If Bono decided to focus all his energy on a new U2 album, we’d have just the replacement for the global do-gooder. With an impressive record of philanthropy, chances are Nathaniel Whittemore is up for the challenge-and he’s only 23.
During his undergraduate career, he studied in Cairo, Egypt and traveled to more than 10 countries at or recovering from war to research American youth volunteerism trends abroad. Now co-founder and director of the Center for Global Engagement at NU, Whittemore combines his passion and career, providing students with skills and outreach opportunities through philanthropy and development. On a Friday afternoon, Whittemore speaks with PLAY.
What inspired your path of global humanitarianism?
While I was studying abroad in Cairo in the fall of junior year, I found my way to the St. Andrew’s Refugee Ministry where I started tutoring English to Sudanese refugees. And it was a much more resonant volunteer experience than I’ve ever had at home. My ability to connect with Sudanese refugees was far higher than, for example, my ability to connect with Chicago kids from a poor urban environment.
Why?
Displacement. When you’re away from home, there’s a longing that comes with exile, whether self-imposed or not. That creates a space for common understanding of humanity. And unlike tutoring in a classroom where a bunch of sixth graders don’t give a shit about you and don’t want to do anything except probably not be there, the Sudanese refugees wanted to suck in as much knowledge and as many opportunities to improve their situation as they could out of me.
Where did the shift to young people suddenly caring about the world come from?
The shift didn’t just happen. I subscribe to the school that thinks September 11 was a significant touchstone. It forced us to reinvestigate the world. The number of young people volunteering abroad has been rising at an accelerating rate since. And foreign policy is important for domestic identity because it’s a projection of what we say we are. Now that there are more programs abroad, young people can present the alternative American foreign policy that’s coming straight from the citizen. It’s important in terms of how the late teen and 20-something Americans are coming to view themselves in relation to the world.
At Northwestern, how can newcomers to the philanthropic world get involved?
We help figure out what you’re most passionate about. Because if you’re really looking to transcend a donor-recipient relationship, you’re going to see some inherent problems if you go into philanthropy thinking, “What is the worst crisis in the world that I can contribute to?” Instead, find a way to connect your interest with a meaningful issue. This also significantly increases the likelihood that you’ll stay engaged because it’s an act of personal fulfillment, not just of charity. So the right first question, instead, is: “What matters to me?” That’s where we start.
Are you frustrated 24/7?
If there wasn’t that constant baseline of frustration, I wouldn’t be doing this.
Medill senior Senka Hadzimuratovic is a PLAY writer. She can be reached at s-hadzimuratovic@northwestern.edu.