Tulane University Interns Amplify AHA Foundation’s Impact

Since the fall of 2019, students from Tulane University’s internship program have been helping amplify AHA Foundation’s policy work, social media, and data analytics. We are so thankful to these students who chose AHA Foundation to be the place where they put to work their passion about ending human rights abuses and protecting women and girls from harm. Read about their experiences below.

Reese Kline, Former Policy Intern

I interned for AHA Foundation in the fall of 2019, and really enjoyed my time there. As a Policy Intern, I worked directly with the Senior Director, Amanda Parker, and spent time conducting research on legislators, and tracking current legislation in our realm. 

During this internship, the most valuable skills I learned were speaking on the phone with people I don’t know—whether that be legislators or their aids—and developing further my research skills. I have been able to use these research skills to help me with my current internship. 

My favorite work experience, outside of training with Amanda and her assistant Kaitlyn in Miami, was drafting written testimony in support of a bill. I felt that with this testimony I was able to really make a difference.

I would definitely recommend this internship. Not only did I learn about FGM and child marriage in the U.S., but I also learned a lot about the legal process, and how to get laws passed. I enjoyed my time working at AHA and felt that I had done something truly meaningful.

Jake Simenhoff, Former Marketing Intern

Working for AHA Foundation was an enlightening experience because I learned about different issues that are not at the forefront of most people’s discussions. FGM and child marriage are issues that we think happen far away, however, it happens here in the United States. I believe everyone agrees that it is unacceptable that these horrific practices occur in the U.S. and the world in general. 

As a Data Analytics intern, I felt that I was helping AHA Foundation educate the public through social media, and make the information easier to understand. Through this experience, I improved my written communication skills and felt like I was truly making a change for women and girls in the U.S. 

I feel much more prepared and knowledgeable after getting to experience a hands-on approach to learning. I believe the skills and acumen I developed during my internship is vital for any workplace. Specifically, I am confident to be a contributing member of teams in the nonprofit and social media sphere.

I would recommend this internship to anyone interested in nonprofit management, social media campaigns, and marketing and communications. My time at the foundation gave me an introduction to all these areas and helped me fine-tune my soft skills.

Ophelia Li, Current Data Analytics Intern

Working at the AHA Foundation has been an incredible experience. The staff are passionate about their work and make me feel welcome and treated as part of the team. It has been challenging to learn and master new software platforms, but with some training and exploring the software on my own, I was able to quickly pick up on how to best use the software.

I improved both hard and soft skills while working at the AHA Foundation. This internship helped me polish my data analytical skills, apply concepts that I learned in the classroom, and improve my time management. I became more proficient in using and managing CRM and social media platforms. These analytical skills will be very useful in today’s job market, especially the global economy which is witnessing exponential growth in data-related jobs. 

I would recommend this internship to other students because the assigned projects were extremely valuable and applicable to what they would expect in the real world. It will also allow students to identify areas where they can improve. For students who are passionate about nonprofits, they will have a clear idea of how nonprofits operate and how to manage them effectively after this internship. 

Chris Cantwell, Current Policy Intern

My favorite experience during this internship was when we attempted to whip votes to pass SB72 to ban FGM in Kentucky. It was exhilarating to be racing around and calling state legislators in an attempt to hear their position on the bill and ensure its passage. I received great insight into how to garner support with legislators to support bills.

I have had an incredible experience working at AHA Foundation, and have been given the chance to work on many projects and carry more responsibility than I could’ve ever asked for. I worked on legislative tracking, drafting written testimony, updating PDFs and powerpoints for hosting trainings, or personally reaching out to legislators’ offices.  

One challenge I have dealt with since joining the team is the difficulty with learning how to read and determine what legislation was actually implementing. Amanda was super helpful in advising me and teaching me to read more critically about how to analyze and break apart legislation piece by piece. Now, I am a much better critical reader and understand the unique style of reading and analyzing bills.