by Gege Tan on April 29, 2022
by Gege Tan on April 29, 2022
April is a National Volunteer Month; we celebrate the impact volunteers have on our lives and encourage active volunteerism in generations to come. Most often unpaid, volunteers donate a generous part of their lives to charitable events. As we appreciate their unwavering service, this month, IntelliPro Group spotlights three employees: Quyhn Tran, De Forest Kirkwood, Sanja Pesich, and IntelliPro's CEO, Yisu Jin, on their volunteer stories.
Quyhn Tran is a senior recruiter at IPG Montreal Team. Before the pandemic hit, she had actively volunteered at Big Brother Big Sister of West Island, an organization that helps ignite the power and potential of children and youth by pairing each of them with an adult mentor.
"Mentors see them regularly like once a week, once every two weeks whatever your schedule allows. A lot of these relationships last until the child turns 18 and then even beyond that. You are not in the program after 18, but a lot of kids actually end up staying in touch with their mentors long afterwards," said Tran.
Tran served as one of the board members, where her main responsibilities included helping make executive decisions, supporting the hiring process and fund-raising. Tran joined the organization in 2019 with a simple wish: she wanted to set a good example for her son. Tran would take her son to volunteer on holidays when he was only five years old because she believed it would open the child's eyes and teach the important message of how not to take things for granted. "It helps to bring awareness to them to say not everybody has the same luxuries as you do," said Tran.
Today, Tran continues to support the organization as an advisor. She said she looks forward to showcasing IntelliPro’s volunteer spirit by taking the Montreal team to volunteer as a team building event.
De Forest Kirkwood, one of the Business Development Managers at IntelliPro, is an avid leader of Project 43 Team Post Centers in South L.A., which aims to empower underserved children, families, and individuals by delivering programs and services designed to enrich, educate and advocate for equitable opportunities in the Hyde Park region.
“Project 43 have provided 16,000 meals since the market closed. We are looking for funding to open our kitchen that will be open 24 hours to make sure no one goes hungry,” said Kirkwood. “Donation can be made at project43la.org.”
Kirkwood said the organization was founded upon the hope of continuing the vision of Nipsey Hussle, an American rap singer who passed away in 2019, with whom Kirkwood also went to high school.
There are usually 20 to 50 volunteers throughout the week helping in different programs, giving out food and clothes and helping people get back to jobs. "[We] believe in the vision of the whole neighborhood to be in tranquility, and actually service the community with any type of positive things that can help us get to the next level," said Kirkwood.
As today's world goes through rapid technological change, STEM education is widely recognized. While study programs are provided to young children at Project 43, Kirkwood said he would still hope to see more support from tech companies. “I would love to see, not just our company but other companies, help in any type of way. It doesn't have to always be funds, it could be like a workshop, coming down teaching kids and people of the community,” said Kirkwood.
IntelliPro’s Brand and Marketing Director Sanja Pesich has been teaching at NAMI (National Alliance in Mental Illness) Santa Clara County since 2012. In hopes of supporting a family member, Pesich first took a Family-to-Family class.
Pesich describes mental illness as an "uncharted territory" for lacking enough scientific studies and public attention compared to other diseases. "We need to have a more holistic approach around it to give people living with a mental illness a chance," said Pesich.
Pesich later became a class instructor and taught classes to families on how to develop most effective strategies and offer support to loved ones living with a mental illness. "It's a very rewarding experience," said Pesich, "When we start a class, family members are in a lot of distress; they may be weeping, feeling hopeless...by the end of eight weeks, there's a complete shift. From someone who is very sad and hopeless to someone who becomes very determined," said Pesich.
NAMI Walks, a major fundraising event organized every fall, has become a great opportunity for tech companies and hospitals to take a stand. Pesich thinks that IntelliPro can create its own team for the next NAMI SCC Walk, she also thinks inviting presenters over to educate people on mental illness topics would benefit IntelliPro's employees.
Besides serving as IntelliPro's chief executive officer, Yisu Jin is also the founder of SVLC (Silicon Valley leadership Community), a non-profit organization that aims to connect American Chinese leaders in the tech industry and to inspire the younger generation of leaders through coaching and education.
Jin spends his spare time during evening time and on weekends to share lessons from his journey in entrepreneurship to student entrepreneurs at SVLC. Moreover, IntelliPro supports SVLC through generous donations. According to Jin, IntelliPro donates one percent of our profit each year to SVLC.
Jin founded SVLC in hopes of raising awareness of Asian American leaders and their potential to make meaningful contribution to tech companies. Currently, Asian American leaders are underrepresented in senior leadership roles. "I believe that American Asians work really hard, they work smart, and they have a lot of passion for technology. I believe that if Asian American leaders are granted more opportunities in senior leadership roles in the tech industry, this will benefit not only our local communities but all the people, all over the world." said Jin.
Jin remarks that the SVLC membership grew to 500 members, with most of them being from the high-tech sector. "This makes my life a lot more meaningful, the fact I am giving to the community. And that I see a lot of young people and they appreciate the effort of SVLC," said Jin.
When asked about his expectations for SVLC, Jin said he wishes SVLC to do more for a broader community and to inspire young people to find employment in the tech industry. Jin's wish is that SVLC connects with organizations across the United States, but also in the APAC countries, South Asia, Africa, and Latin America. He would like the SVLC's vision to remain strong to foster community and opportunities for world- class leaders in technology.