Staff Highlights

Dustin Liu: My Summer at New Profit

This past summer, we worked with a group of incredible interns — each of whom brought a deep-rooted drive to understand the social sector and New Profit's place in it. Here is what Dustin Liu, our Learn to Earn intern, had to say about the experience.

By Dustin Liu

October 7, 2020

When I arrived at New Profit as a Summer Associate earlier this year, I was determined to figure out the secret sauce at the firm. Even before I had applied for the position, I had been acutely aware of the work of New Profit simply due to the firm’s impact in the field. 

After joining the organization, I jumped on opportunities to connect with folks across teams and participate deeply in the workstreams of the Learn to Earn team. It was through the interactions I had with the incredible humans who make up New Profit and the gaining of a deep understanding of the workstream that the secret sauce became apparent: New Profit holds an indomitable belief that change is possible. There is a palpable ethos of possibility and imagination that is pervasive across all aspects of the organization. This is one of my greatest takeaways from my time on the team this summer.

It was through the interactions I had with the incredible humans who make up New Profit and the gaining of a deep understanding of the workstream that the secret sauce became apparent: New Profit holds an indomitable belief that change is possible. There is a palpable ethos of possibility and imagination that is pervasive across all aspects of the organization.

— Dustin Liu, Learn to Earn Intern

I recognized early on as a member of the Learn to Earn team that our labor market and post-secondary system requires reimagining. New Profit recognizes the gap between our current reality and the potential to build better. The ability to imagine a more equitable and just world is built directly into the frameworks of the organization. Following the systems change model, the work is centered around deep, transformative change. Fundamentally, the work seeks to change the way in which we relate to one another to enact implicit change – an incredible goal that I have had the privilege of supporting during my time on the team.

It has been made self-evident in the weeks after completing my internship the amount of pressure and capital placed into maintaining the status quo. Complacency cannot be an option when the current system disproportionately impacts the livelihood and dignity of minority communities. Systems need to be dramatically reimagined; relationships need to be transformative in nature. Trust-based philanthropy should be a must have, not a nice to have; student-centered initiatives should be strategically integrated rather than an afterthought.

Complacency cannot be an option when the current system disproportionately impacts the livelihood and dignity of minority communities. Systems need to be dramatically reimagined; relationships need to be transformative in nature.

— Dustin Liu, Learn to Earn Intern

I am grateful for my experience at New Profit to demonstrate that a better reality is possible and that we as individuals have a responsibility to push forward this reality through our own agency and roles. 

To learn more about Dustin and his story, click here