Katie participated in the Internship Program in the Fall of 2017 and Spring of 2019, interning with Ellwood House and CASA. Her experience over two semesters gave her first-hand knowledge that she still uses. Katie’s internship bridged classroom learning to a career where she now works for the Schaumburg Business Association.

Q: What was the biggest benefit and/or the best part of your internship experience?

Katie: The biggest benefit of my internship was getting to experience the nonprofit world and see first-hand what it was like. Learning about the Board of Directors, programs, grants, funding, and seeing an event from start to finish gave me tools and knowledge that I carried along with me.

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

Katie: Students should pursue internship opportunities because there is truly nothing that can better prepare you for the workforce than first-hand experience. Utilizing these opportunities as a student is such a benefit when searching for a job.

Q: What are you up to now?

Katie: I currently work for the Schaumburg Business Association (SBA) as the Community Development Coordinator. I started at the SBA as an administrative assistant and have worked my way up into the position I currently hold. I am proud to be a part of such an amazing community and bring the knowledge and skills I learned throughout courses and the DCNP internship into my work. The SBA sends out a job openings email to its various workforce partners, an NIU staff member being one of the recipients. This job opening was sent to my counselor who passed it along to me and now I am the one who writes the job openings emails that get sent out. I think this is an amazing example of how NIU and Nonprofit and NGO Studies truly cares about their students and provides them with extraordinary opportunities.

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

Katie: I will be forever grateful for this program and all that it taught me. It gave me hands-on experience and gave me the ability to put what I was learning in my course work, in to action. Thank you to the Roberts Family Foundation for the generous support they provide and the amazing opportunities they have given students and will continue to give.

The Internship Program is a collaboration between the DeKalb County Nonprofit Partnership, the Center for Nonprofit Studies, and Career Services at Northern Illinois University, supported by the Douglas C. and Lynn M. Roberts Family Foundation.