts in pulling together a series of workshops that involved over 60 Citi volunteers working with more than 150 students, across the Business Education for Schools team and the Higher Education team. Amira, who works for the private bank arm of Citi, approached ELBA wanting to support with seven sessions including; Career insight visits, leadership workshops, mock interviews and a higher education insight visit. Throughout June and July, with the help of Amira and amazing volunteers from Citi we were able to deliver all of these sessions! Amira went above and beyond by identifying lead volunteers for each session, often volunteering herself, and providing key support in the logistical arrangements.

Some of the student comments we have had from these sessions have really shown how engagement with volunteers at these opportunities are key to the work we do here at ELBA:

We spoke to Amira to find out more about her volunteering experience:

Why did you volunteer?
I joined Citi in August of 2017 for a year-long work/study contract. As a part of my studies, I have been assigned to research a work-related topic and find a way to improve it during the year in London. Through conversations with my manager, he suggested diverting from my everyday tasks at work and focusing on a topic like community involvement because it is just as important to the workplace. He informed me on Citi’s past involvement with ELBA in which Citi employees attended workshops in the areas of career insights, leadership, job application and interviewing processes. This topic instantly sparked an interest with me because of my passion for working with children. I have spent time volunteering with students in the past, including local schools in the Chicagoland area as well as schools abroad in Turkey. I have decided to revive this initiative and work with ELBA to organise more events for Citi employees. It is truly rewarding to be able to work closely with students and provide them with valuable knowledge they will use in the future.

What did you gain from your volunteering experience?
More than anything, this experience has been extremely rewarding! The students have added light to our workplace as 6 out of the 7 events were held at Citi. I am happy I got to work closely with the ELBA staff members, teachers, and my colleagues in coordinating these events. Everyone I have met has been extremely kind and helpful and we’ve established some great relationships. It was wonderful seeing Citi colleagues come together in a setting which was different from our everyday workday – I gained an appreciation for everyone that took time out of their busy workday to make a difference in the community. Overall, I gained even more of an appreciation for charities and organisations like ELBA because these events are really all about giving back to the community. I gained an inspiration to keep volunteering with students in the future because it was evident how appreciative they were to gain knowledge from experts in fields they are interested in.

Would you recommend volunteering to a colleague and if so then why?
I would most definitely encourage all of my colleagues to volunteer! It is a great opportunity to share our knowledge with students and be an influence in their future studies and careers. The students are kind and witty and will make you smile. It is a way for everyone to step out of their work comfort zones and challenge themselves in a classroom setting, especially with some of the clever questions the students ask. This year we had over 65 staff members partake in the sessions which translated to an abundance of knowledge – and not only for the students, but among volunteers as well. We were able to get to know each other in a different, more relaxed environment while making a difference together. Everyone should take at least a day or two in the year to volunteer because you will go home afterwards feeling more accomplished than on any regular work day…I promise!