As I settle into week four in my new office here on Armour Blvd, I find myself thinking about how I ended up here and my plans at Literacy KC going forward. Moving to Kansas City from the Tampa, Florida area was not an easy decision to make. After graduating from the University of Connecticut (Go Huskies!) with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a Minor in Political Science in May 2015, my relocation to Florida was intended to be more of a long term plan. Both my parents and two sisters reside there and it seemed like a natural decision to rejoin them and settle into a warmer climate. While there, I worked in promotions for a media group in St. Petersburg that managed six radio stations in the Tampa Bay area. It was truly fun and exciting work, but I had my sights set on more of a marketing and communications based position and began looking elsewhere, with a goal of beginning a new job for the new year.
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Kevin cheering on his beloved UConn Huskies
Before I knew it, I found myself filling out application and checking job boards in search of any marketing positions. It was there that I saw the opportunity to come work for Literacy KC. While I never ruled out the idea of moving out of the Tampa area, I can say that it was not an original goal of mine to do so. However, after speaking with the staff at Literacy KC, I was compelled to fly out to Kansas City for a weekend and give it a chance. I flew in on a Friday afternoon around 6:00 PM and I had been in contact with Emily Hane (Programs Manager) throughout the week about the possibility of stopping in to see the office. After reporting to her that I had arrived, she was kind enough to invite me to come to the office for a tour. It was there that I also found Will Orlowski (Ticket to Read Program Coordinator) and Lindsey Clark (Family Reading Program Coordinator) waiting for me. The reason I am telling you this is because ultimately it is a major reason why I decided to move to a new city where I didn’t know anyone in order to come work at Literacy KC. The fact that Emily, Will, and Lindsey were willing to come back to work on a Friday night after a long work week to meet me speaks volumes about the type of people that Literacy KC employs. They went out of their way to make sure that I was able to see both our office and explore Kansas City in the short time that I was visiting. There are not many places in the world where a prospective employee would be given such a high level of hospitality and respect and it is a testament to the caring and dedicated employees involved with Literacy KC. The top notch employees combined with the unique mission of Literacy KC to improve all types of literacy skills for its students made the decision to come here a relatively simple one.
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Kevin and his two sisters, Kelsey (right) and Courtney (left).
The first few weeks of my time here has been working towards getting to know Literacy KC in all regards. This means doing everything from reading all related documents to sitting in on classes and getting to know anyone associated with the organization. As time has progressed and my knowledge of Literacy KC has increased, my decision to come here has been positively reinforced through interactions with students, volunteers, tutors, employees, donors, and community partners on a daily basis. It is refreshing to come to a place where everyone is so determined to accomplish the same goal. My job as the Marketing & Communications Coordinator is to work to improve how we broadcast just how great Literacy KC is to the community! I will be doing this through our social media channels and email/mailing communications, among other things. I look forward to furthering Literacy KC’s exposure in the Kansas City metropolitan area and beyond. If anyone has any questions or suggestions for me going forward, please feel free to email me (k.derohanian@literacykc.org) or call me (816-333-9332, extension 102). Also, if you find yourself in our office, my door is always open and I welcome any visitors![/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]