Hello VFA Community! My name is Bijoy Shah, I am a 2022 Venture For America Fellow, and I recently graduated from Boston College where I studied Finance, Entrepreneurship, and Managing for Social Impact and the Public Good. When thinking about the Fellowship, I loved and was nervous about the 13 cities. Coming from the suburbs of Chicago and going to school in Boston, I knew how to navigate big cities and loved being a part of that community. On my drive to Wayne State for Training Camp, all I could think about was how nervous I was to go through another “college orientation” or “welcome week” environment. What I forgot was that everyone was in the same boat as me, which made for the start of some great friendships.
Everyday during Training Camp, we would listen to a wide array of guest speakers to learn about our personal brand, networking, and everything in between. These workshops each taught me something new about myself but the most important part of Training Camp for me were the spontaneous events the Fellows planned together at night. We did everything from watching a “free” Elton John concert on a rooftop outside Comerica Park to taking a group biking tour around Detroit. Exploring a brand new city with brand new people was way more fun than I had anticipated. This is what made my training camp experience so special and is the reason why a few of my peers and I have committed to visiting all 13 cities before the end of our Fellowships. I can safely say that I have VFA friends to visit in all the cities (and a couch as well)!
On top of the other Fellows, we also met important leadership in the VFA Community and they were able to answer questions about the organization and its future. This session was a great way to see that everyone in the VFA community cares about the Fellows’ success and will help us in any way possible. This was also a great launching pad into what comes after Training Camp. The ‘22 Fellows are already excited about giving back to VFA and helping with selecting the next class of Fellows – I know I am! I’m very excited about creating a bigger name for VFA at Boston College and encouraging more students to take this, more non-traditional career path. Personally, I am already thankful that I did and I am very excited to start working for a Company Partner in just a few short weeks.
Training Camp was a great way to kick off my VFA experience and I am looking forward to engaging with the community for these next two years and beyond!