TCR Volunteer Meg McMonigal shakes hands with a R!SER at an Advancement Ceremony
Through mock interviews and classroom support, longtime volunteer Meg McMonigal has had the opportunity to watch R!SERs recognize their strengths, build confidence, and prepare for what comes next.
When Meg McMonigal retired, she began looking for a meaningful way to give back.
Not long after, she read an article about Twin Cities R!SE in the Star Tribune. The mission immediately stood out to her because she understood how difficult it could be to navigate the job search without support.
Years earlier, when Meg was trying to land her first professional role, she had largely figured out the process on her own.
She read books, gathered information, and learned as she went.
When she discovered Twin Cities R!SE, she understood the value of having people there to offer guidance, encouragement, and practical support.
“I knew it was a much-needed program,” Meg said.
Meg began volunteering through mock interviews, something she already enjoyed.
Over time, she became more involved and began serving as a class assistant. She helped instructors, supported R!SERs during class, and stepped in when someone needed extra help working through an assignment or building confidence in a new skill.
That role gave Meg the chance to see the program unfold over time.
She was not meeting a R!SER for only one practice interview or one conversation. She was able to watch people learn, become more comfortable, and begin to see themselves differently.
“It is super rewarding to witness people grow as they learn,” she said.
Meg sees R!SERs become more prepared to speak about their experience, their strengths, and what they want for their futures.
At the beginning, someone may be hesitant or unsure of what to say.
As the program continues, Meg sees that person begin to speak with more clarity. They become better able to name what they bring to an employer and more confident in the direction they are moving.
For Meg, that change is often significant.
She also believes the combination of career training and Emotional Intelligence is an important part of what makes the program so impactful.
R!SERs are preparing for the workplace, but the growth does not end there.
Meg has heard people describe how what they learned changed the way they communicate, approach relationships, and show up in their family lives.
“They are going to be better employees,” she said. “They are going to be better people.”
Some of the most meaningful moments come during the celebrations at the end of the program.
Meg describes them as emotional and moving. They give R!SERs the chance to recognize how far they have come while celebrating the work it took to get there.
“The advancement ceremony at the end of the 8-week training always involves tears, including my own many times,” she said.
Those moments remind Meg why she continues to volunteer.
She gets to see people move from uncertainty toward confidence. She watches them recognize the strengths they already carry and become more prepared to use those strengths in work and in life.
Meg also sees the impact extending beyond the classroom.
“Twin Cities R!SE is doing so much good for the community at the grassroots level,” she said.
For Meg, volunteering is not only about sharing her time.
It is about being present for the moment when someone begins to see new possibilities for themselves and realizing she had the opportunity to support them along the way.