Not your Average Internship for a Not So Average Summer

As we begin to reflect on 2020 one of our biggest takeaways was brought on by the youth around us. This year we've experienced younger generations taking on commitments to action and change more than ever. We've witnessed this with the rise of activism as online presence through petitions, community organizing, and engagement for change.

DD is proud to work alongside passionate changemakers and provide tools and training to guide their impact in and outside of DialogueDirect. Our Summer 2020 interns were challenged with adapting to COVID-19 protocols in a contactless world, something we've never experienced before. Their resilience and eagerness to learn was obvious, their passion - contagious.

We hope their words can encourage and empower future generations to take on unprecedented challenges as opportunities for growth! Here's what our top 3 interns had to say about the experience:

"This Summer in my internship with DialogueDirect I got some very unique experience that I would not have gotten with an internship anywhere else! The internship was a firsthand crash course in how to better communicate with strangers and people of all walks of life, no matter the situation! The thing that I most looked forward to when coming into to work every day was, without a doubt, the people. Working at Dialogue, your coworkers are incredibly fascinating and enjoyable people, with some of the biggest personalities of anyone you will ever meet! In my internship, I not only learned how to better speak to all sorts of people, but I also vastly grew in my own ability to persevere, no matter the external or the internal circumstances. The most important thing for any future intern to know, in my mind, is to be prepared to inhabit the work hard, play hard mentality to thrive and enjoy being at DialogueDirect.”

Gabriela Bellosi, Washington D.C 

“I learned and took away very much from this program. First I learned that I was given an opportunity to save lives! I chose to get up and go to work every day to fight for those who are less fortunate than me. Not everyone can say that. Secondly, I learned invaluable lessons from daily skill shares and impacts that were transferable in the field and in my own life. Such lessons included work ethic; confidence; enthusiasm; perseverance; professionalism; being unapologetic; the recipe for success; how to be indifferent; how to set S.M.A.R.T. goals, the power of words, how to be emotive; the five F's: fortune, fame, family, faith, and freedom; how to hold yourself accountable; how to empower others; how to persuade, and how to be urgent. It was phenomenal to witness the application of these lessons throughout the program, while still shedding light on new skill shares and impacts each and every day. I was even given the opportunity to share a skill share and impact of my own, "Ten Things that Require Zero Talent" and the "One Percent Rule." Third, I learned I truly love to converse with others in the hopes of impacting hundreds of thousands of lives. I can even see a future career path in this work. I have grown tremendously during the program. While I grew at work, I also grew immensely in my personal life. I admitted to myself that it is okay to not be okay all the time and to always follow my heart no matter how hard it is. These two skills and mindsets are much easier said, then done, of course. However, I know to always use these skills and mindsets: admitting to yourself that it is okay to not be okay and always following your heart, especially when it comes to my future school and career paths. [My advice to future interns would be:] Find the joy in being able to walk and talk. It may sound weird, but I know this work is not for everyone. In fact, I witnessed first-hand how this work is not for everyone throughout the program. And that is okay. Remember you are here for a reason. No one ever said this would be easy, but I can assure you it is worth it, especially for those you impact. It is your choice!”

Margaret Lohrer, Washington D.C

“I was able to connect with donors face to face, learn about the positive impact that our charitable partners create, and even collaborated with the Washington D.C. interns to create a social media marketing campaign for DriveChangeNYC! DialogueDirect’s internship program helped me foster a passion for making the world a better place, and also helped develop my communication and leadership skills! Thank you DD!”

Nathan Yeung, San Francisco, CA

Thank YOU Gabi, Maggie, and Nate for your dedication and hard work.

Cheers to the next opportunity for change!