Hello from The District!  

I don’t know if anybody else feels this way, but this summer has been FLYING BY. If feels like it was only a week ago I was beginning my time in our nation’s capital. Over the past month, I have been serving within the Marketing & Communications department at Lutheran Services in America, a health care and human services network that represents over 300 Lutheran nonprofit organizations and it has been an adventure. The district has this beautiful energy that keeps you on your toes. It’s an exhilarating energy that makes the workplace unpredictable and anything but mundane.

I have spent my days attending rallies and going on hill visits to advocate on behalf of LSA, which was COMPLETELY outside of my comfort zone. Seriously, I felt completely out of my own element. However, looking back at my first few weeks at LSA, it’s evident to see how much I’ve grown in such a short amount of time. I’m beginning to the think that the whole being forced outside your comfort zone thing isn’t actually that bad. I have found that in order to succeed in, you must adapt quickly, be unafraid to ask questions (easier said than done), and find innovation to go above and beyond during those rare quiet moments.

I’m discovering that the work that I find most rewarding is when I have the opportunity to use it as a creative outlet. I’ve always considered myself a storyteller. Having recently graduated as a Digital Media Art major, I take pride in being able to share others’ stories creatively and with a vision that others aren’t always able to see. If there’s one thing that I’ve learned about storytelling at Lutheran Services in America, it’s that every single person has a story. Each story is unique and deserves to be valued. It is my job to share their story and advocate for those who aren’t always able to share their own story with those that need to hear it.

LSA takes social ministry to an entire different level and is able to cultivate such a wide array of stories and share them on such a large scale. At its core, LSA takes storytelling and makes it about generating an authentic, human connection. Storytelling, when done right, can increase your influence and produce a ripple effect of supporters who want to invest in you’re fighting for.

Here’s a sneak peak into just a few my adventures! To see more, check out my VSCO profile dedicated to finding all the cute hidden corners of D.C.

– N

United Methodist Building [aka LSA’s office]

Union Station

Georgetown

National Building Museum

Ebenezers Coffee

Lincoln Memorial

Member Engagement Intern, Jonah Koetke & I meeting Senator Warren