Pack Internship Grant Program showcase

Major: Psychology

Position: Non-Profit Administration Intern

"I had the opportunity to see how a board meeting goes and participate in preparing board member books for all the members. I think this was something I enjoyed the most because I got to see people come together to pose solutions, focus on how to incorporate the community, and see people of all backgrounds contribute to Sierra Arts. I was able to reinforce my critical thinking, leadership, and communication through these opportunities. I learned how to use different communication styles with the other interns, my supervisors, and board members which will be very helpful for my future. I would like to continue to further my understanding when it comes to critical thinking as this is a skill, I believe all people should possess."

Major: Journalism

Position: Community Relations Intern

"This internship has provided me with perspective and insight into how the Reno community works to develop and support each other in many ways. I enjoyed meeting new people in Downtown Reno and learning about their lives, experiences and why they live here. Interviewing business owners and seeing different parts of the city were some of my favorite tasks.

Working at the Downtown Reno Partnership has provided me with experience and more curiosity than before. I didn’t have experience with marketing before this, so getting to see how that is done for a city has given me knowledge to carry with me to potential future careers." 

Major: Marketing

Position: Advertising and Digital Marketing Intern

"I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with KR Squared. I am grateful they have been so welcoming and helped me grow both personally and professionally. Throughout this experience, I’ve learned the ins and outs of the advertising industry and developed my skills in professional writing, campaign planning, and content creation.

My time with KR Squared has given me the opportunity I've always wanted to have hands-on experience in creative planning and copywriting. I am so lucky to work with a group of women who consistently inspire and encourage me to grow in my creative pursuits."

Major: Geography

Position: Clean and Safe Program Intern

"During my time at my internship, I had the greatest opportunity to receive firsthand experience of the workings inside city hall and how decisions are made for our city. One of my favorite and most positive aspects were that I felt like I belonged in this work environment, and I did not feel as if I was solely an “intern”. Being able to work in a team-oriented environment has given me greater insight and skills that I can apply to future careers. I learned of new perspectives within the city and of the inclusion of the diverse population within Reno. I learned to effectively establish lines of communication between others on my project. An area I am excited to continue growing in is my presentation and speech skills to ensure I contribute better information delivery to individuals."

Major: Computer Science and Engineering

Position: Web Support Intern

"The part I enjoyed most was creating/designing web pages and styling our existing web pages. I was able to practice and develop my web development skills by doing this, and also enjoyed making visually appealing web pages. My main projects (Event Carousel and Founder Resources Page) were also very fun as I got to create something from scratch and provide value to our website."

Major: Business Management

Position: Business Operations and Development Intern

"I think the most positive aspect I got from this internship was the direct hands-on learning I got to experience with the entire team. From research to outreach as well as putting various spreadsheets and documents together I really got a different feel for a lot of varying tasks. The transferable skills I got during this is being better at communicating with team members, carrying myself more professionally, as well as being able to handle the responsibility of doing tasks in a timely manner. I learned a lot about business operations and how much really needs to go into organization and structure to make sure things can always flow seamlessly. An area for more growth I would like to work on is more knowledge in general and I am still constantly learning each week more and more about the key functions that a business needs to do and which steps are necessary to run a successful organization."

Major: Community Health Sciences

Position: Community Outreach Intern

"The most positive aspect of the internship was the positivity the organization provides for its members and the community. The task I enjoyed the most was being able to help organize diabetes supplies to ship to Poland in order to help the Ukraine crisis. I was able to participate in global outreach and helping refugees who may have ran out of diabetes supplies. Transferable skills I gained during this experience was community outreach and more methods to research. I learned that with these skills I will be able to help my community with public health and for any reason, if I cannot be of service, I will be able to find someone who will be."

Major: Political Science

Position: Communications Intern

"My few months with the Food Bank of Northern Nevada was an incredible way for me to explore the field of communications while applying my skills to the work and operations of a non-profit organization. With the Food Bank, I truly realized the importance of collaboration as the work of multiple departments were involved in this project. Additionally, I was able to interact with and learn from specialized individuals in a formal workplace environment.

The best part of the internship was knowing that the careful and precise work I was doing was going to help thousands of people."

Major: Nutrition

Position: STEM Education Outreach Intern

"I enjoyed attending teacher trainings, field trips, and STEM Nights. The events were very interactive, which I enjoyed. Along with attending and working these events I gained various skills such as collaboration, communication, organization, and flexibility skills. There is always room for improvement, because of this, my communication skills and public speaking skills could improve. I also am continuing to enhance my problem-solving skills, which are important for any situation. This internship, through DRI, continuously challenged my problem-solving abilities by forcing me to think quickly and effectively."

Major: Atmospheric Science

Position: Native Vegetable Propagation Intern

"The unique experiences I had in this internship taught me so many things, from networking skills to cultivation techniques of native plants and the effects of colonization on Indigenous food sovereignty. Perhaps the most significant and noteworthy, however, is that the people who inhabited Nevada before settlers came in search of gold and glory have fresh wounds; the injustices inflicted upon their not-so-distant ancestors are still felt today. This project does so much more than investigate propagation techniques and grow culturally significant plants for these communities; the Food Sovereignty Project at DFI offers these communities a space to recover some of what was lost. It’s not enough, it will never be enough. We are not excusing the actions of the past but offering a space of inclusivity and healing around a common interest. Catching a glimpse of the Indigenous communities in our area and the love they hold for this land and these plants, was absolutely the most rewarding aspect of this internship. In the photo above,

I was able to successfully coordinate with Indigenous students and Indigenous community members to begin to raise awareness about Nevada’s lands, native plants and DFI’s Food Sovereignty Project. Going home that day, knowing that my efforts led to some amount of healing and togetherness around a shared passion for Blue Elderberry and the Sierra Nevada mountains, is definitely in the ranking of one of the most rewarding experiences of my life."

Major: Community Health Sciences

Position: Outreach and Programming Intern

"The most positive aspects of my internship were interacting with the members of our community who utilize the programming and creating content for the website that will continue to be up and running even after my time at Our Center. The task I enjoyed the most was organizing and leading my own programming. It feels extremely rewarding create something that will benefit queer youth in our community that I can continue to lead after this internship. From these experiences I have learned so much about the resources that are available here in our community and the ways that outreach can connect people with them."

Major: Political Science

Position: Community Arts Development Intern

"The most rewarding part of my internship was the relationship I developed with the staff at the Nevada Arts Council. I learned about teamwork in an office setting and how to stay organized when juggling several important tasks. I appreciate the professional development I experienced here, and I feel like a more efficient and task-oriented person. I feel that I had a great mentor in my supervisor, and I learned a lot from her. I appreciate that my hard work on updating and creating a directory of artists and arts organizations will be used to connect artists with employment or funding opportunities."

Major: History:

Position: Immigration Intern

"The most positive aspect of my internship was the informative and welcoming work environment I was in. My supervisors gave me plenty of insight into how the immigration process works for different people. I most enjoyed having the freedom to meet with clients and draft necessary documents to help complete their applications.

I obtained skills in writing comprehensive statements that accurately reflected clients’ information and ensured an honest portrayal of their experiences.

I learned how victims of abuse in the Reno area are able to obtain legal assistance and how each case is affected by children, criminal history, etc."

Major: Communications and Spanish

Position: Program Administration Intern

"The most positive aspects of my internship are realizing the impact Sierra Arts Foundation has had on Northern Nevada by providing arts. What I enjoyed the most of my internship is interviewing students at Kate Smith and creating a newsletter to bring awareness of how important the arts are to students. My transferable skills that I gained during this experience are professionalism and equity and inclusion. Being able to be professional allows me to establish relationships and keep in touch with various organizations. Furthermore, equity and inclusion allow me to provide and create a friendly environment where everyone feels welcomed. I learned how important and crucial SAF and non-profit organizations are to our community providing people with opportunities."

Major: Journalism

Position: Marketing and Communications Intern

"I really enjoyed working with my supervisors as a team throughout this internship. I felt I was always working on something valuable to the College and not just “intern” duties. I got to interview some amazing people like Rya Zobel and Reggie Walton—while intimidating, it got easier. My favorite task I was assigned was Question of the Month summaries. It was so interesting to read all of the responses from over 400 judges on where they stand in hot button topics. I will be using so many skills I learned and overall strengthened my writing tremendously."

Major: International Business

Position: Outreach and Special Events Intern

"The most positive aspect of my internship was being exposed to so many amazing people in the community and getting hands on experience in the non-profit sector.

I gained a lot of confidence during this internship because I am normally more of a shy and introverted person so I was really pushed out of my comfort zone. Every day I had to communicate with someone new whether it was a volunteer, a customer, a client, or a donor.

I learned how to use several different fundraising platforms such as GiveLively, Givebutter, and Galabid. I also learned how to plan a large-scale fundraising event from start to finish, and how to keep track of all the details."

Major: Computer Science and Engineering

Position: Graphic Design and Web Development Intern

"Most of my courses at the University of Nevada, Reno have been about creating complicated data structures and utilizing algorithms to reallocate large sets of record as such I have always associated code as a tool to solve complex numerical problems. Applying new languages into projects associated with this internship allowed me to develop a new “creative” perspective concerning code. Instead of seeing code as a solution for problems that involve numbers, I see code as a solution for anything, adaptive for any scenario. Overall, code provides flexibility to all elements of digital (and perhaps even non-digital) life.

Another lesson I learned was balance. Despite my eagerness to dive into complex HTMP and CSS, I was urged to stick to WordPress for the future interns. This requirement made me consider the positions of others. Working with languages that worked with the WordPress format and the Google Forms format allowed me to understand that there exists a spectrum of languages that are relatively easy to understand for first time coders (i.e., HTML) and very difficult for first time programmers (i.e., C++)."

Major: Mathematics

Position: Research Intern

"The most positive aspect of this internship was the freedom that I got from my work. I had some check-ins to make sure I was doing good, but otherwise, I had flexibility for my projects. I learned a lot about analyzing data and about being able to manage myself with little supervision.

For me, something I would like to improve on would be presenting my results. I think I did good analytical work but when presenting the work, it was hard to put it all together."

Major: Pre-Business Administration

Position: Real Estate Intern

"I think this was the perfect internship for me to start out with real estate. I was able to have a very personal experience and create great relationships. I think I gained some good skills such as problem solving and communication. I learned how to use programs such as MLS, transaction desk, Yardi, and QuickBooks. All of these are programs I was really happy to learn now because they are programs I will probably be using for the rest of my work career.

From here I want to get my real estate license and continue to learn about real estate and how I want to shape my life around it."

Major: Marketing

Position: Recreational Sports Program Intern

"The positive aspects were being able to work in an environment where everyone was caring, I was able to ask any questions without being afraid and could bring my own creativity and thinking-process when doing a task. I enjoyed doing my assigned projects because they were challenging, and it motivated me to work my hardest. I learned that challenging yourself makes you successful. There were days where I struggled not getting anywhere but a part of me didn’t give up. No matter how challenging something is, keep working until you get what you are looking for.

Also, I learned to never be afraid to ask questions. If there was something that confused me or needed more clarification, it never hurts to say anything, it’s better to ask than to assume."

Major: Community Health Sciences

Position: Disaster Preparedness and Response Intern

"I learned so much about the amount of work, dedication, and collaboration required to provide any sort of service to a community or between communities. I got to experience professionals interacting in a real-world setting, utilizing concepts and words I had only ever heard in an academic setting. I was able to experience a level of professional trust based on the skills I have earned in both academic and professional situations to take on a project this large and important to my community. I really appreciated how inviting this organization was to me and how willing everyone was to help and collaborate with me and each other. My supervisor was so helpful and encouraging, making this experience so positive for me overall. The feeling of being trusted as an academic and professional was so validating in regards to the amount of work I have put in professionally and academically in my career."

Majors: Psychology and Information Systems

Position: Data Management Intern

"One of the most positive aspects of my internship has been having a supportive environment to put my knowledge into practice. Having this positive environment has further motivated me to perform to the best of my abilities and learn as much as can about data analysis/management.

One of the greatest skills that I learned was data storytelling - effectively communicating the insights through the creation of clear narratives and powerful visuals. I also learned to effectively communicate and present analyzed data to a wide range of audiences and to consider the perspective of the audience when formulating visuals.

Another area in which I hope to continue to grow and develop is my knowledge of technology. There is so much left to explore in relation to data analytics, such as utilizing Tableau or Python."

Major: Journalism

Position: Education Services Intern

"The most positive reflection on this internship is the people and the good feeling about the work you do! Interacting with teachers in our community and being a part of the PBS team in education gives me more of a connection to providing free educational services to our community.

I think the biggest part of my own growth and development was the overall knowledge of all the content and resources provided to the community by PBS. It’s been a great experience to see a team of employees work so well together and help provide so many educational services to kids every day."

Major: Computer Science and Engineering

Position: STEM Education Outreach Intern

"One of the most positive aspects of my experience at DRI was working with a diverse group of people who are invested in growing the robotics community in Northern Nevada. Working with like-minded people and developing professional relationships with some key members of our community has been amazing.

Another positive aspect of the internship was getting the opportunity get less fortunate students' exposure to some engineering and computer science.

Throughout the course of my internship, I focused on communication as one of my growth areas for professional development, and I certainly learned a lot about communication while organizing events, and communicating with community members."

Major: Pre-Business Administration

Position: No-Profit Management Intern

"This internship was a great introduction to working in a non-profit and office setting. I learnt a lot about professionalism in the workplace and how to effectively communicate with the people around me. I enjoyed joining in on meetings and learning more about how our nonprofit worked with others in the community. I also enjoyed sitting through classes and watching students improve their skills and reach their goals.

Overall, I found this internship to be a positive experience, and I’m thankful for the opportunity."

Major: Marketing

Position: Marketing Intern

"The most positive aspects of my internship were being given a lot of creative freedom to work on projects. I really enjoyed making collateral to use for advertising because I was able to develop my creativity.

I gained very helpful business communication skills throughout this internship. I learned about a variety of marketing aspects and how they are applied in the real work versus in class.

An area for continued growth and development for me is market research. I would like to learn more different aspects of it."

Major: International Business

Position: Member Experience Project Intern

"I had a lot of positive aspects of my internship. I loved getting to know the Nevada Volunteers staff and meeting all the sub grantee program directors. I got to learn about state and federal non-profit processes, how Nevada Volunteers operates, how the sub grantees are helping Nevada communities and federal grant funding. I was able to schedule and conduct meetings, compile data and notes in order to write an implementation plan and set of recommendations, and do other research and writing.

I definitely think that I can continue to grow my writing and research skills. I will need those skills in graduate school and future jobs, especially in foreign policy."

Major: Chemical Engineering

Position: Chemical Engineering Intern

"One of my favorite aspects of this internship was working with, and learning about a huge variety of different chemicals. Chemicals and materials fascinate me, so I am engaged and interested every time I go into the lab. This experience has really improved my research skills as well which I didn’t realize were so important. Going online and just exploring topics with the goal of applying them is so interesting. I was really getting paid to learn at this internship, rather than to work which made it a great experience."

Majors: Information Systems and Human Development and Family Studies

Position: Data Management Intern

"I really enjoyed getting to know the people that I worked with throughout my internship. Junior Achievement is a non-profit organization that teaches students in elementary, middle, and high schools about financial literacy and entrepreneurship. They have a small team, but each of them puts a lot of effort and dedication into their organization. It was inspiring to be able to meet great people who truly care about what they do.

Additionally, during my internship I was able to gain some hands-on experience working with a database that holds all of their donor contacts. I was also able to attend some of their board meetings and get a feel of what it is like to run their organization. I learned a lot of knowledge about the work that goes into Junior Achievement and can transfer what I learned from this internship to my future jobs."

Major: Marketing

Position: Business Operations Intern

"The tasks that I enjoyed the most were the ones that allowed me to be creative. I was able to create social media content and have complete freedom as to what designs fit the company best. Some transferrable skills I gained during this experience include the use of different programs and software such as Message Desk, Bbot, Slack, and Canva. An area for continued growth and development could be my writing skills. I have been able to write a few blogs for the company, but I can improve on the quality of the blogs as well as the time it takes to write them. I learned the importance of search engine optimization to extend the recognition of a company brand."

Major: Environmental Science

Position: Vertebrate Curatorial Intern

"I really enjoyed having the opportunity to work in an environment similar to what I am interested in doing as a career. It was a valuable experience for me to get a small look at what museum work is like. I enjoyed getting to work on a number of different and interesting projects during my time with the Museum of Natural History.

I also think this experience helped me become more aware of what it is like to work in a professional workplace in an academic setting, which is something I am interested is possibly pursuing in the future. This position helped me strengthen my communication skills, which are useful for any job. I also feel that the experience I gained using a museum database is a skill that is useful to have in the field of museum work and transferable to a number of scenarios."

Major: Biochemistry

Position: Science Alive Intern

"I really enjoyed working with the greenboxes during my time at the Desert Research Institute (DRI). Being familiar with curriculum was a new experience for me, which will help me shift my focus on just watching kids to helping teach them about science and the Earth’s natural processes. Conducting myself in a more professional environment is another experience I will be able to use in future endeavors.

Working in a professional environment is a skill I will continue to develop, as well as looking for opportunities to continue to familiarize myself with curriculum and community outreach. During my time with DRI, I learned to navigate Outlook and other programs like Adobe, and prepare for/work at STEM outreach events.

Major: Marketing

Position: Real Estate Intern

"The most positive things I learned from this internship is how to stay dedicated to the task at hand. There were times when I had to do my best to focus and get the job done. My favorite thing I did was to see how listings were created and how prices were set for different properties. I was able to watch different aspects of real estate be completed. It was a good learning experience in many different ways."

Majors: Management and Marketing

Position: Marketing and Sales Operation Intern

"The most positive aspect of my internship was working with a company that I connected with outside of work. Gear Hut’s mission is to break the barriers that prevent others from trying a new outdoor hobby and I resonate with that a lot - I think everyone should have an opportunity to try climbing, biking, backpacking, and skiing/snowboarding without spending their life savings on it. Gear Hut is also very involved in the community, teaming with local Non-Profits to put on cleanups and other events to preserve and restore the environment around us. I really enjoyed being able to communicate with, learn about the non-profits they work with, and participate in their events such as cleanups or guided hikes.

I also really enjoyed learning about the Wix website platform. With time, and the help of my boss, Leah, I learned how to edit or add pages to a website, at links, add ALT text to images, update inventory, create and post blogs, and so much more. There are a lot of little details that go into maintaining a website, and I’m glad I got to help in that process during this internship.

Besides learning about Wix, a few other transferable skills that I gained are that I learned how to shift my writing voice per audience, I learned a lot about inventory and how to manage the eb and flow of it. I also increased my customer service skills by working with a niche customer base which includes an outdoorsy, athletic crowd."

Major: Management

Position: Human Resources Intern

"Some of the most positive aspects of this internship was learning first-hand about HR duties, witnessing the growth of the organization, and being involved and included in the growth process. I have learned a lot about growth, and growth planning. Throughout this internship, I have participated in the hiring of entry level positions, senior level staff, and all positions in-between. I have learned very valuable skills pertaining to recruitment and hiring, which I will take with me and use in the future. I also gained skills in HR management and learned a lot about the day-to-day functions of an HR manager. Overall, this internship has been a very positive experience, and I am very grateful for all things I have learned."

Major: Spanish

Position: Substance Abuse Prevention Intern

"I enjoyed creating the women’s health and harm reduction presentations the most during my time at Join Together Northern Nevada. It was fascinating to learn about women-specific health issues relating to substance abuse, and to be able to spread this helpful information. I also enjoyed raising awareness about harm reduction methods, which I believe are essential for everyone to be aware of. I learned a lot about how to effectively convey information, as well as gained professional experience in Spanish translation. I translated one of our women’s health and harm reduction presentations into Spanish for a local women’s group, which I hope will help benefit our Spanish speaking community."

Major: Political Science

Position: Public Relations and Communications Intern

"Some of the most important skills I was able to develop were the ability to write in concise, engaging ways, as well as writing for a variety of different mediums and styles. When writing campaigns, emails, or for social media, my writing was best when concise, engaging and bright. On the other hand, being detailed in things like grant proposals, blogs, and workshop materials allowed me to adopt the perspective of each type of audience and the best way to communicate to them. I was often able to adapt to and learn about each style as I took on new, unfamiliar projects. Writing has always felt somewhat natural for me, but working with this pace and this variety sharpened my skills. The ability to practice and oscillate between these styles is helpful for any position I use in the future."

Major: Microbiology and Immunology

Position: Laboratory Tech Intern

"The most positive aspect of this internship was getting to work in a laboratory that influences public health and keeps a community safe. The decisions and regulatory tests done allow for the Incline Village community to access safe drinking water. The proper maintenance and disposal of wastewater keeps the Lake Tahoe Basin clean. Using the microscope to identify the different types of microbial life present during the wastewater treatment process and typing out algae present in creeks was beneficial in testing my knowledge. The transferable skills I gained were using laboratory equipment and machinery as well as performing multiple tests on the water."

Major: Mathematics

Position: Data Management Intern

"This internship was enjoyable, challenging, and a fantastic learning experience. I was grateful to be given a project which will be useful to others, that also provided me an opportunity to learn and develop my skills.

Throughout this internship I learned that data analysis is as much art as it is technical. Data alone doesn’t say anything, it needs to be visualized, and that can’t be done without a crucial understanding of the data itself and the meaning behind it.

In addition to this, I learned several key technical skills, such as cleaning up data, how to manipulate graphs, and other essential functions for data analysis."

Major: Marketing

Position: Grant and Proposal Writing Intern

"Learning about the art of crafting persuasive yet straightforward grant and proposal applications was the most enjoyable aspect of my internship. I love writing, so having the opportunity to develop skills in such a niche area was extremely exciting for me. 

However, the most impactful part of my internship was watching Black Swan’s founder, Sydonie Neysmith, navigate her roles as a CEO, professor, and public speaker so seamlessly. She is the consummate professional, always prepared, polished, and enthusiastic about her work. She made this internship both rigorous and pleasant all at the same time. I am so grateful that to have had this opportunity."

Majir: Computer Science and Engineering

Position: Application Development and Launch Intern

"The most positive aspects of my internship were my creative freedom and the satisfactory communication. Even if I didn’t get to use my coding skills to build the app, I was able to use and improve my design skills. This to me is equally important in the software industry which I aim to enter after college.

I’d also say that I learned a bit about project management since I mostly handled everything to do with the project, just with feedback from the supervisor. I think this made the project more open to my suggestions and ideas/creative control which I enjoyed. I think one skill I’ll be able to transfer is essentially how to build an app more or less."

Major: Criminal Justice

Position: Case Compliance Intern

"I really enjoyed the opportunities I had in working with everyone in the Family Court Division on a variety of case types. I feel that the diversity of my tasks allowed me to learn much about how the court functions and the legal processes involved in family law.

This internship helped me to improve my communication, professionalism, and critical thinking skills. Throughout this experience I was assigned tasks I had no prior knowledge of, and I was able to utilize these three skills to produce satisfactory work. An area for continued growth is in my knowledge of expertise and further pursuance of my critical thinking skills."

Major: Computer Science and Engineering

Position: Business Operations and Development Intern

"I really enjoyed meeting all the amazing people at Kremenak! They were always willing to teach me things that I had trouble with. One of the most important skills was the ability to work effectively on a team. Today’s job market requires working with a lot of people, especially with my major.

Another transferable skill is my communication skill, which was improved through my informational interviews. Being able to effectively communicate with clients and coworkers is something that is integral to all future jobs I may have."

Major: Environmental Science

Position: STEAM Education and Programming Intern

"The most positive aspect of my internship was being able to collaborate with professionals from different backgrounds. I enjoyed going through the curriculum binder and seeing the advancements in the science curriculum in recent years. I also appreciated that I was given the opportunity to work on a solo project and create a fun activity that highlighted scientists in many different environmental-related fields.

Transferable skills I gained were technological knowledge of working within google docs to format curriculum, independent work with working on my project, team collaboration, and being involved in work events. I learned how impactful it is to have hands-on experience when learning scientific topics to keep students interested in pursuing careers within the science field.

An area for continued growth is getting used to editing within Google Docs and working on creative projects."

Major: Spanish

Position: Community Engagement Intern

"Through this internship, I was able to give a direct service to those seeking rental assistance. It was a very rewarding experience being able to help individuals apply for aid and let them know when they had been approved.

I also really enjoyed being able to learn and work alongside a great team of people. The environment was very welcoming and I felt like I learned a lot not only about the organization but as well as improving skills that I will use in the future."

Major: Geography

Position: Outreach and Development Intern

"My experience here at NRAP as an intern is just a continuation of a long journey for myself within NRAP and the recovery community as a whole. Connecting with my community is by far the greatest aspect of this internship and experience here at NRAP. I enjoyed welcoming new people to the space and although difficult at times, being there for them when they were in need was one of the most rewarding things I could possibly do. I learned much about myself, about communicating in effective and compassionate way, and about building community. The interpersonal skills I learned here will stay with me as I move through life and continue to progress. I learned how to get along with anyone and make a connection in just a couple of minutes, which will most certainly serve me throughout my career and life.

One of the most important things I learned was to sometimes put others needs before my own, stepping outside of my own experience and allowing myself to be a part of theirs."

Major: Physics

Position: Living Snow Community Engagement Intern

"This internship was an exciting opportunity to synthesize community engagement with both the social and scientific value of our natural resources. Working on the Living Snow Project was a process of highlighting connections, as exemplified in the flyer to the right.

My favorite aspect of this project was the opportunity to connect my professional abilities with my interests in community-focused science."

Major: Environmental Science

Position: Trail Operations Intern

"This internship has allowed me to explore careers in Environmental Science, focusing on the conservation and preservation of natural resources. These fields are what I am most passionate about and my experience at the Tahoe Rim Train Association has made me excited for my future career.

In order to pursue my goals, I plan on going to graduate school to continue to learn about Conservation Biology and Aquatic Science. I would love to go to another university to continue my education. It would be very rewarding, however, to come back to Nevada to help my home state."

Major: Criminal Justice

Position: Community Service Resource Project Intern

"This internship has allowed me to learn how to communicate with a team, local organizations, and court systems. I received an inside look at the variety of service organizations in our community and the work that each does. I hope to continue growing my communication skills as I progress in my career.

The most influential aspect was being able to see how the work I have done is being implemented; how it is helping people in our community. I have gotten the chance to speak with individuals looking to complete service hours, and I was able to provide that assistance from my research and project work."

Major: Marketing

Position: Community Arts Development Intern

"In February, I had the opportunity to table for the Nevada Arts Council (NAC) at a theatre production of “American Son.” The Nevada Arts Council arranged for the production to take place in locations around Nevada and I was fortunate enough to see it twice in Carson City and Reno. When I attended the productions, I saw how engaged the community was and how the production had an impact on every audience member. Following the performances, the cast had a discussion with the audience about the performance and it was heartwarming to see the community come together to discuss issues like discrimination and police brutality.

Seeing how the NAC was able to touch the community showed me how rewarding it is to work for a government agency or nonprofit. After viewing the first performance, my supervisor asked me if I was inspired to keep working for these types of organizations, and I can respond now that I will certainly be continuing this line of work."

Majors: Political Science and International Affairs

Position: Volunteer Program Management Intern

"As a student who cares deeply about civic engagement, working for a non-profit organization – specifically with volunteering was a rewarding experience for me. I was exposed to a different work environment and had to utilize different skills in this position than in other job opportunities I have had in my undergraduate career. I enjoyed helping my supervisor communicating with volunteers and creating new opportunities to help our animals and get new volunteers.

At the Nevada Humane Society, I feel like I got to use my communication skills in a different manner than I have previously. Embracing the diversity of our community in the workspace where all the people around me care about the well-being of the animals in our care was very important to me. I hope in my future career opportunities, I can transfer skills of teamwork professionalism, and diversity that the Volunteer Program Management Intern position offered me."

Major: Political Science

Position: Grant Management Intern

"The most positive aspect was being given the responsibility to independently manage projects such as system designing and report writing. It sparked an improvement in my ability to anticipate problems, my organization skills, and empowered me to confidently make decisions. Along with helping me identify my strengths, this experience has broadened my awareness of areas that need improvement.

I need to work on my summarization skills as I have a tendency to write a bit too much. However, despite it being a weakness of mine, I have drastically improved since I first started working.

Overall, I feel better prepared and well equipped to succeed in a variety of ways following my graduation."

Major: International Affairs

Position: Public Affairs Intern

"The Ferrato Co. offered me a friendly, focused environment to engage with the beginnings of the public policy creation process. From this, I was able to improve my writing skills to report issues to clients in succinct ways. I learned more about what issues are impacting Nevadans and companies that operate in Nevada to better evolve future plans of constituent representation.

Continuing forward, I will continue to work on my writing skills that I gained from the public affairs writing style. I hope to take what I have learned in watching my employer with representation and negotiation skills."