Kicking the Summer Off at Nourish International

My name is Ilyasah Shabazz, and I am a rising junior with a double major in public relations and African American studies. I’m almost done with my first month at Nourish International, and I’m having a blast! When I was first offered the position of Summer Institute planning intern, I figured that I would work closely with the chief operating officer and pretty much complete any task that she wanted me to. However, the first day I walked in and the chief operating officer told me to create my own checklist for the entire summer.

I love working with Nourish International because they instill so much trust and responsibility in their interns. From day one, I was able to develop a plan that worked for me and really take the reins on planning their Summer Institute. I truly feel as though I have already gained such valuable experience and am excited to see what the rest of the summer holds. In addition to gaining a valuable experience, I have also learned a lot about the company and what their mission is, as well as a lot of the lingo that is used in the non-profit world. The other beauty of Nourish's environment is that everyone comes from such different backgrounds. Each intern is interested in different things and Nourish has a place for each one. I love the people that I'm surrounded with and love the welcoming atmosphere of the office.

In case you don't know, Nourish International is a non-profit organization that is working to eradicate global poverty through student-led ventures or businesses. Their most popular venture is Hunger Lunch — sound familiar? The money raised from these student-led ventures is then used toward projects in poverty-stricken areas. Don’t be fooled by the name — Nourish deals with a wide range of issues including literacy, water contamination and more. Nourish kicks off every academic year with Summer Institute, which is a five-day conference in Chapel Hill, N.C., designed to educate students on the best practices and provide them with a number of resources for leading their student chapters and ventures. I’ve been given the amazing task of planning the afternoon tasks, coordinating volunteer and transportation schedules and providing entertainment during the dinner hours. I’m anxious to see how it will all turn out!