A Day in the Life: My Experience as an Intern at CASA

I first spotted the posting for the CASA Marketing and Development Intern position when looking for an internship for a class this semester. I recognized the organization because my mom had been a CASA volunteer for the Worcester County program in my home state of Massachusetts. I know CASA is an organization with passion for the work it does.

Reflecting on my semester as the inaugural marketing and development intern, I have learned and experienced so much!

Metal Detectors and Warm Welcomes

I arrived at the courthouse for my first day on a snowy January morning. A first day at any job is daunting but getting stopped at metal detectors before arriving at the office can heighten the nerves a bit.

“Do you work here?” the friendly-ish looking security guard asked me.

“Yeah.” I responded, sounding unconvincing.

He nodded for me to enter. I would later find out that security would ask me this question each time I brought a fork in my lunch bag, which ended up being at least once a week.

Once I arrived at the office, I was met with a warm welcome celebration involving bagels from Terra. While munching on our bagels, I was introduced to the other staff members. My supervisor, Sam, guided me through my orientation schedule for my first week and we embarked on an office and courthouse tour where she showed me the location of the best drinking fountain to fill up water bottles. During my first week, I was introduced to some of the CASA staff members through short one-on-one meetings. These were a chance to get to know each other and learn what each job role consists of. Through these one-on-one meetings I personally saw the passion each staff member has.

Diving into Projects

Throughout the internship I have had the opportunity to work on a variety of different projects and tasks. One of my first larger projects was writing a volunteer spotlight for the spring newsletter. This task was initially daunting because I wouldn’t consider myself the most confident writer. Through the writing and editing process, I received such helpful feedback from both Sam and Stephanie. They helped me refine the piece to make it something I was proud of. When it was ultimately finished, I read the piece in the printed newsletter and published it to the website blog with my name as the contributor. Seeing my work published was a rewarding and confidence-building experience. Check out the spotlight here!

During my second week at CASA, I had the chance to attend the Drugs 101 event, which was a highlight during my internship. I enjoyed helping set up the event, meeting some CASA volunteers in attendance, and hearing such positive feedback from attendees about how much they learned after the presentation. The presenters provided such inciteful information that was communicated in such a way that people with different levels of prior knowledge about drugs could easily follow and understand. The Drugs 101 event was another example of the passion CASA has for the community – through education about relevant issues impacting not just the Kent County area, but the rest of the country and the world. I got the chance to cover the event in an article for the spring newsletter – a good opportunity to be able to share this presentation’s impact with even more people. This project allowed me to continue developing confidence in the writing and editing process. Check out the story here!

Inspiring Individuals

Along with the projects I have worked on, I have loved getting to know the staff through celebrations, fun events, and lunch time chatter. They are a joy to work with, and I appreciate how they have supported me during my time as an intern. Recently, as a staff we took a trip to Brush Studio where we created some sunny artwork for the spring luncheon and enjoyed some tasty snacks.

Another of my favorite staff moments is when we coordinated our outfits to specific holidays and gathered to take pictures for social media. The elevator full of CASA staff in matching colors is always a fun surprise for courthouse visitors.

Two central things I have noticed during my relatively short time at CASA are:

1. The mission is truly at the center of the work everyone does at CASA.
2. CASA volunteers and donors are extraordinary individuals.

The individuals and the mission at CASA have inspired me to become more involved in my communities in Grand Rapids, back home in Massachusetts, and my future community in Denver. A special thanks to all those at CASA of Kent County for embracing me as part of the team this semester and giving me a great internship experience!