Staff Member Spotlight: Sangeetha Natarajan

Ohio Legal Help (OLH): Tell us about your education and work history, and what led you to working for Ohio Legal Help.

Sangeetha Natarajan (SN): I went to The Ohio State University, did research in a physical chemistry lab and received my undergraduate degree in Chemistry. Currently, I’m in the process of getting a GIS certificate from Columbus State.

After graduation from OSU, I started off working in the chemistry field but decided I wanted to pivot to the nonprofit sector. I spent a year working for an organization called Central Community House where I helped with their program and data management. It was a great learning experience and I love applying my analytical skills to nonprofit work. I found the job posting for Ohio Legal Help’s Forms & Data Specialist position, and I knew it was going to be a great fit.

OLH: What are you looking forward to working on with OLH? What are your work-related interests and aspirations?

SN: One thing I particularly like about nonprofit work is that it is so broad and there are tons of opportunities to find your niche. At this point in my career, I am very open and think that my new role with Ohio Legal Help will be a positive experience.

I am interested in the analytics part of the role, and in particular, I am looking forward to sitting down with some of the court staff for the Virtual Self-Help Center project we are working on. I think it will be exciting to figure out how we translate people’s needs into useful online tools.

OLH: What do you like to do in your free time?

SN: My husband and I are both outdoorsy people and love backpacking and camping. We love to bring our Shollie (half German Shepherd/half Border Collie) dog Simon along on our trips. We’ve done several backpacking trips over the years, but we always make a point to bring along good food to make so it’s not just eating beans out of a can. When we went to Joshua Tree National Park, we made a delicious vegan mac ‘n’ cheese that I still think about.

OLH: What movies have you watched lately?

SN: We’ve been watching movies from one director lately – Stanley Kubrick. We just watched “Barry Lyndon,” and it’s a great film because every scene is composed like a picture. I also liked that it was a period piece, and all the costume design was accurate.

However, my all-time favorite movie is “Space Jam.”

OLH: What’s one thing most people don’t know about you?

SN: I grow mushrooms and I got into that hobby in the last year during the pandemic. I’ve mostly grown oyster mushrooms and have a little mushroom tent in my house. My favorite recipe for cooking with oyster mushrooms is below!

Sangeetha’s Sautéed Oyster Mushrooms

4 garlic cloves

1 fresh chili pepper

1 pound oyster mushrooms

Salt and pepper

Combine in a pan with the oil of your choosing. Sauté for 7-10 minutes and serve hot. Enjoy!