It’s hard to believe that summer is already drawing to a close here at the Nourish International National Office, with the Summer Institute fast approaching. After the conclusion of the Institute, our four summer interns will leave their positions to focus on school work, jobs and other new commitments. But who are these interns and what exactly have they been doing all summer, anyway?
Natalie Prince, who came to Nourish through UNC’s APPLES Service-Learning Program, served as Nourish’s event planning intern. Her primary duty was to plan the Summer Institute, a five-day leadership conference for Nourish student leaders. Natalie has also started planning for Nourish’s Masquerade Ball in October.
Though Natalie sometimes found it challenging to be assertive in securing donations, she liked her position. “I enjoyed working in a nonprofit setting and learning more about Nourish’s mission,” she says. “I also enjoyed getting to take the lead on my own project.”
Natalie is a rising junior majoring in Spanish and political science. During the upcoming school year, Natalie will serve as co-chair of public service and advocacy for UNC’s student government. She also hopes to study abroad in the spring.
Ethan Fujita, a rising junior at UNC majoring in philosophy and international studies, served as Nourish’s operations support intern this summer. His job involved creating resources for Nourish’s 24 chapters. Ethan created campus profiles, which highlight unique features to each chapter in order to better educate the National Office’s chapter support team. He also created university contact sheets for each chapter and researched campus restrictions on things like holding events and selling foods.
This fall, Ethan will be focusing on school, working at a local coffee shop, and volunteering with an on-campus organization called AIESEC. “AIESEC is very similar to Nourish,” says Ethan. “It is an international exchange program for student interns. We have chapters across the country and a national team as well. A lot of the things I learned through this internship are very applicable to the work I do for AIESEC, and I have a better understanding of what the national staff deal with.”
Megan Straubel, a 2011 UNC graduate, served as assistant to the executive director at Nourish this summer. Her position was challenging because of her wide range of duties: she sent out a summer mailing to donors, processed donation letters, wrote thank you letters, prepared for upcoming fundraisers, and contributed to grant writing strategy. However, Megan was happy to work for a cause close to her heart. “My internship reinforced my passion for public health while opening my eyes to the many ways in which an impact can be achieved,” she says.
Megan also worked this summer with the Chordoma Foundation, a research group for a rare form of cancer. She plans to stay on at Nourish this fall as a special projects consultant while continuing to work and apply to graduate school.
Laura Jasmine, a rising senior majoring in public relations and religious studies, worked as Nourish’s public relations and grant writing intern this summer. She wrote Nourish’s blogs, created monthly newsletters, and designed the summer mailer and new brochure. She also helped Executive Director Ryan Richards apply for grants. “The practical skill sets that Nourish has given me have been so beneficial,” she says. “Not only have I built a portfolio and resume, I have also contributed to a cause with a mission I believe in.”
This fall, Laura will continue to serve as her sorority’s philanthropy chair and provide habilitation services to the special needs population in Chapel Hill. She will also be writing an honors thesis and applying to graduate school for social work.
