My summer, thus far, has presented a couple of different opportunities. My first option is to stay here at the UW and intern with the university's fundraising department. I learned about this opportunity through a connection provided by the Career Services Office. Each of us has a career "coach" that helps us develop our internship and career prospects. When my coach learned that I was interested in non-profit work, she connected me with a representative from the University's fundraising department, who offered me this position. I would learn about fundraising from the best of the best: the University of Washington is in the midst of a big "Creating Futures" campaign and I would be right in the center. It's a great opportunity for me.
My second option is to do an independent study project for one of my most admired mentors, Jason Shinder. Jason, among other things, is the arts and humanities consultant for YMCA of the USA. We know each other through the arts work that I did at the Y before I came to business school. This project would involve developing a financial case for the arts: traveling to different Y's around the country and coming up with a strategy, business case and template to create sustainable arts programming. This position, too, would present an incredible opportunity for me to understand more about how my MBA will prove useful in developing unique ways to sustain arts programs within non-profits.
Probably, by the time you're reading this, my summer plans will be set. I'll be preparing to start my internship, get married, and help prepare for the incoming class of 2008. The second-year class was instrumental in helping us get settled and acquainted during our first few weeks, and I'm looking forward to providing the same kind of help to next year's new students. I'll also be getting more involved in the other projects I've taken on including a student government position and a non-profit board membership. Business World is rubbing off on me; hopefully by graduation I'll have rubbed off a bit on it, too.
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