Working in the nonprofit sector calls for being a person that wears many hats. Take Zara for example, being the Executive Director of a nonprofit requires knowledge and skills to a certain degree in marketing, fundraising, community outreach, managing programs, and so much more. I am now interning for two nonprofits and it has become apparent that you must be flexible enough to help where help is needed. I hope to start my own nonprofit someday, so being able to work directly with the founder of AHO and hear about Zara’s experience with starting a nonprofit is something I won’t be able to get anywhere else.
At my second meeting with Zara, we discussed what I could do for AHO. This resulted in an agreement to be an adult ally to youth, work as an administrative assistant, be trained as a backup/assistant web designer, and join the youth team to help with the Building Bridges program. I am being trained to be a person that wears many hats, and I cannot wait to continue learning from Zara and the rest of the AHO team.
It is exciting and a little nerve-wracking to be able to do work that actually impacts the community. This opportunity truly allows me to apply the knowledge that I learn in my classes, as well as develop skills that I might not be able to in school. I am using this internship to prepare me for whatever comes after college, and to guide me in what direction I want to go in post-graduation. If you are a college student interested in working in the nonprofit sector with relations to mental health and homelessness, I would definitely recommend checking out AHO. It is a great organization with many opportunities. Stay tuned for my next blog post!
With hope,
Jessa
