“One of the things I really value about a liberal arts education is learning how to think broadly,” Katie Pfeifer ’05 says. “Under-standing how we interact with the world and how we come together and work — or don’t work — really appealed to me,” says Pfeifer, who majored in economics and international relations.

This liberal arts lens through which Pfeifer views the world led her to a career in the nonprofit sector and to Volunteer New York!, one of the oldest volunteer connector organizations in the world, now in its 71st year. Pfeifer, as the director of programs and evaluation, is at the heart of the organization, overseeing its programmatic success. The Readiness thru Integrated Service Engagement (RISE) program is one she helped start and of which she’s most proud. RISE was created to address an increase in the number of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities looking to volunteer. RISE participants build job and community skills as they assist nonprofits.

The RISE program “really helped us clarify something we all felt,” Pfeifer says. “Everyone can make an impact, and everyone can make a difference. It’s really about trying to find the right fit for each person so they can shine.”