College interns help lighten load of volunteers
Two students interned this past winter at the Terri Brodeur Breast Cancer Foundation and discovered that in addition to honing their office skills and earning college credit, they had happened upon an organization with a heart.
“It’s a very positive place,” said Michelle Chenail of Plainfield, a student at Three Rivers Community College where she is working on an associate’s degree in graphic design.
“I think this is a great organization,” said Maria Korthals of Old Saybrook, who is graduating in May from Three Rivers with associate’s degree in business administration.
The students each put in 80 hours at the TBBCF’s New London office, and remotely, throughout the winter and spring months, learning about the workings of a non-profit.
Michelle brought her graphic arts skills and helped with marketing for the annual meeting and a volunteer recruitment day at Old Saybrook High School. She also helped design advertising postcards, Save the Date postcards and invitations for the annual meeting, working alongside Gabrielle Tudisca, who started with TBBCA as a summer intern in 2017 and is now a consultant. Michelle is scheduled to graduate in the spring of 2019 from Three Rivers and hopes to continue her education at a four-year college.
“I really liked how everything was busy but organized,” she said, adding she would encourage other students to apply for internships at TBBCF. “It was a very nice place to work.”
Maria worked with Ellen Swercewski, TBBCF internship mentor and walker fundraiser administrator. She helped prepare and organize the 2017 Report to Supporters which was distributed at the May 8, 2018, annual meeting. She organized the RSVPs and collaborated on a slide show that was shown during the meeting. She also greeted guests at the door and handed out name tags.
Sandy Maniscalco, co-founder of TBBCF and director of development/outreach, said the interns were an asset to the 12-year-old organization, which is run almost entirely with volunteers.
“About 90 percent of our work is accomplished by year-round volunteers,” Maniscalco said. “Having the interns freed up our volunteers to focus on other things.”
TBBCF has one intern scheduled to start the fall semester and is continuing to recruit others.