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Caroline Horstmann
Caroline Horstmann
01:31

Caroline Horstmann

Illumination Foundation

Orange, CA USA

"You don’t need to travel the world to get out of your comfort zone—you can do that right in your own community. You can meet people that will help you see the world through a different lens...a better lens."

Career Roadmap

Caroline's work combines: Non-Profit Organizations, Business, and Helping People

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Day In The Life

Director of Volunteers & Community Engagement

I provide opportunities for community members to volunteer and advocate for the homeless.

03:42

Day In The Life Of A Nonprofit Director of Volunteers and Community Engagement

My Day to Day

Every day is different! A typical week usually includes planning the details of a volunteer event, thanking volunteers and following up, creating new ways for the community to get involved and meeting with employees at our various sites to make sure I am up to date on the volunteer needs of our foundation.

Skills & Education

Advice for getting started

I strongly believe in listening to your heart and trusting your intuition. We only get one chance at this life. Take risks! Seek out a mentor, someone you admire within your desired profession. Stay curious!

Here's the path I took:

  • High School

  • Bachelor's Degree

    English Language and Literature, General

    Loyola Marymount University

Here's the path I recommend for someone who wants to be a Director of Volunteers & Community Engagement:

Bachelor's Degree: Human Services, General

Bachelor's Degree: Sociology, General

Graduate Degree: Social Work

Learn more about different paths to this career

Life & Career Milestones

I've taken a lot of twists and turns

  • 1.

    I've always been a passionate volunteer for causes I care about and have made volunteering an integral part of my life from a young age.

  • 2.

    Attended Loyola Marymount University (LMU)—when I first started college, I was an education major with the goal of being a teacher.

  • 3.

    I was unsure about what direction to take with my career and was fearful of getting “pigeon-holed,” so I switched my major and graduated with a degree in English.

  • 4.

    While at LMU, I took part in a service project in East Los Angeles that supported nonprofits serving the homeless population of that area.

  • 5.

    This sparked my interest in nonprofits and led to an internship with Chrysalis, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit that creates pathways to self-sufficiency for homeless and low-income individuals.

  • 6.

    After graduating, I began working for the Illumination Foundation as a site coordinator for their housing program.

  • 7.

    Decided to take over a year off in order to pursue my dream of traveling the world.

  • 8.

    When I was done traveling, I returned to the Illumination Foundation, where I now work as the director of volunteers & community engagement.

Defining Moments

How I responded to discouragement

  • THE NOISE

    Messages from Society in general:

    Why do you want to take off and travel around the world?

  • How I responded:

    I strongly believe in listening to your heart and trusting your intuition. We only get one chance at this life. Take risks! Seek out a mentor, someone you admire within your desired profession. Stay curious!

Experiences and challenges that shaped me

Click to expand

  • I was originally an education major and wanted to be a teacher. I ended up freaking about this and wasn't sure that was the right choice for me, so I switched my major to English.

  • Working with the homeless is tough on you emotionally. It is something that you constantly think about and it weighs heavily on you. You never feel like you are doing enough and your impact can take a while to be felt.