Inspiration strikes at unlikely moments: in class, on a drive, playing a sport, or—in junior Shefali Meagher’s case—on the elliptical machine at the gym. This is where Sincerely Gen 1.5 was born.
“Generation 1.5 refers to a group of kids who grew up — in part — in another country,” Meagher said. “The nonprofit is like our communication to them.”
Their purpose, essentially, is to provide guidance for families who may be navigating the U.S. school system for the first time.
Junior Sophie Donahue was working out beside Meagher when the idea struck, and helped her brainstorm.
“[Shefali] had this idea that was not very fully formed … it was like Steve Jobs in his garage making Apple, but it was Shefali on the elliptical,” Donahue said.
Meagher’s idea of starting an organization offering tutoring services was fueled by her desire to help the large population of immigrant youth in Minnesota.
She brought her plan to a group of friends: Carys Hsiung, Lani Ngonethong, Zimo Xie and Donahue.
“We decided that we wanted to … make something happen. You know what I mean? Not just have an idea and just let it linger,” Donahue said.
Running with Meagher’s starting idea, the group met a few times every month throughout the summer to iron out their goals and priorities. They devised a timeline and planned out each step of their creation process.
“[We came] up with what we wanted this organization to look like first: the mission statement, what we wanted [to do], who we wanted to reach,” Meagher said.
Nearing the end of summer, the group finalized the “designing phase.” This included creating all social media accounts, emails and official websites.
Donahue, in the process, inherited the role of social media manager.
“My favorite part has been the social media because it makes me feel like an influencer,” Donahue said.
At the start of the school year, the group felt ready to reach out to established organizations in immigrant communities to build partnerships. Most of the group’s tutoring services will be provided where similar adult tutoring is already happening or directly in the schools the immigrant students attend.
Together, they visited a few locations on University Avenue in St. Paul, including the Hmong Cultural Center, the Hmong American Partnership, the International Institute of Minnesota and Vietnamese Social Services.
“We reached out to the Hmong Cultural Center because Carys had worked there,” Meagher said.
The group also connected with a few organizations over email, such as Clues, a nonprofit providing services for Latino youth and adults, and Neighborhood House, an organization that has immigrant housing and food services.
After discussing their idea with a few faculty members, history teacher Mollie Ward also connected them with the principal of LEAP High School in East St. Paul.
“That kind of outreach [is to] see who would be willing to volunteer … or who wants our services,” Meagher said.
With the help of volunteers, they plan to offer tutoring services in English as a second language (ESL), general core subjects like math, science, and history, and college guidance.
“None of us are experts, per se … but we’re all going through [the college process],” Meagher said.
The group hopes to start offering services at the beginning of the new year and suggests the best way for students to get involved with Sincerely Gen 1.5 is to volunteer their time by filling out the Google form on posters around the school and in the student newsletter.
Simply spreading the word about the nonprofit is also helpful.
“The most important thing is that it doesn’t die out when we’re not here anymore, “ Meagher said.
Meagher hopes volunteers will create a positive experience by making new connections with the immigrant students they work with.
Generation 1.5 is an invitation to “be more open-minded and learn about things that happen in Minnesota or [about] people in Minnesota that you don’t frequently interact with,” Meagher said.
Donahue is excited by the progress they have made and is excited to see how far they can continue to take their idea.
“To think it all started with me and Shefali walking around the JCC basketball courts,” Donahue said.
Find Sincerely Gen 1.5 on Instagram, X, LinkedIn, and Linktree @sincerelygen1.5
