Sharing Gratitude & Best Wishes for our Interns

Four talented students took part in our 2019 Summer Internship program, contributing to Fairfield County’s Community Foundation through their skills and creativity. We extend our gratitude for their support and wish them the best of luck as they return to their schools for the fall semester!

These students range in age from high school students from the Norwalk Mayor’s Summer Youth Employment Program and the Connect-Us academy, a grantee of the Foundation, to undergraduate/graduate students from around our region.

“We give our interns the opportunity to fully integrate into our culture and organization – and in return, we benefit from their fresh insights and hard work. We extend our huge appreciation for what our interns have accomplished this summer!” said Elaine Mintz, Vice President of Operations at Fairfield County’s Community Foundation.

Our interns worked with a variety of Departments within the Foundation, including the Community Impact, Operations and Development teams. Sarah, Jamal, Synthia and Nelupa gained valuable professional experience during their summer that will serve them well in the future.

Meet our 2019 Summer Interns:

Sarah

Sarah joined FCCF’s internship program to serve her home community and enhance her knowledge of the nonprofit/development world. As a Development intern, Sarah identified ways to engage a more diverse base of philanthropic community members in our work to close the opportunity gap in Fairfield County. Sarah also reported on the various scholarship funds at the Foundation, and provide a detailed analysis of their impact and activity.

Sarah is entering her junior year at Clemson University, where she studies Sociology with an emphasis in General Sociology and a minor in Psychology. In her spare time, Sarah enjoys playing soccer, basketball, and lacrosse. She also loves to learn new cooking techniques and healthy recipes to share with friends and family.

Jamal

Jamal joined our team through Norwalk’s Mayor’s Summer Youth Employment Program, an initiative helping prepare youth ages 14-18 to enter the workforce via workshops and opportunities. As an operations intern, Jamal contributed to a variety of projects, including assisting with our new financial platform transition validation. He is approaching his senior year at Norwalk High School where he plays varsity basketball and football. Jamal is excited to begin looking at colleges and determining a chosen field of interest.

Synthia

As an intern with The Foundation’s Center for Nonprofit Excellence, Synthia worked to research ways to improve our Center for Nonprofit Excellence’s systems of registration to enhance efficiency. Synthia also provided recommendations for Fairfield County’s Giving Day 2020 to target a higher population of youth involvement on the region’s biggest day of philanthropic giving.

Synthia is approaching her senior year at Bassick High School and is interested in psychology. She joined our team through FCCF’s grantee, the Connect-US Academy, a program helping prepare young people to enter the workforce. In her spare time, Synthia has a passion for singing and speech writing.

Nelupa

Nelupa contributed to a variety of projects as a Community Impact intern. This included researching topics to help inform our Thrive By 25 strategy, learning the basics of grantmaking and attending site visits at our nonprofit partners to garner hands-on experience. She is now entering her junior year at Housatonic Community College with a major in Math.

Nelupa joined FCCF’s internship program through the Connect-Us Academy to gain skills for the workforce and give back to her community.

About FCCF’s Internship Program:

FCCF’s paid summer intern program began in 2010. Our 12-week program begins the first week of June with a half-day orientation. Interns are invited to a variety of outings throughout the summer, including a countywide networking social and several “lunch and learn” educational sessions. When possible, interns are invited to offsite meetings held with organizations in their field of interest and may shadow nonprofit executive directors and presidents. A highlight of the summer is an all-intern luncheon with FCCF President & CEO Juanita James.

Keep an eye out for 2020 internship opportunities, to be released towards the end of 2019.