Unlocked 100 Volunteer Spotlight: Upasna Parikh

For Upasna, volunteering has been about more than giving her time. Through Emerging Leaders, she has taken on a range of experiences, from designing an annual report for a nonprofit in Alberta to helping coordinate a mentorship program and contributing to the Youth Steering Committee. Along the way, she has built new skills, expanded her network and discovered the value of doing something simply because she wants to give back.

After reaching more than 100 volunteer hours, Upasna shares what inspired her to get involved, the challenges she faced, and why her biggest piece of advice to other young people is simple: start small and try it.

1. Tell us a little about your volunteer role. What kinds of projects or activities have you been involved in?

I've had quite a few different experiences. One of my first roles was helping to develop an end-of-year report for Street Sisters Society, a nonprofit in Alberta. I also helped coordinate interviews between mentors and mentees as part of the Women in Leadership and Emerging Leaders mentorship program, including helping with mentor-mentee matching and monthly events.

I'm also still involved with the Youth Steering Committee, where I participate in monthly meetings, discuss new opportunities and bring forward ideas.

2. What first inspired you to start volunteering, and what has motivated you to continue for more than 100 hours?

I like giving back to the community and getting involved with people. I also enjoy trying new things and taking on opportunities that aren't necessarily part of my regular work.

"Volunteering gives me opportunities that I don’t always have through work."

Volunteering has also helped me continue building my portfolio of experiences and opportunities. Reaching 100 hours was a bit of a sprint at first, when I had more time available, but consistency helped me get there.

3. What is one moment or accomplishment from your volunteer experience that makes you especially proud?

One of my first experiences, creating the end-of-year report for Street Sisters Society, stands out. I was able to take the information they already had and make it more visually engaging and easier to follow. I worked on the report independently and at my own pace.

“It was rewarding to know that something I created was being shared with the team, partners, sponsors and stakeholders.”

4. How do you think your volunteer work has made a difference for your organization or community?

One example was the mentorship program. Because I knew we were looking for mentors with experience in specific industries and sectors, I was able to reach out to people in my network who I thought would be a good fit.

They ended up committing their time to the program for its full duration. It was rewarding to know that I could use my own network to help connect the right people with an opportunity to make a difference.

With the Street Sisters Society report, it was also meaningful to know that something I created was being shared with different stakeholders.

"You develop a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction that you're able to give something back."

5. Volunteering can come with challenges too. What is one challenge you faced, and what helped you work through it?

The biggest challenge was finding the time, especially when I started working full-time while continuing to volunteer.

There were times when I had to fit interviews and meetings around my work schedule, sometimes during lunch or between other commitments. I learned to be much better at time management and prioritizing what needed to get done.

One thing that helped was clearly communicating my availability upfront and finding times that worked for everyone.

6. Has this experience helped you become more confident, speak up, or share your ideas? Tell us about a moment when you noticed that growth.

Definitely. Volunteering has helped me develop different skill sets and become more confident in what I can contribute.

It has also helped me grow my network. I've met people with more years of experience and people in leadership roles who I can now reach out to because we've worked or volunteered together.

I also found that volunteering gave me a sense of belonging outside of work. When you do things outside your job, you have other communities and connections that become part of your life.

7. What is one skill, lesson, or connection you gained through volunteering that you think will help you in the future?

One of the biggest skills I've developed is delegation. Through experiences like helping with mentor-mentee matching, I learned more about figuring out who is best suited for different responsibilities based on their strengths.

That's something I've been able to carry into my professional life when thinking about how to divide tasks and get the best results from a team.

I've also developed my Canva and design skills, but I would say I gained more soft skills overall through my volunteer experiences.

8. What would you say to another young person who wants to volunteer but isn't sure where, or how, to begin?

Just try it. 

“You can join a committee, listen in on a meeting, put forward your ideas, or take on a small role that interests you.”

You're going to learn something either way. You might discover that you love it, or you might discover that a particular opportunity isn't for you or doesn't fit your schedule. Either way, you learn from the experience.

For me, it started with finding one position that interested me, filling out a simple form and having an informal interview. From there, I kept taking on more opportunities, including longer-term involvement with the Youth Steering Committee.

Upasna's Takeaway

For Upasna, one of the biggest benefits of volunteering has been the network she's built along the way.

"It's crazy how fast your network grows, and also, you never know when it comes full circle to using that big network."

Her experience is a reminder that volunteering doesn't have to start with a huge commitment. 

One opportunity, one connection or one small role can be the beginning of something much bigger.