This summer, I had the privilege of interning at Greenpeace USA as the Organizing Intern. Although my official start date was June 12th, the internship hunt began well before then.
In the fall of 2022, I met with a Peer Career Advisor during a weekly Resume Drop-In Clinic in Webster Hall to update my resume with my latest internship opportunity from the previous summer. With an up-to-date resume skillfully crafted by both myself and career resource professionals from the Loeb Center, such as Emily Tareila, I felt well-prepared to search on job boards, LinkedIn, Handshake, and consult with various Career Community Advisors.
Throughout several months of back-and-forth communication with Carla Costa, the Arts and Communication Career Community Advisor, she curated a list of internships she believed would align with my career interests. This list was based on our prior conversations. She continued to keep me informed about internships she found online and through her network throughout the fall 2022 semester and well into the spring 2023 semester.
In January alone, I applied to seven internships, initially believing that I would secure one in my first round of applications. However, I was mistaken. I spent the next four months applying to more internships Carla sent my way, reaching out to alumni working in my fields of interest, and updating my LinkedIn profile in the hope of securing an internship.
By May, I was becoming increasingly concerned. I had applied to over 15 internships, had a few interviews, and the deadline to apply for the Meiklejohn Fellows Program stipend was rapidly approaching. I felt that I had exhausted all available resources, yet my efforts had yielded few results.
Just when I thought all hope was lost, I received a call from the Talent Acquisition Specialist at Greenpeace USA in late May, offering me a position as the Organizing Intern with the Distributed Organizing Team. With a sense of relief and excitement, I accepted the offer and promptly began the application process for the Meiklejohn Fellows Program, which was due in a matter of days.
When I started my internship, I was warmly welcomed by several members of the team I would be working with, as well as the organization’s leaders. As I learned about the inner workings of the organization, including its ongoing projects, I was eager to begin contributing to impactful initiatives.
Working remotely from Maynard, MA, I collaborated closely with my supervisor, who encouraged me to choose the campaigns I wanted to work on, based on my passions. As a Law, Jurisprudence, and Social Thought major, I was immediately drawn to the organization’s anti-SLAPP lawsuits campaign.
Over the course of 12 weeks, I utilized my research skills, graphic design abilities, and passion for freedom of speech to create numerous online infographics, videos, and petitions, engaging volunteers in the anti-SLAPP work with Greenpeace USA.
