September 26, 2016
Name: Cassie, customer service operations and insights
Why did you become an OtterCares Ambassador:
Becoming an OtterCares ambassador quickly became a high priority because I realized that our company wasn’t great just because we make stellar cases; it is because of the culture and the passion our employees bring. My first year at Otter I felt overwhelmed with work and deadlines. It seemed like every time I finished one task, there were five more requests that had come through. Regardless of how much I wanted to use my time participating in OtterCares, I didn’t see a feasible way to help out. As I networked with people in other departments, the same pattern of being overloaded with work was repeated. Yet many found time to be part of OtterCares in real ways and felt less stressed in their day to day tasks. With the change of perspective, I went from wishing I had time to volunteer to understanding that the volunteer work was what made my work important.
Describe a volunteer activity you have been involved in that relates to the OtterCares purpose statement:
I’ve worked with organization that OtterCares supports called Pretty Brainy. The focus of Pretty Brainy is to empower girls to gain STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math). Every Saturday, a group of girls get together and learn design thinking, with the focus of their idea on solving an everyday problem.
Describe your favorite volunteer activity:
Working with Pretty Brainy, I really get to see the OtterCares mission in action. These girls want to tackle major problems with simple ideas and for them it was all possible. Because they were told they could, they did. I got it – THIS is how we solve the major problems of today. It’s not up to my own generation to fix everything, the problems are systemic in nature and it will take the innovation and philanthropy of the upcoming generations to solve what we’re band-aiding right now.
Why do you think the OtterCares purpose is important?:
OtterCares is about going after the root problem and changing how young people think about the world around them. Those of us with the means are the fuel for their fires. We provide the resources and they provide solutions. One little girl in an OtterCares funded organization could make an impact across millions of lives one day. I am one person in an incredible company that helped me be in the right place and the right time to be a part of her story.