ChickSpeak

We recently spoke with Anna Minkowski, the Director of Development of a fantastic locally-based program for city high-school students, Baltimore Urban Debate League. We were struck with her passion for her career and the powerful mission behind the organization she serves, and wanted to find out more about what makes her so excited about her work within the BUDL.

The Baltimore Urban Debate League’s mission is to enrich the academic experience and overall development of students from Baltimore City’s public middle and high schools through participation in debate-based educational activities. Through debate, students become engaged learners, critical thinkers and citizens and leaders who are effective advocates for themselves and their communities.

Through their “5 C’s” debate programming of Competitive debate, Curricular debate, Community debate , and College and Career readiness, BUDL prepares young people for success in school and beyond and builds tomorrow’s citizen leaders. BUDL is determined to make debate and its related academic and social benefits available to all students in Baltimore’s public schools. As a result, the entire community of Baltimore City is in a position to benefit from the academic success of its public school youth.

We wanted to find out more about how Anna became interested in BUDL and landed her position there, along with how she strives to help students find the power of their voices and move forward in the world with success.

ChickSpeak: What originally drew you to become involved with BUDL? Did you have non-profit experience in your background or was this a career shift for you?
Anna Minkowski: About five years ago, I attended an event where the Baltimore Urban Debate League was the featured guest. A few of the students - all from inner city public schools - stood up and demonstrated debate. They were confident, poised, dynamic and articulate, not to mention they were pulling pieces of evidence for their arguments from memory with ease! I was just so inspired by the obvious potential and talent that debate was able to tap for these young people, I couldn’t forget it.

Four years later, I was on track towards fulfilling career in
journalism, working as an editor for a local newspaper. Everything was
going great until I stumbled upon a job posting for a development
position with the Baltimore Urban Debate League. In that moment, I
thought to myself “This is it.” The next two months were filled with
interviews with the executive director and her board. Everyone was
worried about the fact that I had no development experience, and so
was I. But through the entire process, it was my passion for the
mission, for Baltimore City and for the education of our city’s future
- the youth - that earned me the opportunity to prove myself.
It was a little bit scary changing careers entirely, but I had always
harbored dreams of working for an organization that was truly making
an impact and change in my hometown.

CS: According to articles from some of the BUDL students, they have
commented about “finding their voices” through this program. Can you
share any stories with us about how you have seen this manifest or how
you perhaps have “found your voice” through being involved?

AM: Each year, the League hires 12 high schoolers - called “Apprentices” -
to work a couple days a week as mentors and assistant coaches to
middle school debate squads. These 12 students are also paid a small
wage to work as interns around the office a couple hours a week. At
the beginning of the school year, this group of debaters - all from
different schools - was shy and standoffish with one another. This
was to be expected since each came from a different school, a
different neighborhood and in some cases, different worlds entirely.
But, because debate is such a great tool for gaining confidence in
your voice and your opinions, these 12 high school debaters have since
warmed up to each other, and now, spend their time debating each other
around the office over things as trivial as where to sit for lunch to
as weighty and worldly as whether young people should be allowed to
vote.
Through being involved with the program and with students as full of
potential and promise as our debaters are, I can say that I have
really discovered a new appreciation for listening. Everyone has
something to say, I have learned. Many of our students come from
places where no one is listening and it is a powerful thing to see
them realize that through debate, they have a captive audience.

CS: What advice would you give to younger women who may want to follow
in your footsteps and work within a non-profit?

AM: Make sure you are passionate about the mission of the organization you
work for. With passion, the job can become so much more than just a
job. And likewise, without this passion, you may have difficulties
self-motivating to excel and progress within the field.

CS: What is your title at BUDL and can you tell us about what a typical
day is like for you?

AM: As director of development, a typical day includes writing grant
proposals, reports and other documents for our many funders to keep
them abreast of our work and up-to-speed on how we are using their
generous support.
Other tasks include corresponding with individual donors, keeping our
fundraising database current, and thinking and acting daily on the
best ways to get the word out about what we are doing and the amazing
successes of our students.
Some days, I’ll attend meetings with funders or prospective funders
and other days, I am behind the computer for the long haul. It
definitely varies day to day, and there is no shortage of things to
do, which keeps this job particularly interesting and engaging.

CS: The favorite aspect of your job is….
AM: Being able to share in the successes of our students.

CS: What’s on your ipod?
AM: Can you believe it, I don’t have an iPod!?! But, if I did, I would
have Christina Aguilera and Beyonce on repeat.

CS: Favorite past time?
AM: Running, playing squash, sitting in the sun, eating watermelon.

CS: Inspirational or meaningful quote you can share with us?
AM: “There’s no place like home.”

To find out more about the Baltimore Urban Debate League or to become involved in the support of their programs, click here.

Photo credit: Brian Burris