Erin is a Nonprofit and NGO Studies major at Northern Illinois University with a minor in Social Entrepreneurship. She serves as an intern with the Egyptian Theatre as part of the Internship Program.

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

Erin: I am working on creating questions for our weekly blog, “Backstage at the Egyptian,” and sending emails to contact talent for interviews. I will also be helping with creating content and setting up interviews for Give DeKalb County, as well as, helping with day-of events.

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

Erin: My favorite part of this internship has been working all of the different events the Egyptian Theatre hosts. There is a wide array of different groups that perform here and seeing the different crowds that come has been very interesting. I’ve learned a lot about the behind the scenes of how a nonprofit operates. We have had very interesting conversations about budgeting and how events are planned.

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

Erin: It is great hands-on experience in your potential career field. Even if this internship is not what you expect, you always learn something new. This internship has shown that many things we learn in the classroom actually happen in the nonprofit field. Hearing it in the classroom is one thing, but seeing that many nonprofits use techniques we have learned about has been really enlightening.

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

Erin: I am very grateful that I have been able to do this Internship Program twice in my college career. Without generous donors, like the Roberts Family Foundation, me and many other students would not be able to have the opportunity to gain these useful skills and hands-on experiences.

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.