Tonight, I went to a happy hour hosted by my company to bid farewell to one of our colleagues, who has left the company to travel to Bali for a month, and then will be joining her boyfriend in his small marketing company. It’s always sad to see colleagues leave who you like, and though I didn’t have much time to get to know her, she’ll be missed a lot. She was one of only five women in our office of about 27, and she’s also very outspoken about human and women’s rights.

Since she has left, the company needs a new ambassador to lead volunteer efforts for our Impact Weeks throughout the year, so our philanthropic leader reached out to me to ask if I’d be willing to fill her spot. I accepted and figured this would be a good way to get to know more people in our small office, and also establish myself more as a leader in general. It’s a great thing to be part of an organization that actively encourages volunteerism, even if it’s during regular work hours. It’s not just about us; it’s about the world and everyone else who has less than us.