2021-2022 Internship
Melissa Sabitov

      My time with IDEAS For Us has been nothing short of inspirational. Being able to not only participate in but also lead projects and presentations on topics that I truly care about and am passionate for has shown me that is something that I would love to do as my future career. I was hired to be an eco-action intern, in charge of fundraising management, partner outreach, event planning, networking with local businesses and organizations, blog writing, social media creating, and vision creation. The team I worked with was truly amazing, especially my immediate supervisor, Kristin. She never failed to be empathetic, encouraging, and a generally uplifting person to work with. Kristin was constantly rooting me on in my projects and always made sure to speak highly of me to the other supervisors and heads of branches. For this reason, I was awarded eco-action intern of the year at our end of the year internship event! Through all of these actions I have taken, I have not only gained a plethora of skills that I am confident in implementing, such as networking in unfamiliar spaces or leading new projects, but I have also established so many new connections to people in the field of environmental advocacy and communication, such as Chris Castro, the head of the sustainability department for the city of Orlando.

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       While this work has been very exciting and beneficial for my future endeavors in this field, it was not always easy work. In collaboration with my part time job, my full time school schedule consisting of 5 classes, and life in general, it was certainly a challenge at times to meet deadlines and submit work that was done to the best of my abilities. There were several moments during the semester that I had to miss an event that I really wanted to attend due to my job or school work that needed to be done; it was upsetting to say the least. However, out of the kindness of my supervisor and my internship coordinators hearts, I was able to extend my stay with IDEAS For Us to ensure I was able to get the fullest extent of skills and experience in this internship as possible without compensating too much in the other realms of my life. 

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    All in all, my time spent with this organization has been one of the best things I have done in my life, both professionally and personally. I have always been very akin to preserving our planet and making sure the populations that reside inside of it are being tended to. This internship has allowed me to take my relationship with people and nature alike to a whole new level and that is something that I will always be grateful for. There have been several instances where friends and coworkers have asked me if I know of any places that are taking interns, and I have always referred them to IDEAS For Us. This being said, my biggest take away from this internship was the solidification of my goals for the future; the work I have done here is something I intend on doing for my career. Before working with this organization, I had a vague idea of what I would like to do post graduation, now I know that this is something I would not only love, but excel at as well.