This is the next in a series of posts by recipients of the Career Services Summer Funding Grant. We’ve asked funding recipients to reflect on their summer experiences and talk about the industries in which they’ve been spending their summer. You can read the entire series here.
This entry is by Justina Mcminn, COL ’19
My first day of summer was hectic. I was not sure what to expect. I was not sure what kind of internship to pursue this summer since I wasn’t sure on a major nor did I have a clear career path in mind. I came across Women’s Campaign International, a non-profit based in Philadelphia that empowers women in various countries around the world to create sustainable change within their communities and to actively participate in civil society, political decision making, and economic development and knew this was a great fit for me.
Within my first few weeks at Women’s Campaign International, I knew this was the field I want to be in. Although, I can’t say my career path is now clear as day and I know exactly what I want to major in or do but I was able to get a better idea of what I like, what I’m good at and what I am not.
The amount that I learned surpassed my expectations. I had the opportunity to work in WCI’s office made up of four amazing women. This gave me the opportunity to dive right in and do meaningful, directly beneficial work while working closely with everyone in the organization. Some topics that I covered and learned about during my summer were albinism, women’s rights, women’s empowerment, how to design newsletters and annual reports, data analysis, video editing, donor relations and so much more. I was also able to participate in various meetings with donors and potential partners. I was able to meet a woman from Liberia working on women’s rights in her hometown around a lake where men fish and women sell the product and women in Philadelphia working with immigrants, job employment and education. Every task I was assigned was given to me confidently with trust that the task could be successfully fulfilled, like an actual employee, not just an intern. While, none of these assignments were easy, I’m grateful for all the information I obtained, insight I was given and skills I gained.
Not only was it a pleasure to work with the women in the organization, it was a pleasure to meet and read about all the amazing women internationally taking charge of their own lives, setting the standard for the younger women and defying the cultural norms to empower themselves and women all over the world. Women are leaders, powerful ones, and I’m sure of that now more than ever. I will be continuing with WCI throughout the fall semester so I’m excited to see what else is in store.
