STORY BY SARAH FULTON

Senior Abbey Barrow has always had a passion for volunteer work and nonprofit organizations.

During her college experience she channeled that into a future in nonprofit communications.

How would you describe yourself as a first-year?

I think I was excited that would be one word to use.

Ready to begin my experience in college.

Ready to develop. Looking back I was naive. I didn’t know a lot of things. I was happy to be here.

Do you think you changed over the course of college?

Oh definitely.

I think the opportunities I have had at Drake to get involved in different organizations and internships have made me grow as a person.

Hopefully a professional too. I think looking back definitely a lot of growth.

Any specific ways you have changed?

I came into school looking to take part in a lot of things and experience the whole world of college.

During my college career, I really have narrowed my focuses and found what I am really passionate about.

So for me that is nonprofit communications work.

I have developed that passion and have become a leader in a lot of ways.

That has been really meaningful for me.

Did you have the passion for nonprofit communications when you came into Drake?

No, I don’t think I knew.

I had worked with a lot of nonprofits and knew I liked volunteering and those kind of things.

It wasn’t until I had opportunities in college to participate in organizations and have internships that I really figured out where to be.

Were there any specific experiences that stood out?

I think working with Drake Habitat for Humanity chapter has really been impactful in my life.

Getting to do volunteer management and connecting with different organizations on campus.

Being able to facilitate other students has been great.

I really have a passion about community development.

As well as some internships.

I have worked for a couple different nonprofits over the summer and that was a kind of good taste of what I want do.

Are you ready for gradation?

Emotionally, spiritually I feel like I am in a good place.

I have really grown and developed and had the Drake experience.

I am ready to move onto the alum portion of my life.

Particularly that is a whole different matter. It is a scary world out there just dealing with finances.

It is very adult real world concerns. Part of me is really ready and ready to move on.

Another part of me knows it is going to be a challenge for sure.

What do you think the Drake experience is?

That is complicated.

Everyone has to find their own Drake experience. Mine has been kind of an opportunity to learn a lot of different things, to take a bunch of different classes, to expand my intellectual horizons, to figure out who I really am.

Did you expect the ways in which you would change?

Yes, and I think that is always the goal to figure it all out in four years.

I do not think I could have anticipated the ways in which I would have developed. But generally.

Have you seen similar progression in your classmates?

For sure. I think it is kind of fun looking back now on the people I knew as first-years.

We had our FYS together and we would all each lunch together at Hubbell.

Now to see that those people have really grown and developed, they have real world jobs.

They are becoming competent real world professionals.

It is a surreal experience. I am really proud of some of the folks I know.