Today we’d like to introduce you to Kendall Biga.
Hi Kendall, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
When I attended The College of Charleston, I knew I wanted to join a helping profession. I grew up watching my dad practice physical therapy and loved learning about the study of movement during my undergraduate experience. My goal of studying exercise science in college was to become a physical therapist, but God had other plans for me! I tried for a few years to get into physical therapy school and decided to return to Charleston with my best friend. I had many different jobs right after college, and through those positions and life experiences, I concluded that I wanted to get into the nonprofit sphere in Charleston.
I had a friend who volunteered with Charleston Hope and saw a position opening soon within the organization. I didn’t know what it entailed, but after a few phone calls and a coffee meeting with Emily, the Executive Director, I was hooked and knew I wanted to be part of Charleston Hope! That was almost 8 years ago, and I am a better person from that interaction. I have worked for one of the most supportive organizations, learned immeasurable skills, and grown personally and professionally because of my time with Charleston Hope!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Life is full of challenges, and I have had many. My first “higher paying” job out of college was as a patient coordinator at a radiology clinic where I worked 2-11 pm. I did the same four tasks every day and would come home and cry because I hated the monotonous work- that is where I learned that my job needed to be something I was passionate about. During my first year with Charleston Hope, I served as an Americorps VISTA. For those unfamiliar, I like to describe the VISTA Program as similar to the PeaceCorps but domestic- I got paid at the poverty level and lived in Charleston, which was very challenging. That taught me firsthand that money struggles make EVERYTHING more difficult in life.
At the beginning of my time with Charleston Hope, my mom passed away. Although it was expected after over twenty years of living with Stage 4 breast cancer, walking through the grief of losing a parent as a young adult was an incredibly difficult experience. Grief always lives with you, and you learn to navigate around it and carry it with you. I was extremely blessed to have a supportive workplace within Charleston Hope. My early grief process was understood and supported in ways that I am immeasurably grateful for looking back.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I currently serve as the Operations Director for Charleston Hope, a local nonprofit that supports students’ mental health in the lowest-resourced schools in the tri-county area. As part of a small team at Charleston Hope, I wear many hats- one of the things I love about my job! I am never doing the same things; each day brings something different. I mainly work in the areas of the organization that entail finance, Human Resources, and organizational systems. I manage and maintain the financial systems, work with our Board Treasurer, oversee the onboarding process and benefits of employees, and keep our program management and donor databases working smoothly.
I am proud of how much I’ve grown in my financial abilities during the last year. I’ve taken accounting classes at Trident Tech, received a Certificate of Nonprofit Management from Georgetown University, and learned from experts in the field to improve Charleston Hope’s financial management. I am not an accountant and wouldn’t consider myself a numbers person overall, but I am proud to have grown the organization this way!
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
The most important parts of life are things we don’t see: energy, thoughts, presence, memories, emotions, and many more.
I am a big proponent of clinical counseling; everyone could benefit from therapy at some point. Therapy has helped me cope with difficult emotions and thoughts, and I am grateful for the work of Charleston Hope to increase access to therapy and mental health services. I used to think that I had “thin skin,” felt things too deeply, or was too sensitive, but through therapy, I have been able to realize that empathy is a tool that I use to connect with others on a deeper level and genuinely care about those around me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.charlestonhope.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charleston_hope/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/charlestonhope12
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kendall-biga-4850b928/
