“Everyone has talent, but not everyone is given the opportunity to take advantage of it,” says SKIC founder, Shyam K. Iyer.
Though SKIC chooses participants selectively, beneficiaries end up being role models for their friends, families and communities at large.
We caught up with Shyam to hear about how important talent is to SKIC, and how the gifted individuals who make up the program affect their greater community.
How do you define talent at SKIC?
Well, that’s a great question and it’s actually the foundational question of why we run the charity. The way we see talent is really about potential, and how to help people reach their potential, make the most of their lives, and take control of their lives. It’s about finding people with potential, with unique skills, and giving them the opportunity to take control of their lives through their talents. And everyone has talent, but not everyone is given the opportunity to take advantage of it, and it’s really that unique value they can add, that we define as talent.
So what specifically does the charity look for in its participants?
Well we look for anybody who can add value to the local community, that’s how we define talent. Now whether they’ve added that value before or been given the opportunity, we need to provide that chance for them. That’s really the kind of people we look for, and it’s really the goal of our charity to find people who have not been identified, but who can be as valuable members of the community as anyone else.
Even though you’re looking for talent specifically for the SKIC program, how does finding that talent extend beyond the program itself?
When we find talent it’s not just good for our charity, but it also gives other people a role model. So there are many people out there who aren’t as confident to act, and to tell us, ‘This is what I can do, this is how I can add value to my community.’ But when they see that a group like SKIC is looking for talent, and is focused on empowering that talent, they themselves will look at what they do to be role models, like those that are seen as part of our project.
Even though you have to be selective with the SKIC program, it’s comforting to know that the reach extends beyond the program itself.
One of the great things about identifying talent is that they become role models for the rest of the community, so there are many people there that know they’re talented, but what about those who aren’t so confident? Well when they see that their sisters, that their daughters, that their cousins, are participating in SKI charities, they themselves will look deeper, and where they can add value. And that’s a way we can add to the community without just focusing on our beneficiaries.
