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 | It’s making a difference for children. By empowering our nation’s youth to make better choices now, we can have a huge impact on their health and quality of life in the future. By giving them the opportunity to help others, it teaches them the importance of community service. |
I’ve always wanted to work for an organization whose mission involves making a difference in people’s lives, especially for children. My first week on the job, I received a letter from a 38-year-old heart attack survivor whose 8-year-old son came home the day after she had two stent procedures with a Jump Rope For Heart collection envelope, exclaiming, “Mom, I’m going to send all my money to the American Heart Association so they can give the money to your doctors so they can help you.” She was touched by the enthusiasm such a young person could have for a program that helped save lives like her own. Our program reminded her that there are many children with loving hearts out there who want to help. To this day, I keep a copy of this letter as a constant reminder of the passion that first brought me to the American Heart Association.
Once I had established my career as a Youth Market Director (YMD), my manager gave me the honor of serving as a mentor to new YMD hires. In addition to training new staff on best practices, sales skills and volunteer cultivation, I shared with them my enthusiasm for the job. Mentoring allowed me to learn new ideas and leadership skills. I also had the opportunity to participate on national taskforces with other YMDs throughout the country, where I was able to share my direct experiences from the field to impact the future of the Youth Market department at the national level.
Being a Youth Market Director, my greatest joy has come from being in the trenches -- working directly with volunteers, such as physical education teachers and principals, who are responsible for influencing youth. Together, we create rewarding experiences for our youth by giving them a unique opportunity to make a difference in their community, while teaching them heart healthy lessons and promoting physical activity.
My day-to-day activities consist of consulting with the 230+ Youth Market staff across the country, preparing training materials and traveling to affiliates to coach, mentor and train them on program implementation. I’m also responsible for managing Youth Market operations, including vendor relationship management, business process enhancement, program material development and much more. No two days are ever alike, which keeps my job exciting and fun!
Deepa has been with the American Heart Association since 2003:
Youth Market Director, Fort Worth Metro
Youth Market Director, Dallas Metro
Youth Market Consultant, National Center
