The 2015 Symantec Service Corps team has arrived in Ankara, Turkey and is ready to accept their mission. Share their journey--including challenges, learnings, and experiences--through our ongoing series,Travel Log: Turkey.
The Symantec Service Corps (SSC) team has officially landed in Turkey and their efforts are underway. These individuals have spent the last few months getting to know the country and their non-profit assignments through online research and each other through weekly phone calls. Now they are all finally together in Ankara, eager to help this year’s beneficiaries: The Nature Society, Association for Solidarity with Asylum Seekers and Migrants, and Flying Broom.
Last year when the pilot SSC team went to Peru, the entire company traveled along with them through Postcards from Peru. We are creating a similar chronicle this year through this series called Travel Log: Turkey so employees as well as the broader community can share the experience.
The SSC 2015 team name and motto
The SSC program is a direct reflection of Symantec’s commitment to share our time, energy and talents to help solve issues that impact the communities in which we live and work, while developing employees' leadership skills, adaptability to changing circumstances, and cultural competency. This year, the SSC team selected a name and created a motto that showcase the vision they have for the next month. They are:
- Team name:“Ilerleme,” a Turkish word which translates to “Progress” in English.
- Team motto: “Adam adama gerek olur,” which translates to “Man needs man,” and means, “We all need each other. We can only do great things through teamwork.”
These messages support Symantec’s goals for this program including making a positive social impact, building cultural awareness, and developing leaders across all levels of the organization.
“With the Symantec Service Corps, we’re truly changing lives as well as how people see Symantec around the world,” said Cecily Joseph, vice president of Corporate Responsibility for Symantec. “Like Peru, Turkey is a region that is changing very quickly. We’re bringing in top talent to solve critical problems, building partnerships and leaving lasting impressions that will benefit our employees and company for many years to come.”
Through the SSC, small teams of Symantec employees will work with local non-profits on assignments that are closely tied to their core skill sets and Symantec’s expertise as a global company. This year the team will conduct assessments and create strategies that address critical issues such as promoting environmental responsibility, empowering women, and advancing human rights—all key issues for Symantec and areas that continue to position Symantec as a global leader.
“Doğa Derneği (The Nature Society) is a brilliant grassroots, holistic effort to save the environment and advocate animal rights and is definitely something I am passionate about. I am looking forward to understanding their needs and providing what help I can,” said Shantanu Gattani, Sr. Software Engineer. “This is going to be a phase of self- discovery for me. As an engineer I am very focused on technology and have been so for a long time. This project will help me stretch my horizons culturally, professionally and philosophically. I hope to come back with a much better perspective of things external and internal to me.”
Preparing for adventure and challenges
Following months of planning, the team was filled with many emotions as they said goodbye to colleagues, friends, and family and set off for Ankara. From gratitude to trepidation, Shantanu Gattani shares his thoughts about preparing for the experience in the blog post, “To Turkey!”
Packing for the month-long journey wasn’t an easy task. Aside from the essentials like clothing and toiletries, participants also snuck some special and somewhat unexpected items into their suitcase, including:
- “My running shoes. Despite the fact that there was a snow storm in Turkey last week, I’m prepping for a marathon that takes place in April and would like to fit in a couple of outdoor runs to maintain consistency.”—Sohini Nathoo, Partner Success Manager, Africa
- “I’m carrying the book “40 Rules of Love,” because it talks about Rumi. the famous Persian poet who spent most of his life in Konya, Turkey. Hoping the book will serve as my personal time travel machine.”—Amitoj Duggal, SQA Automation Engineer
- “A Bluetooth speaker and Girl Scout cookies, which will be gifts for our hosts (a brilliant idea from my teammate).”—Shantanu Gattani.
The team is at work supporting their non-profits and accomplishing as much as possible in the four weeks that they are there. After—and between—the long workdays, they plan to explore the city and get to know the culture and region. In “First Impressions” and “First days as refugees,” you can learn about the team’s initial experiences.
Working towards Ilerleme (progress) everywhere Symantec serves
As part of the SSC, nine employees will spend four weeks working to achieve their goals and make ilerleme in Turkey. And while we are thrilled to spotlight this program and leverage it as a catalyst for change, we know that each day, throughout the year, thousands of Symantec employees around the globe are dedicating their time and energy to creating positive change, in all of the local communities that we service.
We encourage you to follow the team’s journey here on the Symantec Service Corps blog, the Corporate Responsibility in Action blog and on twitter using hashtag #SSC15 and watch what they are able to accomplish by leveraging each other’s strengths, working together as a team, and supporting Symantec in making a positive impact in the world.
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Lora Phillips is Symantec's Senior Manager, Corporate Responsibility.