By Amber Alarid, JVA Consulting

It’s graduation season again and young changemakers across the country are collecting advice from graduation speakers, relatives and teachers. As I listened to the shared wisdom and advice at a recent high school graduation, I began to think about the advice I would give myself if I could go back in time to my own graduation. My next few blogs will follow this theme, enlisting the help of fellow JVA staffers who will also share the best advice they have received and the top advice they would give other young professionals. The first piece of advice I will pass on to other young professionals that I believe is key: You’re never too young to start doing what you love.

I was fortunate enough to start working in the social change sector in college through academic internships. I completed more internships and practicums than was required by my department and I am so grateful for the experience I gained from each. However, since graduating, I have met more and more ambitious students starting internships in their first two years of college and even in high school. I admire these students for the proactive and enthusiastic approach they are taking early on in their careers. You are never too young to take an internship or volunteer position in the nonprofit field.

Not only have I been meeting younger interns, but I have also been meeting younger board members. I have worked with or heard about several nonprofit boards that are adopting youth advisory committees or junior board positions. If you have read my blog before, you’ve probably noticed that I bring up the importance of young people joining nonprofit boards quite a bit, so obviously the idea of students as board members is very exciting to me. For any student interested in entering the nonprofit world, I would recommend you seek out a youth advisory committee and ask one of the committee members for an informational interview (another thing I’m a big fan of) to find out what it’s like to serve in this role. If you’re already involved in an organization you really love in a volunteer role, ask your volunteer supervisor if there are any junior board or youth advisory committee positions available on the board.

Overall, the most important thing to remember is that your youth is not a limitation, it’s a strength. I did not look for internships or board positions earlier because I was worried that I didn’t have enough experience or education as a student, but when I finally dove into internships, I realized that my age was actually a benefit. My ability to move across the country for an internship through my university was a great advantage to being young, as was my ability to take unpaid internships—something most mid-career professionals can’t afford to do. Having realized this late in college, I want to encourage students to take chances and get involved in career building opportunities early. If you’ve graduated but still hesitate to take the plunge into these opportunities—don’t. The reality is that you have new ideas and experiences to bring to your favorite cause.

What advice would you give to those just entering college or their career? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.