The Script

Geralyn

So I guess we’ll start off with, what is your name and what do you do?

Nick

So my name is Nick Poindexter. I’m the Senior Director of the Empowering Leaders Division at The Contingent. A key initiative within that division is The Script.

Geralyn

What do you love about your job?

Nick

I love being able to give back to a place that I’m from, a region I was born and raised. I love being able to lean in. Personally, I’m dedicated to serving marginalized communities. And so being able to do that every day is something that gives me joy, it gives me life, excites me. I also love being able to encourage individuals as they launch into their careers, helping them know that they matter, they’re good enough, and they have what it takes. For me, ultimately, I want to encourage people, and my job allows me to be able to encourage people every day.

Geralyn

Tell me more about The Script. What are they? What do they do?

Nick

The Script is a workforce development initiative really focused on career advancement and development for current college students and recently graduated students. And really helping them to launch into their careers, helping them to know how to navigate and really support them with getting towards, you know, in terms of support with mentoring and job opportunities and also professional development. The goal is really to help them to launch into a place where they have livable wages, where they’re able to thrive, and where they’re able to make an impact on their community.

Geralyn

Are there other initiatives like The Script? What makes The Script unique?

Nick

The Script is really committed to serving marginalized communities and primarily communities of color. Really intentionally creating access, creating opportunities in a way that is not just, we don’t want individuals that we serve to just get by and survive. We want them to thrive and really even help them to get to a place where they’re able to have jobs that create livable wages and financial stability. Ultimately what we want to accomplish is helping to close the racial wealth gap.

We are intentional about wanting to make sure that we walk alongside individuals so that they know that they’re supported, they know that they’re not alone, and they know that we are in this with them. It’s really a partnership and not this place where they feel like they’re on an island and they don’t have support and they can reach out to us. We’re with them. We want to walk with them. We want them to be successful and we want to help them create a legacy for their family, for their communities, and for the world ultimately.

The Script is unique in many different ways, and a couple of those are how we walk alongside folks from internship and beyond. Really wanting to make sure that they have support in their careers as they launch into their careers, as they’re navigating within their careers, from mentoring to professional development. 

And something that’s also unique is how we place in terms of thinking about jobs, we actually have a matching technology that we utilize to help support our interns or associates. So if somebody is looking, you know, for summer interns or folks that are looking for full-time employment, we’re able to help support them through a matching technology that helps connect companies with the amazing talent that we serve and really intentionally in a way that actually is based off of the skills and abilities and what companies are looking for. So there’s intentionality there to make sure that we’re able to create a partnership where both the candidate and the company thrive.

Geralyn

That’s cool. How have you seen college students and graduates benefit from this initiative?

Nick

So for The Script, we’ve actually seen amazing leaning in and thinking about how we support individuals. We really want to help to build their confidence in the workplace. We want to also help them to have skill development and really strengthen their professional portfolio. We also want them to be able to grow professionally in terms of their network. And so those ways we’ve seen individuals grow and build confidence and build skills and also feel, you know, be able to feel like they can connect and grow professionally. And we partner intentionally with companies to really create inclusive workplaces that allow the folks that we serve to thrive.

Geralyn

That’s cool. I love how you mentioned building that confidence. I already feel that in myself, like conducting this interview. And I was wondering along those lines, can you share any individual stories about the impact of The Script that have stuck with you today?

Nick

Yes, I get excited about hearing stories from the individuals we served. There’s many and countless. We could be here forever to share those stories. Some that come to mind or even I’ll start small and I get a little bit specific. Being able to hear and follow announcements about jobs, announcements about getting, you know, internships or getting a job, or even the success of the mentoring experience. Every story gets me excited because it helps us to see more about their experience and be able to walk alongside them specifically where their needs are.

One example that comes to mind is one of our former interns and somebody that’s been a part of The Script programming. He shared recently about how The Script was life-changing and how it really impacted him in terms of being able to even understand where he wanted to go but also help him to navigate his career and really help him to build that confidence that had allowed him to be able to succeed and now he’s working and thriving. So that’s just one example.

But there’s many. We’ve had interns that have gotten hired at their internships and those are those successes. So I would say there are a lot of successes that we see and for me it’s really being able to celebrate the wins whether it be getting a job after their internship, having a successful mentoring experience, or seeing them continue to elevate and then also give back.

Geralyn

So why are initiatives like The Script important?

Nick

The Script is really important because we want to create access and opportunities for individuals from marginalized communities, especially folks from communities of color. There’s so many barriers and systemic issues that prevent growth, prevent access, prevent people from being able to thrive. And we want to break down those barriers. And for us, it’s doing our part to make sure that we’re walking with the individuals that we serve. But also, when we think about this, we aren’t the only organization doing this. And that’s why it’s so important to have a collective of organizations that are doing this work. It’s important for us to be able to partner with companies. It’s important for us to be able to partner with other organizations, whether it be higher education, etc. because it’s a community. It’s a collective effort to be able to create access, create opportunities, and create spaces, and to elevate voices for folks from marginalized communities.

Geralyn

That’s awesome. I love that. So what is coming up next for The Script?

Nick

So The Script is dedicated to continuing to grow our internship program. And that’s something that we’re really committed to and really wanting to make sure that we are continuing to strengthen. We also are developing and launching a program called the Associate Program, really focused on college graduates of color within the last five years, supporting job opportunities, supporting with mentoring, supporting with professional development.

And really it’s going to be an opportunity for companies. For us to connect recent college graduates with companies for employment. And we’ll be utilizing a matching technology that will allow us to intentionally connect the company with the folks that are looking for employment and really walk with them through that experience. And even if folks aren’t looking for employment, it’s an opportunity for us to continue to help them to level up and elevate them as they grow in their career.

Geralyn

For anybody watching this Box Talk and wanting to get involved, how can companies and businesses be involved with The Script’s work?

Nick

There are a lot of different ways that companies, organizations can get involved with our work. One is hiring the amazing talent that we serve, whether through internships or through full-time employment so that intern program or the associate program. Also supporting financially, investing in the work as we continue to build and grow and increase our impact. Also sponsoring events and hosting events with us and alongside us. As well as helping to provide volunteers as opportunities arise for that. Sometimes it’s mentoring, sometimes it’s mock interviews. And so it’s really staying tuned to stay connected to support the work. And folks can check out our website, thescript.org. They can also email at partnerships@thescript.org to stay connected, learn more, and join us in this movement.

Geralyn

Is there anything else that you would like to share with us today?

Nick

I would like to thank Funnelbox for the opportunity to highlight this work, and it’s amazing Geralyn, one of our current interns, just being able to connect in this moment together. I also want to thank our donors, our supporters, our advocates, folks that are alongside us in this journey as we elevate the amazing leaders we serve. And I want to finally say how proud I am of The Script interns, our associates, everyone we serve. For us, we’re dedicated to wanting to make sure that they know that they matter, that they’re good enough, and they have what it takes. And ultimately, we want them to be encouraged.

Geralyn

Thank you.