When I volunteer in support of the library, I am putting energy into something that I think will multiply by enriching the lives of others.
San Diego Magazine
What made you want to volunteer for this organization?
I recognize that I wouldn’t be where I am today without access to knowledge offered by the library, and I am a huge proponent of giving back where I can. I remember reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith after securing my first engineering job out of college, and this quote in particular really struck me. It inspired me to start looking for volunteering opportunities within my community, an activity I have continued to sustain ever since. Aside from being a Trustee for the San Diego Library Foundation, I also volunteer for the Friends of San Diego Public Library of which I am a director for the corporate board and am the president for the Serra Mesa-Kearny Mesa Chapter.
“A person who pulls himself up from a low environment via the bootstrap route has two choices. Having risen above his environment, he can forget it; or, he can rise above it and never forget it and keep compassion and understanding in his heart for those he has left behind him in the cruel upclimb.” A favorite quote of mine from A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.
What do your volunteer duties entail?
Advocacy! My first experience volunteering was with my local Friends of the Library, and focused on fundraising specifically for my local branch, mainly via book sale events. My experience with the San Diego Library Foundation has helped me expand my efforts toward affecting change on a broader level. Going to city council meetings to voice my support for increased library budgets, writing letters to council members, and encouraging folks around me to do the same. Being a vocal advocate to people I encounter day-to-day about the benefits of the library, the programs they have going on, and telling them to get a library card if they haven’t yet. Some Lyft drivers out there might remember a passenger encouraging them to get a library card; perhaps that passenger even gave you a book to encourage you to get back into reading, that was probably me. When I volunteer in support of the library, I am putting energy into something that I think will multiply by enriching the lives of others.
Can you describe your favorite or most memorable experience while volunteering?
Attending my first city council meeting was a great experience, and I would have never thought to go to one before my involvement with the San Diego Library Foundation. Not only did I have a chance to voice what was important to me, but it was very powerful for me to hear the other voices in my community and what was important to them. You learn a lot about your community and who may or may not be getting the support they need. Local politics is where we can have the most impact in driving the changes in policy that support the values we align with.
