Rosemary Tatum

At an early age, I was drawn to the nonprofit sector. My mother was a German immigrant. She spent most of her childhood in an orphanage and was sent to the US at 14 years of age to live with her aunt. For most of my childhood, my mother and I depended heavily on the kindness of others to survive. There were so many individuals and nonprofit organizations that helped us along the way. I promised myself that when I was able, I would give back to the world in the way so many others gave to us. I spent most of my 20s working in the banking sector, where I was fortunately allowed to lead volunteer initiatives with my colleagues. However, it was the punching of numbers in a small cubicle that didn’t really appeal to me. So, in my late 20s, I decided it was time for a change. I went back to school and, in 2013, graduated with a degree in Global Studies focusing on peace, conflict, and human rights, as well as minors in nonprofit management and Spanish. For the last 10 years, I have worked and volunteered with several nonprofits. From small international organizations focused on education, environmental protection, and sustainable farming to more localized organizations that repaired homes for low-income homeowners and helped the terminally ill. In all of my nonprofit adventures, one thing stood out to me - none of the organizations could fulfill their mission without volunteers. Early on, I placed my focus on developing and scaling volunteer programs that best suit the needs of the organization. I now work with ENGin, where I lead a volunteer program with nearly 11,000 active volunteers from 130 countries. These volunteers fill a very specific need by helping young Ukrainians improve their English fluency and cross-cultural understanding, making a significant impact individually and in the long-term growth of Ukraine. Most importantly, we are bringing together people across the globe of different ages and backgrounds, providing the opportunity for deep and meaningful connections.

Many things! Finding my role in making the world a better place, creating or building things, and my most recent passion - figuring out how to tell my family’s story and diminish the unknown for future generations.

Spend one hour a week talking with a stranger, someone from a different culture, country, religion, or upbringing. You’ll find that we are more similar than not.