AHA Foundation Intern Shares Her Experience of Working to Make the U.S. a Safer Place to Be a Girl

After two years of working with the AHA Foundation, our intern Bree Dyer is leaving for another work opportunity. Bree joined AHA Foundation’s team after living and studying in Florence, Italy for a year. This experience cemented her interest in other countries and cultures, particularly how other cultures tackle certain issues differently. We will miss her dedication and social media savvy, and are excited for new opportunities awaiting Bree. In this blog, Bree shares about her experience of working with AHA’s team.

I was halfway through a Masters degree in International Affairs and Human Rights when I started an internship with the AHA Foundation. I was passionate about women’s rights and knew I wanted to work for an organization that focused on this issue. Within the first several weeks of becoming an intern, I dove headfirst into my work and was already attending an event at UNICEF on behalf of the Foundation.

As an intern for the AHA Foundation, I had the privilege of working on many unique projects. There really wasn’t one typical day. I was involved in most aspects of the Foundation’s day-to-day work. Because I was still a student, I would work for the AHA Foundation during the day and then attend classes in the afternoon and evening. With lots of time management and many weekends spent in my school’s library, I was able to keep up with both.

Bree participated in the Walk to End FGM in Washington, D.C.

I attended interesting events while working for the Foundation, from a walk to end FGM in Washington D.C., to International Day of the Girl Child events at UNICEF’s headquarters in NY, to a speech of Ayaan’s in Boston. Having the opportunity to meet Ayaan, the Foundation Founder, and hear her speak within a month of working for her Foundation was definitely a highlight of my internship.  

I was also able to gain experience in many different aspects of a nonprofit organization, from the marketing and social media to the development work. One thing that was made clear from day one at the AHA Foundation was that my opinion was valuable. Even though I was just an “intern,” my opinion was heard and taken into account.

While working as an intern, I used skills I had learned in school to further my work and vice versa. I used video editing skills I acquired in college for a projects where I edited videos for social media and blog posts. I used interviewing skills I learned at a previous internship to conduct interviews with survivors of female genital mutilation (FGM) and those working to combat the practice. These conversations were some of the most impactful I’ve ever had. Often I was surprised by how much these survivors wanted to share their stories and inspired by how hopeful they were for the future.

Now that I have moved on from the AHA Foundation, I have carried many of the things I learned while as an intern into my new role. I am grateful for the guidance I received while at the AHA Foundation and the wonderful team I got to work with on a daily basis.

From my time at the AHA Foundation, it is evident that the team behind the Foundation really is working to protect the liberty of all people. I will always be proud of the small role I was able to play in making the U.S. a safer place to be a girl.  

Keep a look out for open positions at the AHA Foundation here.