Crashing The Party

 How Tagging Along to the "Gift of Communication" Worked Out

Every year (pandemic years notwithstanding) the IABC hosts an event called the "Gift of Communication." IABC professionals get together with local non-profits and assess their communication needs, offering suggestions and ideas. At this year's Hamilton event, students from Mohawk signed up to team with professional communicators and representatives from community agencies.

I didn't. To be honest, I didn't know the event was happening until the day of. I missed class the day it was announced, and I must've missed any relevant emails as well. Truth be told, I'm not a very attentive student.

But I wasn't about to let that get in the way of valuable professional experience. On the day of the event, I talked to several of my classmates who were going and secured the following information: time, location, what the event entailed.

Armed with this information (and encouraged by the enthusiasm of those classmates) I drove to the event and walked in the door. After all, what did I have to lose? I fully expected to simply observe the event and gain secondhand experience. Upon failing to find my name on their list (obviously) the organizers gave me permission to sit in on the event, take pictures, and perhaps write about the experience. I was satisfied with this result, and excited to just be present.

However, the fates intervened, for the better. Enter Elizabeth of Community Living Burlington. Elizabeth's boss had failed to properly register CLB for the event, and as a result, she was left without professional help or an assigned student team.

It was a golden opportunity, handed to me on a silver platter.

The organizers approached me with a new plan. Suddenly, I went from wallflower to impromptu self contained Mohawk student team. With no prior research I had to ascertain what CLB was, what they did, and what they might need in terms of communication. It was the deep end, and I jumped in with both feet.

The two organizers spent most of the afternoon with my team. We pitched fundraising ideas, audited their communication structures, and at the end, I gave a short talk about our accomplishments to the room.

You never know where the opportunity is going to come from. Never pass up a chance.