Alexis participated in the Internship Program at Family Service Agency and the DeKalb County Community Mental Health Board during the spring and summer semesters of 2018. She was a Nonprofit and NGO Studies major with an emphasis in advocacy.

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

Alexis: The biggest benefit of the internship experience is that it gives you insight into the professional world that you’re working towards. I switched my major a couple of times before I found the NNGO program, and my two internship experiences showed me that I absolutely made the right decision in my major. The relief of knowing I was on the right path is the best part of my internship experience.

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

Alexis: Students should pursue internship opportunities as soon and as often as they can! Being able to learn in a classroom one minute and sit in on a board meeting the next minute is unlike any other experience I had while at NIU. In classes, we would be learning about different aspects of nonprofits. As if almost like magic, what we’d be learning in class would correspond with work I was doing at my internship, reinforcing what I was learning in class. It was an incredible experience, and an opportunity all students should take advantage of.

Q: What are you up to now?

Alexis: I work as an Events Specialist with Naper Settlement in Naperville, IL. I help to manage rental events and organize contract agreements. When I graduated in May of 2019, I was hired by the Boy Scouts and worked as a District Executive until March of 2022. While there, I was fortunate enough to take on the Staff Advisor position for Scouting For Food. This was where I felt I helped to make the biggest impact on the community we served, with our Scouts collecting over 50 tons of donated items for food pantries in the Chicagoland and Northwestern Indiana areas.

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

Alexis: Being able to work in the community while continuing my education wasn’t on my radar until I heard of this internship. It was a truly remarkable experience that I feel blessed to have been a part of. From the bottom of my heart, thank you to the Roberts Family Foundation for your generosity in making this a reality for students.

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.