Melissa is a Business Management major at Northern Illinois University and served with Sycamore Education Foundation as part of the Internship Program.

Q: What project(s) are you working on as an intern?

Melissa: Some projects that I’m working on include creating and sharing social media posts, researching CRM and Grant management platforms, and aid in grant writing activities. I’ve learned that there are a lot of small moving parts that are necessary to efficiently run a nonprofit. Specifically, I have developed marketing and fundraising strategies.

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

Melissa: I love how philanthropic it feels to help D427 students get a more innovative education than I was able to. I have been able to do some school visits to see the funded grants in action and it was great to see the students loving their new classroom items. I have witnessed first hand how much our hard work pay off. The more attention and community support we get, helps raise more money to fund a better education for the thousands of students in D427.

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

Melissa: It’s a good way to see if that field of interest is actually a good fit or not.

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

Melissa: Thank you for your support, Roberts Family Foundation! I love my internship with the Sycamore Education Foundation!

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