One night after leaving the Seeds of Learning facilities recently, I found myself peering over the edge of an active volcanic crater in Nicaragua, sharing gasps of awe with fellow travelers from every corner of the globe. We next ventured through the dark to explore a large cave, normally a place where you would feel as far removed from all familiarities as possible.

As we approached I heard two American accents, which led to a casual conversation with two fellow travelers who told me they worked in advertising. The conversation went like this:

New friend Teresa: “So there’s a bunch of people working on this nonprofit?”
Me: “Yea we’re all volunteers finding a way to dedicate our time, skills and abilities towards something we deeply believe in. There are even some great advertising people involved from top firms like BBH, McGarry, and..”
New friend Teresa: “No way! I work at McGarry. Who is it?”
Me: “Well Eugene Chung is our head of social media.”
New friend Teresa: “What?! Eugene sits 15 feet from me… Oh my god, he was collecting Crayola crayons from all of us last week to send to a school in Laos… I know of you guys! I know Pencils of Promise! This is so crazy, I want to get involved. How can I help?”
Me: “Well there are a lot of ways, but you could start by attending our Masquerade Ball on December 18th. We’re going to raise the funds to build our next 2-3 schools that night.”
New friend Teresa: “Absolutely. I’m there… and I’m bringing friends.”

And therein lies the perfect example of how this organization has rapidly expanded its footprint for good through the innovative contributions of great people. Thank you Eugene, for collecting 1,024 crayons and countless new supporters through your simple act of dedication.

-AB