By Liam Ambrosino

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When Anna Norman started as a Marketing Copywriting volunteer at Start 1 Spark last year, she had no idea her contributions would culminate in raising $5,000 for charity. After finding Start 1 Spark through Virginia Commonwealth University's internship forum, she quickly found a home in our community-driven organization. 

 

In her role, Anna reaches out to potential donors and volunteers and has to master the art of communication. When asked if the skills used volunteering help her in her personal life, she said, “Definitely how to communicate with an audience in a few words. People don't like to read super long emails, so having to learn how to get the point across in a storytelling manner, but also not making it super long, was challenging. I feel like I've got a good grasp on it now”.

 

Learning that people don’t always have time for long emails, so every sentence needs to count, has strengthened not only her work for the organization, but also her writing in school and her confidence as a future professional.

 

Anna's contributions to Start 1 Spark’s end of year campaign helped raise $5,000 in a challenging yet deeply rewarding experience. As Anna shared, “Seeing the goal being reached felt super rewarding. It got me really excited for the kids that we would be helping in the schools, and knowing that my writing was a part of that was super cool.” 

 

Anna was extremely proud of the campaign's theme, Remember Your Glory Days. By tapping into donors’ nostalgia and inviting them to reflect on their own cherished memories, she helped connect those emotions to the opportunity to create new “glory days” for students in the community.

 

Anna especially enjoys brainstorming themes and working on email campaigns, such as a recent Olympic-themed drive to collect used sports gear. She loved channeling the excitement around the Olympics into youth beneficial, unique campaign. 

 

For volunteers who feel hesitant to take the first step, her advice is simple: “Just do it.” What once felt intimidating has become a source of excitement, growth, and tangible impact, right in her own backyard.