Examining the ideal and the practical

Hodan had bright eyes that smiled despite her weariness. At 28, she was the mother of six — and a refugee. Her family had fled from Somalia during the civil war, and 10 years later she returned home to a land that offered very little in terms of possibility. Hodan settled on the periphery in Sheikh Noor, a makeshift camp settlement for repatriated refugees and internally displaced persons. Eight people crowded into one shelter, a Somali aqual made from the roots of a acacia tree and covered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) plastic tarps. Her husband did not work, but instead spent his days chewing chat with the other local men. I met Hodan on my fourth day in the country when I went to Sheik Noor to observe a grassroots income generation project. It was loan disbursement day, and Hodan was the recipient of the next sum of money to start her own small business, a small tea kiosk. She was part of a local women's group that had organized to develop a familial social and economic support network. In Hodan and her friends I saw heroic strength and hope. I saw the potential for women to access greater resources and opportunities — the very root of social change.

Hodan's story is not isolated, and during my time with the International Rescue Committee, a nongovernmental organization dedicated to refugee relief, I met remarkable individuals with tales of heartbreak and triumph. I left for Somalia two weeks after graduating, and not a day goes by when I don't think about Hodan, or why I decided to enter the nonprofit sector. This choice has been overwhelmingly satisfying. I love what I do, and for this I am grateful. However, with such a decision my life has also moved in a very different direction than many of my classmates (and even closet friends).

The nonprofit world is one in which organizations are formed for the purpose of serving a public or mutual benefit — a goal other than the pursuit of profit, that is. Institutionally, nonprofits can vary substantially in their financial resources, working environments and organizational culture, but the notion of nonprofits as "softer" than the corporate sector is misguided. Many are busy, understaffed organizations facing a different set of challenges and pressures than those of the financial industry. Nonprofit organizations are ultimately about commitment to a cause and thus require dedication and strong conviction.

When considering a choice between the nonprofit and corporate sectors, one must be honest with himself or herself about what is a priority after graduation. Idealism and economic practicality may seem at odds. The ideal consideration for a career choice is to pursue something that sparks your passion, but economic practicality dictates that you pursue something generating enough income to support your lifestyle. By accepting a job in the nonprofit sector, you may be on a different economic level than many of your friends in the corporate sector. If you are committed to your work and have a sense of purpose, however, there is no amount of money that can offer this same reward.

Making a mature, well-measured decision can be difficult, but you ultimately must be satisfied to feel fulfilled. Balancing the economic responsibility of being a financially independent adult with the happiness of doing what you love is not impossible. It just requires a bit of personal candor and self-reflection before you walk through the gates on graduation day.

Erin Ferenchick '00 is the former executive director of Princeton in Africa. She is currenly a graduate student at Columnbia University.