Elijah is a Senior at Northern Illinois University who is majoring in Political Science and minoring in Nonprofit and NGO Studies. He is interning at Voluntary Action Center (VAC) through the Internship Program for the Fall 2019 semester.

Here is what Elijah had to say about his internship experience so far:

Q: What projects are you working on as an intern?

Elijah: I have been working on two projects so far. The first is doing intake paperwork to get people registered into my organization’s Meals on Wheels program. I have been inputting each new person’s data into the organization’s database and then notifying each person that they are now eligible to be enrolled in the program. I have also helped plan an event in November. I have personally been to several DeKalb and Sycamore area businesses to solicit donations for the silent auction portion of that event.

Q: What is the biggest benefit and/or the coolest part of your internship experience?

Elijah: The coolest part has been attending the different events around the community with my assigned organization. I recently went to an event at the DeKalb Library about the 2020 Census. It was an informational session about how the different nonprofits can play a part in getting hard to count populations included in the Census. It was a really informative experience to hear the different nonprofits collectively strategize on how to achieve that community goal.

Q: In your opinion, why should students pursue internship opportunities?

Elijah: Students should pursue an internship because it provides the chance for putting what you learn in class into practice. It also gives you hands-on skills, such as soliciting donations, which would be difficult to replicate in a classroom setting.

Q: Please share any additional comments you have about your internship experience. 

Elijah: Thank you so much to the Roberts Family Foundation for the opportunity for me to be able to experience this internship. It has brought me a wealth of knowledge that will be vital toward my professional career going forward.