“Calling and Purpose”… That’s the big question that everyone ultimately hopes to find, and that is exactly why it is one of the hardest questions to answer. For years I would talk about what I believe my calling is meant to be; I would share my dreams of wanting a nonprofit for minority youth while being a computer science major and business minor. Even though it may have seemed as if I was confident in my purpose I would secretly think to myself that it didn’t make sense. There were days I would sit and contemplate all the different scenarios or obstacles I could possibly encounter. Are my dreams too big or not big enough? Can I actually manifest these concepts into reality? What will it take to make it happen? Am I the right person to pursue this ambitious goal? My thoughts were starting to become overwhelming and paralyzed me from having any traction. My time at Kheprw has reminded me of not only my capabilities but also why I have this dream.

The Kheprw Institute (KI) is a nonprofit that values people in every community. KI is an organization that is committed to bringing about change that leads to empowered self-reliant and self-determining communities. At Kheprw we aim to create a more just, equitable, human-centered world by nurturing youth and young adults. KI works to support youth and young adults in becoming leaders, critical thinkers, and doers. As an intern at Kheprw, my role is democratizing data. I work with a team of people and ultimately we are a central hub for the organization. We are connected with every person, every program, and every project at Kheprw. Each person on the team has specific projects, programs, and people that we interact with directly, we play an integral role throughout the entire organization. I primarily work on three different projects. The largest project is creating a platform catered to entrepreneurs. We hope to create a platform that will provide resources and networks to promote the success and growth of entrepreneurs and small businesses as easily as possible. While I haven’t been able to directly interact with or impact minority youth I have been able to combine two of the three aspects of my dream – business and computer science.

The past few months at Kheprw has reminded me of every experience that I have personally encountered or witnessed that helped inspire my dream and exactly how much I love all three of these things. As a young woman of color from the city of Chicago I can attest to how impactful it would have been for me to have anything like what I hope to create one day. Staying focused and understanding our purpose can be a challenge, and honestly I believe it is supposed to be. The challenges and doubts we face when searching for our purpose are what brings us closer to finding it. Thanks to the projects I am working on, the people I have met, and the Kheprw institute itself I am continuously learning more about what my purpose will require of me.

– Essence Roberson, Kheprw