<p><span class="p-body">Laila E. Dreidame, an <a href="/content/sps-nyu/explore/degrees-and-programs/ms-in-professional-writing.html" title="Master's in Professional Writing (MSPW)">MS in Professional Writing (MSPW)</a> alum, is currently applying her NYU SPS experiences in the real world as the senior director of institutional partnerships at United Way Bay Area (UWBA). Laila and her colleagues at UWBA raise critical funding for housing justice, financial stability programs, and career and employment opportunities for people living in poverty in the San Francisco Bay Area.&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span class="p-body">Laila’s important work involves connecting with partners in the social impact space and crafting funding requests or grant proposals. In this role, Laila communicates the urgency and need for UWBA's collaborative approaches to radically reducing poverty in the Bay Area.</span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Improving people’s quality of life through bold and strategic approaches is top of mind for Laila every day on the job. Thanks to her dynamic team, she gets to do this mission-driven work alongside partners and colleagues who are just as passionate about social impact as she is.</p> <p>As an MS in Professional Writing graduate, it’s no surprise that Laila’s current role requires expert-level writing and storytelling skills. “At its core, writing and storytelling has a unique ability to foster human connectivity and understanding,” she says.</p> <p>Writing is more than just a profession for Laila. She does not take the ability to communicate through writing for granted, especially because she had a speech delay as a child and her parents’ first language was not English. She shares, “I find the ability to communicate through writing a liberating and powerful tool. I am motivated to spend my time writing to advocate for basic human needs, prosperity, and greater equity.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><span class="p-body">When she began her studies at NYU SPS, Laila prioritized supporting human-centered programs through writing. Thanks to academic director Kristine Rodriguez Kerr, EdD, and her other academic mentors, she gained the confidence she needed to fully pursue her dreams.</span></p> <p><span class="p-body">For prospective MSPW students who hope to make an impact the way Laila has, she offers some sage advice:</span></p> <p><span class="p-body">“For anyone interested in a career like mine, learning to write from an authentic place is essential, and so is communicating alignment with funders and other partners. Every request for funding, proposal, or report should clearly demonstrate the connection between the organization's mission and its programming and center anti-racism policies and goals at every chance.”</span></p> <p><span class="p-body">Laila’s mission to make the world a better place is only just beginning. While she collaborates with partners both inside and outside of her organization, she brings relentless dedication and authenticity to the table, using her writing skills to weave narratives that speak to the hearts and minds of key stakeholders, donors, and beyond.</span></p> <p><span class="p-body">You can read some of Laila’s latest work, including a collection of her poems, on <a href="https://medium.com/@LailaEssmidiDreidame" title="Medium">Medium</a>.&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span class="p-body">Are you as inspired by Laila as we are? Find out how an <a href="/content/sps-nyu/explore/degrees-and-programs/ms-in-professional-writing.html" title="Master's in Professional Writing">MS in Professional Writing</a> can take your social impact to new heights.&nbsp;</span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>