At a North American Cup, it’s easy to think only about strips, seedings and schedules — but what if tournament weekends could also be about service and leaving a city better than we found it? Recorded live at the Junior Olympics in Kansas City, Bryan Wendell sits down with five young leaders from DoGood: Theo Lin (Founder & Head of Community Engagement), Catalina Berrios (Head of Social Media), Ryan Katz (Head of Communications), Ava Kwon (Trainee / future Communications & High School Engagement), and Lucas Suba (Head of Registration & Onsite Project Management). They share how DoGood started, how they build partnerships in each host city, why they switched to GivePulse to streamline volunteer registration, and what it looks like to measure success in impact — not just hours. Plus: how students can earn service-hour verification, what projects they love most (yes, animal shelters), and where they hope DoGood goes next. Find DoGood at fencersdogood.org — and next time you’re at a NAC, consider volunteering.
Theo Lin — Founder & Head of Community Engagement
Catalina Berrios — Head of Social Media
Ryan Katz — Head of Communications
Ava Kwon — Trainee (future Communications & High School Engagement)
Lucas Suba — Head of Registration & Onsite Project Management
Why Theo founded DoGood after missing school service days for NAC travel
How DoGood finds and books volunteer projects in each host city
Favorite project types: animal shelters, food pantries, Ronald McDonald House, homeless shelters
Telling the story the right way: gratitude and joy, not “look at us”
Getting the word out: local media, USA Fencing e-blasts, and an on-site NAC table
The logistics: having a leadership point person at every project
The switch to GivePulse and how it makes registration + tracking easier
Service hours: verification, certificates, and tracking (plus who to email)
Succession planning: training the next leaders so DoGood doesn’t disappear after graduation
The big vision: DoGood as the “ketchup to French fries” of volunteering at fencing events — and eventually beyond fencing
DoGood website: fencersdogood.org
Instagram: @fencersdogood
Service hours verification: highschool@fencersdogood.org
Going to your next NAC? Sign up for a DoGood project and spend a couple hours giving back — you’ll leave the city with more than just bout results.
SEASON 2, EPISODE 21
[INTRODUCTION]
[0:00:01] BW: At a North American Cup, many of us are thinking about strips and seedings and schedules. But what if the tournament weekend could also be about service and about leaving a city better than we found it? That's exactly what the folks from DoGood are doing. So today on First to 15, we're here in Kansas City at the Junior Olympics, and we're talking with five of these young leaders who are redefining what it means to be a fencer. They're turning NACs into opportunities to give back to the community and make a real impact.
I'm Bryan Wendell with USA Fencing. And in this episode, we've got five folks from DoGood. We've got Theo Lin, who is the founder and the Head of Community Engagement. We've got Catalina Berrios, who is the Head of Social Media. Ryan Katz, who is the Head of Communications. Ava Kwon, who is a trainee right now but is working her way into a leadership role as some of the leadership team graduates. And she'll be doing communications and high school engagement. And then we've got Lucas Suba, who's the Head of Registration and Onsite Project Management.
And if you hear any announcements, that is proof that we are live here at the NAC. So, please disregard those, and we'll have a great conversation. Welcome, guys. Thanks for being here.
[0:01:08] TL: Thank you so much for having us.
[0:01:08] RK: Thank you.
[0:01:10] BW: Okay, so we're going to talk about your projects that you've been doing all season long and for a few seasons now. But Theo, I think it's helpful for those who maybe aren't as familiar with DoGood to take us back to the beginning and how this all started.
[0:01:23] TL: Yeah. In my freshman year of high school, I'm a junior now, I came up with the idea of DoGood. It was really the combination of many factors, both in my environment and my upbringing. I think the most impactful one was probably my school. At my school, we have a very big emphasis on community service. In fact, every year in the spring and the fall, we have two days where we don't have any classes, and it's just purely dedicated to going into the community and volunteering at local organizations.
And I would normally miss one or both of these days for NACs, and I would come back the Monday after, and all my friends would be talking about how much fun they had. And they'd be like, "Theo, where did you volunteer?" And I'd have to tell them, "I didn't. I was fencing." And it was kind of like an impostor syndrome, almost. That kind of stuck with me. And I wanted to find a way that I can still give back while fencing. And then secondly, my family has always also had a large focus on giving back and caring for others. That's kind of how I came up with the idea to start DoGood.
[0:02:33] BW: Yeah. And Catalina, when you first heard about this idea, how did you get on board? And how do you like balance at a NAC or at a junior Olympics to do a job which is defense, but also there is time to give back as well? First, how did you get involved, and then also how do you balance that kind of dichotomy in your head?
[0:02:54] CB: I started a little later than all of the ones here, but when I did get on the team, it was an interesting experience trying to get into the move of things. In the beginning, I had a little trouble with time management and just trying to organize myself, but now I'm at a point where we can kind of plan ahead before a really big competition or any competition at all. And then we have posts that we do during the competition that have already been created. So, if it's a little more organized.
[0:03:22] BW: Makes it a little bit more manageable.
[0:03:23] CB: Yeah.
[0:03:24] BW: And then Ryan, how do you get the word out about these projects? Because everyone is coming from, in the case of Junior Olympics, 40 different states. So it's not as if you can just say, "Hey, there's one easy way to communicate to everybody."
[0:03:37] RK: Yeah. There's a variety of ways that we use to try and spread the word about what we're doing here, especially the Junior Olympics. One of the main things we do is we'll make press releases that we send out to local news organizations in hopes that maybe one of them will pick it up and help spread the word. Also, when we work with you, sending out e-blasts through USA Fencing really helps because that gets the attention of fences who are already coming, and especially parents.
And then we also – as of this season, we've started running a table at the NAC. So just having that really useful to connect with fencers and parents on site. And then from there, we can spread the word. And hopefully even if they're not going to volunteer at this NAC, maybe they'll volunteer at the next NAC, and that's a really big thing.
[0:04:25] BW: And Ava, we called you kind of a trainee and a future leader of this group. How did you get involved, and when did you first hear about DoGood and the work that these others are doing?
[0:04:35] AK: Last season, I think we saw some DoGood events like posted on Instagram, and me and my friends, we all saw it. So we decided to go to one of the projects together. And then after that, then I think we also saw that it was during the time that they were trying to get more applicants to be a part of DoGood. So then I just thought that it'd be a good way to have community service. And so I did the application interview. And then, yeah.
[0:05:05] BW: Yeah. So more than just volunteering, you were like, I want to be a part of the leadership team as well and help plan these things. And actually, Lucas, speaking of planning, USA Fencing announces, "Okay, we're holding our next tournament in Kansas City." And then it's part of your job to find those opportunities, right, within Kansas City?
[0:05:25] TL: That's actually my role.
[0:05:27] BW: Okay. So, you find the opportunities. And then together you work on registration and things like that.
[0:05:33] TL: Yes.
[0:05:35] BW: So, I'm actually interested in both angles. Lucas, let's start. Once the opportunities have been identified and Theo finds connections within the community, how do you handle all of the logistics of getting the right people to the right places?
[0:05:48] LS: We actually just moved to a new website called GivePulse, a new registration website. But before, how we handled it was you go to our website, you fill out this form, it would be what event you want to do, what NAC, your email, stuff like that, so we can get in contact with you. And then the old registration system was kind of very meticulous because we have to send individual emails to individual people. We have to contact them and send them the location, what to wear, what we're going to do. That was very complicated.
But like I just mentioned, we switched over to a new registration software where now it's easier to track who's doing what, who's doing what we're supposed to be doing, and also tracking the data. How many hours we did this NAC? Or who did the most hours? I would say the new registration system, GivePulse, has given us a better opportunity to be more organized when it comes to registration because it is very important to tell people and tell these volunteers where to go and what to do.
[0:06:46] BW: Yeah, absolutely. It's been so cool watching kind of the evolution of the DoGood website, and the registration, and the social media, graphics. Everything has been – it's just been really impressive what you all have done. Theo, going back to what we were saying earlier, you find the city, and you've got to find opportunities. What kinds of projects are you looking for? Again, let's assume that people aren't as familiar with what you all are doing in a given city, specifically. And then how do you connect with these community leaders to say, "Hey, we've got some fencers we want to come help."
[0:07:17] TL: That's a great question. We're really open to any kind of project. The only ones I really try to avoid are ones that might – some people might want to avoid either for religious reasons or just personal beliefs. But we've done everything from homeless shelters. We love to do Ronald McDonald houses. The Ronald McDonald House in Columbus was actually the first organization we ever partnered with. So, we've always had a special place in our hearts for them.
And we love food pantries, animal shelters, anything and everything. I really personally like the animal shelters because who doesn't like playing with dogs and cats? But once I do research the organizations online, I'll send them an email, and usually the email is what gets through. If it's not, I'll just shoot them a call. But it's all just through email and phone.
[0:08:14] BW: Yeah. And some of the opportunities here in Kansas City, one of them is an animal shelter, right? Just to give an example. And then Catalina, when it comes to telling the stories of what's happening at this, what do you see as the right way to do that? You want to show not that people are doing it for recognition, but part of it is showing that, right? And showcasing that, "Hey, we said we were going to do these things, and we actually did." What's your kind of philosophy there?
[0:08:40] CB: I feel like it's really an important thing not only, like you said, to get recognition but also to feel good while you're doing the volunteer event. And when I'm making a post or when my team are making posts, I really enjoy trying to show that kind of happiness and that feeling of gratitude that the volunteers are feeling. That's when I use pictures, I try to pick which ones have people really enthusiastic about what they're doing. And maybe the recipient, with a smile or something.
[0:09:12] BW: Mm-hmm. Yeah, that's great. You kind of need to do that. And then Ryan, talk to me a little bit more about local media because it's great to not just show that fencing is here and you can – part of what I do in my job is try to get media to come out and watch the tournament, and get more exposure for fencing. But you're specifically thinking let's not just show that there's a competition happening, but that these are actually good human beings who are here in Kansas City more than just to stay at a hotel a couple of nights and compete.
[0:09:42] RK: Yeah. In terms of local media, I think what we're really trying to do is bring attention to the impact that fencers are having. I feel like there's a common misconception that fencing is a very individual sport, and that a lot of people, like you said, just come to the tournaments, sit at the hotels. They fence, they leave. And I feel like what we're trying to do is definitely try to break that stigma and kind of make it seem more how it actually is. That at end of the day, fencers are still – we're just people, you know. I feel like we want to bring attention to the other aspects of what fencers do, and one that is making differences in their communities, making differences in communities across the country. Through local media and just media in general, we're really able to bring a spotlight onto what fences are doing here just outside of fencing itself.
[0:10:35] BW: Yeah, I love that. Ava, can you talk about it from that perspective, as well as someone who has signed up for one of these and is now taking on a leadership role? Because, I mean, really, we could be in any random city, right? And you could just go to the convention center, hotel, repeat, and then back to the airport and go home. But what DoGood is doing is trying to say that we want to leave a positive impact on whatever city US fencing puts us in, right? Why is that important to you as a fencer to do more than just compete when you come to a city in the US?
[0:11:09] AK: To me, being able to travel to these different cities, you see so many different communities that I wouldn't have seen before if it wasn't for fencing. And being able to be a part of DoGood, it makes you feel really good to know that you're coming here and making an impact before you just come and just leave.
[0:11:25] BW: Yeah, it's more lasting for sure. And then Lucas, the scheduling, I think we can dive in a little bit to that because I'm really interested in how do you design these opportunities and the timing, not knowing exactly what the tournament schedule is going to be. In other words, the hours of that. And maybe this is Theo. Maybe you could speak to this as well.
[0:11:45] TL: Yeah.
[0:11:45] LS: Theo is a lot more on that aspect. I think he could talk about that.
[0:11:49] BW: Yeah, please go ahead.
[0:11:50] TL: We try to schedule our events as far out as possible. I believe I'm pretty sure we're actually done through March already.
[0:11:59] BW: Which means the day schedule or the time schedule isn't even out yet.
[0:12:03] TL: Yeah. So, we just do it blindly, honestly. That always comes with the drawback that not everyone is going to be able to make the event. For example, at the fencing demo today, I'm going to be fencing. So I can't go. Ava is going to be running it. But we figure it out after the fact because we found this way works better because it allows us to get everything done ahead of time, and it's just less stressful overall.
[0:12:29] BW: Yeah. And then Lucas, can you speak to the balance of what happens on site and how the volunteers can feel supported when they're actually participating in the project?
[0:12:42] LS: Yeah. So, we kind of balance that by having at least one of our DoGood leadership team members at every single event that we host. We've been doing that since the start of DoGood. I remember when I did my first project, I had to be kind of the point man. I was telling people what to do, where to go, where to stand, and kind of coordinating with the actual organization that we're with. Asking them questions ahead of time, like, "Oh, how many people are you expecting? What are we expecting to do?" And then kind of bringing that to the actual event.
For onsite, I think for people to look for a reference, I think we try to have at least one DoGood leadership person there. It's not chaotic where it's like a free-for-all, that there's someone who actually knows about the organization, what we're going to do, and how we're going to approach today.
[0:13:30] BW: Yeah, you need that on-site point person. For any of you, can we talk about the most rewarding moment that you've had so far? Whether it's a specific project, a recipient of the volunteer work who came up to you and said, "Hey, thank you so much?" Or some other moment that you've experienced. If anybody wants to jump in first.
[0:13:51] RK: I think I can take it.
[0:13:52] BW: Yeah, please.
[0:13:53] RK: I think Theo kind of touched on this a little earlier, but one of our first projects at, I think, last year's Summer National – no, the year before that, was Ronald McDonald House Charities in Columbus. And what we did is we helped set up rooms for the people who are staying there while their kids are going through treatment, and they need a place to stay just to be close to them. And I think that was the most rewarding to me just because, as I was walking away from it, it just kind of dawned on me that what we did today is going to help people in the long run.
These parents now don't have to spend time cleaning their rooms, setting their rooms up. They can go be with the people that matters, their kids. I think for me, especially, that kind of gave me the realization that what we're doing is not just quantifiable through service hours and things like that. It's making a real difference for a large community of people. And I think for me, that's really what DoGood's all about at the end of the day.
[0:14:53] BW: Speaking of service hours, show of hands. How many of you have to have service hours for your school specifically? Okay. How does it work with DoGood? Is there some way that those fencers who participate get proof, I guess is the word, that they've completed these service hours here while they're at a tournament? What's the process there?
[0:15:12] TL: That's for our head of high school engagement, Esha. We have, first of all, a database of high schools that accept our hours across the nation. Of course, if your high school isn't in that database, you can always just ask them. Usually, they accept it because we are a legal 501(c)(3). And so Esha creates certificates of hours. And, actually, now, through our new system, GivePulse, you can track your own hours.
[0:15:39] BW: Ah, perfect.
[0:15:40] TL: If you ever need certification, you just email Esha at highschool@fencersdogood.org.
[0:15:48] BW: Perfect. I mean, again, you're not doing it just for the service hours. But if that's something you have to do anyway, why not, right? And make it as part of your fencing tournament.
[0:15:55] TL: Yeah, of course.
[0:15:58] BW: That's awesome. Catalina, the leadership role as well, why was it important to you to take on a leadership role in this instead of just saying, "Hey, I'm going to try to do one of the service projects every time I'm at a NAC?"
[0:16:11] CB: So, I really thought that, and I still think that making a real difference is by being a leader. It was really important to me because I wanted to have the most impact on the community. So, what better way than to be head of the outreach, essentially, when a lot of young teenagers or just people in general are on social media, and extend the reach that way. I was really inspired by the fact that I could reach so many people and also make a difference myself that way.
[0:16:43] BW: Yeah. Ava, what do you think are some reasons why people wouldn't participate in a project? And how are you and the other leadership team members trying to overcome those concerns that students might have?
[0:16:58] AK: I think that most people are probably trying to just focus on their fencing. And so if they see that there's a project the same day that they're fencing, they're probably not going to want to do it because they want to focus on their fencing. But I think that we're trying to make the projects, especially since the NACs that are more longer, like over the weekend, make more projects that are the multiple days. So that if they're fencing one day, then they can go the next day to a project.
[0:17:24] BW: Yeah. Give people a lot of options. And Lucas, you're graduating soon, right? So, what do you hope to see once you're in college and looking back on what DoGood is up to? What do you hope to see as kind of the legacy and the continuing impact of this group that you helped to create?
[0:17:39] LS: Yeah. So, obviously, I still want to be a part of DoGood even if I graduate. If that's just as an alumni where maybe I'll show up to a national and I'll do a project with them. Or maybe if it's one of the traineees, the future trainees or one of the leaders who need advice on how to handle something, I'm always going to be there for them, just to let them know.
But I think what we want to do as an organization is not to just be at Fencers DoGood, but maybe expand to other sports and expand to a wider variety of projects that we're allowed to do. At the end of the day, athletics and needing to do good as an athlete come hand-in-and. So, I think as an organization, we want to pair up with other sports, not just fencing-related ones, like we have with Course for a Cause and all the other ones. We want to pair up with ones that maybe for football, hockey. Kind of grow this community service event or community service outreach thing that we have with these other sports. Not only will fencing get the recognition. But, also, sports as a whole will grow as an identity.
[0:18:41] RK: If I can just build on that quickly. Obviously, yeah, Lucas, Esha, and I will all be leaving. But I think, at least in my mind, the main two things is, first, as Lucas said, support for the people who are stepping into our roles. Because, obviously, not only is it a big time commitment. It comes with a lot of things that you don't often expect. It takes a lot of time management, it takes a lot of – you got to have all hands on deck. It takes a lot of work.
Just us having the knowledge of what goes into these roles will make it a lot easier, for example, Ava and the people who are coming after us to kind of seamlessly step into those roles. But also, as Luca said, I think the evolution of DoGood is I think the main thing that we're looking for. And, obviously, who's to say what that means? That could mean a lot of things.
But I remember Theo, Lucas, Catalina, and I, and Esha, we've all seen how DoGood good started from basically two projects at a NAC to where we are now. And I think two years ago, I don't think – I can't speak for everyone, but I don't know if we all saw that it would end up like this. Just seeing how DoGood has progressed throughout the years, I think the sky's is the limit really on where it can go. And I think we're all just looking to see just what new heights we can all reach with DoGood.
[0:19:58] BW: Yeah. And Theo, it was originally Fencers DoGood, and now it's DoGood, which speaks to Lucas's point that this doesn't just have to be fencers. And it occurs to me, you mentioned team sports, Lucas, that it's actually in some ways that would be perfect because you could say this entire team is going to go and participate in this project. Theo, what do you see as the two, three-year plan for this organization?
[0:20:20] TL: Yeah. So, in the short term, I think I really want DoGood to become just a clearing house for volunteerism and fencing. I want it to be like, when you think of volunteering at a NAC, it's just like, "Oh, DoGood." When you think of French fry, you think of ketchup, that sort of thing.
And then maybe more long term, we can expand into individual sports first. A lot of my friends play sports like squash, and I know that their event format can be a little similar to ours. I definitely think there's potential there. But in the short term, I just want to focus on expanding our reach within the fencing community.
[0:20:58] BW: Yeah, that makes a ton of sense. And then for any of you, really, is there something that you haven't accomplished or experienced yet in DoGood that you still want to see happen? Something that a specific goal or a big picture step that you'd like to see either personally or for DoGood.
[0:21:17] TL: My dream for do good would be kind of to make it very self-sufficient. I know right now that a lot of us really have to have a large role with our trainees and their training. Of course, that's expected. But I hope that within the next 2 to 3 years, these trainees will be trained very well by our current leaders, of course, such that DoGood will be able to run very smoothly and efficiently.
[0:21:42] AK: Yeah. kind of like the trainee are under us leaders and then eventually the trainee become leaders and they train their own trainee. Kind of like a system that repeats.
[0:21:51] TL: Exactly.
[0:21:52] BW: I mean, you do see a in a lot of like high school projects, there isn't that succession planning. And so it's like when the mastermind of it all graduates, then it just evaporates. And you guys are preventing that from happening through training the next generation, I guess we could call it. Ryan, how about measuring success? How do you know that, "Okay, JOs was successful." And maybe you could talk generally or specifically from a communication standpoint how much reach or engagement you're seeing?
[0:22:23] RK: Yeah, obviously there are multiple ways to kind of quantify success. I feel like a lot of people might look at it at just, "Oh, how many service hours did we award this NAC? How many people signed up for these projects?" But I feel for me especially, I kind of view it more as just how big was our impact at the end of the day. Because we're a volunteer organization, our entire goal is to set up these projects so that people, ourselves included, can make a difference within these communities.
I think that even if maybe for one NAC our turnout isn't as big as we'd have hoped it to be, if I'm able to walk away from the NAC and say that we helped all these people and we made a really big impact on this community, then I think, for me, I would consider that NAC successful.
And I guess looking at it on a communications side too, it kind of all builds on that because my whole job is to try and bring eyes to what we're doing here. And if that helps bring more people to try out one of the art projects and add to this impact that we're building, I feel like at that point that just betters our success. I feel, especially for me, it's just looking at how big our impact was and just being able to see all the people that we've helped, no matter how small what we've done is.
[0:23:45] BW: Yeah, that's well said. Ava, what's your message to someone who's watching, maybe they're a fencer, signed up for February NAC, March NAC, thinking about going to summer nationals, right? Who's like, "Is this something I should sign up for? Should I participate in one of these projects?"
[0:24:00] AK: I would definitely tell them that they should because it feels really good to know that you didn't just come there to fence. As I said before, you get to leave knowing that you helped them. And the projects, they're not hard to do. They're very easy. It's not difficult, and they're not very time-consuming. You're there for a couple hours, and you make a big difference for these people.
[0:24:25] TL: I can also speak to that. I've certainly met a lot of new people and made new friends through DoGood projects. One that sticks out to me the most is in Atlantic City last year. We're at a homeless shelter, and I met this man who survived the Vietnam War, and then he got his PhD from Colombia. And then he ended up at the shelter at Stone who lived there. So, I think it's really amazing to meet all these new people and learn their stories and about their life.
[0:24:55] BW: Yeah. Some stuff that you definitely wouldn't have experienced if you had just locked yourself in a convention center the entire time. Yeah. Lucas, can you talk about the vibe of one of these projects? Is it a lot of people just having a fun time and some familiar faces, some people that you've maybe seen but never actually talked to?
[0:25:15] LS: Yeah. So, I think as an organization, we always want to be formal. You always want to be serious. But at the end of the day, it's run by high schoolers. It's run by children. It's run by kids. And our target audience is high school students and fencers who are younger. So I think we try to keep it kind of vibes, as in how the people or how the volunteers are feeling. We try to keep some of our projects like we mentioned before, dog shelters and other stuff like that. We also recently started doing fencing demonstrations. Trying to keep it fun, interesting, engaging.
I think the overall vibe we're trying to go for is not fully family-friendly and also not really that serious, but somewhere in the middle where we can balance a good amount of fun, but a good amount of realizing that you're doing a good thing here, and you should be proud of that.
[0:26:03] BW: Yeah, I think that's really smart. And Theo, what's been the response from the adults, whether it's parents, coaches, USA Fencing leaders? I know our CEO, Phil, is very supportive of you all and your work. What have you heard that has kind of encouraged you and said, "Hey, I'm really on to something here?"
[0:26:22] TL: First of all, I just want to thank USA Fencing for all the support. We couldn't have done it without y'all. But I think that generally adults are pretty impressed with us at what we're doing, and they're generally very supportive. I know that my coach at my club, I'm sure their coaches are all very supportive, and they're always encouraging my clubmates to go and sign up. It's really just been a great response.
For something that an adult has told me, that's really encouraged me. I forget who it was, but I remember at one of the projects, one of the parents of one of the people who signed up, they told me that this is amazing and that they would have never thought that a high schooler could put this all together. I think that just really was a cool moment for me.
[0:27:09] BW: Yeah. If it comes across as this is something that USA Fencing professionals have been putting together. And honestly, it's better than what we would have done. Well done there. Catalina, if you're talking to an interviewer down the road and they see this on your resume, how do you explain what you've done here and what you've taken away from it?
[0:27:28] CB: Well, the best way I would explain what I've done here is I've extended the outreach via social media, and I've made a difference by volunteering and allowing others to volunteer more seamlessly. And what was the second part of the question?
[0:27:44] BW: Yeah. And then just how has this impacted you and the way that you kind of see the world, and when it changes it?
[0:27:50] CB: Yeah. So on that part, I would definitely say that I've learned how to manage my time more efficiently and being more organized in general. Being kind of social media is really like a meticulous task. There's a lot of meticulous tasks that require a lot of detail. And learning how to manage your time and be organized, like I said, really helped me and make my life a lot easier, honestly.
[0:28:17] BW: And Ryan, I'd love to kind of ask you the same question. As you're graduating, if someone sees this and they say, "Hey, what was this all about?" It's so difficult, right? Because it's like one line on a resume that represents so many hours of work and dedication, and you got to explain it all in what, 30 seconds or less, right?
[0:28:40] RK: I think I would definitely echo a lot of Catalina's points. I think time management was by far one of the biggest things I had to learn. But my main takeaway from DoGood has just been being part of a team and being present within it. Because obviously, this all only works because we are always working together, giving it our all, putting 100% into everything we're doing.
And I just think that it's really taught me the importance of stepping up. If someone necessarily isn't able to do their job at the moment, or they're struggling, it's being there to offer support and doing all of that. Because at the end of the day, DoGood has made it as far as it has because of the shared dedication that we all have. So, I think that's definitely my main takeaway, just the importance of everyone contributing to a team and making sure that you don't just do your part and then leave it at that, but you do your part and are willing to go beyond that and work to make sure that everyone is uplifted and everyone is supported in all that they're doing.
[0:29:45] BW: Yeah, you could see a version of DoGood where it's one person who tries to do everything and then ends up getting burned out, and it doesn't happen. But, Theo, I think you're really smart to kind of have a bunch of different leadership positions and elevate everybody else and also trust each other to get it done, right?
Ava, you'll be stepping into one of these leadership positions. What are you most looking forward to about that expanded role?
[0:30:09] AK: I'm most looking forward to be able to work as a team more. Because, before, I've never been a part of an organization like this before, and I didn't really know how it worked. And especially with communications, I didn't know most of the stuff that we were doing. But now that I've gotten that experience and I've learned all that stuff, I'm excited to be able to do that by myself more of and also help the new trainee and teach them how to do it too.
[0:30:36] BW: And then Lucas, finally, what was your big takeaway as one of the leaders here, and how that helped you personally, and let's say professionally, too, once you step into the job search world?
[0:30:50] LS: Yeah. So, like we kind of talked about before, my role is very logistic-based. And I think I've learned how to see past the numbers. You can always say we did this amount of hours at this NAC, or we did this amount of events. I think what I've learned to kind of accept is that it's not just about the hours, it's also about who you meet. And I've casted a wide variety of diversity that I've experienced.
Like we were talking about before, the people that you meet is so important. And also, learning a lot more about others. I think something that I'm taking away from DoGood is kind of learning not to be able to put myself in someone's shoes, but be able to see how they interact in their lives, and maybe they'll pass down their wisdom or their experience. Because we, as an organization, can go so far, and us individually can go so far. We just need to find our footing in the world.
[0:31:47] BW: Yeah, that's well said. Lastly, Theo, someone wants to get involved, how do they find you all online, on all the socials?
[0:31:55] TL: Yeah, Instagram is @fencersdogood. You can always email any one of us, or you can go on our website, which is www.fencersdogood.org. And, actually, at the NACs, we have the vendor table now. So feel free to come up to us. We have a huge banner, and it actually has LED lights on it.
[0:32:15] BW: You can't miss it.
[0:32:17] TL: Yeah, it won't be hard to find us.
[0:32:18] BW: Perfect. Well, Theo, Catalina, Ryan, Ava, Lucas, thank you so much. And I'm really inspired by what you all have done. Yeah, I love the idea. When we think of giving back and service, we should think of DoGood, right? When it comes to fencing. And eventually, even beyond fencing. Keep an eye out for those opportunities if you're coming to a NAC and your chance to give back. And you don't have to wait until sometime down the future, "I'm going to try this another time." Do it at your very next NAC that you're signed up for. So, thanks to all five of you. Good luck this weekend and going forward. Thanks.
[0:32:52] TL: Thank you so much.
[0:32:53] RK: Thank you.
[0:32:54] BW: Thanks for listening to First of 15, the official podcast of USA Fencing. We'll be back with our next conversation in a couple of weeks. In the meantime, you can stay up-to-date on all the latest fencing news by following us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. And if you like this podcast, please help us grow and reach more people by leaving us a rating or a review. Until next time, I'm Bryan Wendell, and I hope to see you real soon out on the strip. Bye.
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