Review

Title: Virtual Q & A with Scholarship Committee Time: Apr 2, 2021 8 PM EST

Duration: About an hour & 20 minutes.

Location/Platform: Based in West Coast, Done on Zoom. Audience: Alumni of Boys & Girls Club Scholarships, Volunteers, Scholarship Committee

I attended this gathering a couple weeks ago, having been invited by someone from the Boys and Girl Club. I figured that I'd join in and see what it was about because I try to keep in touch with them. I also wanted a break from schoolwork, so I relaxed and listened in. The event was a virtual Q&A with a couple members of their scholarship committee. They seemed to have a lot of experience connecting with different industries to get Boys and Girl Club partnerships, funding, etc. It was nice to hear their career advice and some of the challenges they faced to get to their place. I felt the gathering's purpose was to connect with them, ask for advice, and talk about our struggles. I believe that it was successful in doing this. The tone was a bit formal because it was a structured event, however they also managed to keep it reassuring for students stressed from the pandemic and questioning their life paths.

I felt that Zoom didn't really affect the gathering because it was much like normal Q&As I've attended offline, though with Zoom there is usually one big issue I see. Online platforms can lack audience input because sometimes people don't want to talk and would rather keep their cameras off/microphones muted. Therefore what I think can be improved with these types of gatherings is more audience engagement, which I think is key to making things more memorable. You can also bring people closer over a shared experience, which I don't think was done directly other than saying stuff that people could relate to.

Overall, though, there's a few parts from this gathering that will help in planning for my own. I learned that an alternative platform would probably fit my needs more. Also, I have to keep the audience in mind, and the smaller the number means I can try to talk to every person. I'll have time constraints so I should have a general topic of discussion to keep things focused and flowing. If there's one thing to check, though, it would be my structure because that can go a long way for my goals. I can set checkpoints/reminders for myself and the audience as a guide into what we're currently doing or doing next.