Hannah Khan - Past CRIL Volunteer

Hello, my name is Hannah Khan. I have worked at CRIL for about 2 years, but I started out by volunteering for about 6 months. I am transferring to the University of California, Berkeley where I will be studying Neuroscience. I also am going into the Biotech field this summer by working with Genentech. All of these achievements are because of the disability advocacy and passion to serve the blind community that I have learned at CRIL.

What is one thing you learned as a volunteer at CRIL?

The most prominent thing I have learned at CRIL as a past volunteer is communication. While guiding blind individuals, I learned a new form of communication that now ties into my everyday life. Being descriptive of the room we are in, describing the steps to get to the table, or even just describing what is on my T-shirt to consumers has taught me how to see without eyes. When going into fields where you are doing a service or crafting something for someone, it is very important to have empathy and the ability to walk in another person's shoes so that you can accurately create a personalized product for them. Volunteering at CRIL has helped me form this distinct type of communication that now helps me input individualized perspectives through all my endeavors. 

What advice would you give to future volunteers?

Helping Blind Individuals can be emotionally tolling sometimes, but at the same time it is such a rewarding feeling. As a past volunteer, my advice would be to not let the first couple experiences with CRIL stop you from volunteering. As you learn to guide blind individuals, over time, you might just see how they end up guiding you. At the end of the day, these are people who have gone through a big obstacle in their lives and are here to inspire others through their struggles. There were many days when I was uplifted just by having a simple conversation with the consumers. I hope that future volunteers get the same experience.  

Why is it important to give back to the community?

It is important to give back to the community because you never know what good things will come out of it. Networking, learning from people's experiences, or just making friends and enjoying their presence are just some of the many benefits that come with volunteering.  

Why should individuals volunteer at CRIL?

I am an advocate for individuals to volunteer at CRIL because it could potentially lead to a job! After volunteering for 6 months, I applied for one of the open positions at CRIL (one that I was NOT qualified for by the way). By building a reputable reputation with the staff as a volunteer, it helped push for my job application to go through. I can proudly say that I have worked for CRIL for about 2 years, and it has led to so many doors opening in my career. If you are unsure about working for CRIL, start off as a volunteer and maybe it will pave a path for you!