Summer Intern Spotlight: Amanda M.

What led you to apply for the Curriculum Development Internship?
"I thought it would be a good transition to my role as Lead Engagement Intern for next year and to prepare me for that role. I wanted to use my planning experience to make our internship curriculum for this year more structured."

What are you working on this summer?
"Generally I plan out what the curriculum for the programming and engagement internships will look like. It’s a lot of brainstorming and interviewing past interns to hear about what they liked and didn’t like to help shape our next curriculum. I've been reading a lot about curriculum development and planning. It's been cool to see the consistency among Jewish organizations and connect what I’ve experienced in past organizations to what we're doing."

Does this internship connect to your academic/professional goals?
"There's not a ton of overlap since my academic and professional goals are finance and business oriented. Part of why i’m doing this [internship] is to pursue my Jewish interests and organizational interests. I’m sure [the skills] will come into play down the line, maybe in the part of finance that involves working with clients and not just numbers. I like the analytical and the personal."

What's it like having an internship during COVID?
"I think this is what the future of the world is going to be like. Learning how to be productive in my house, setting consistent routines, holding myself accountable, it’s all going to help me a lot in the long run. 

You've been attending Cohort Learning Sessions with staff, what's something you've learned from one of those sessions that resonates with you?
"First thing that comes to mind is the self-care lesson. I do really well [with self-care] in my head but when I break it into categories [of self-care], I’m not as great. It was interesting to learn about specific areas that I didn’t even realize I needed to address in my life."

What's something you've learned or something that has motivated you during this internship?
"I get motivated when I see other people finding excitement and passion in the Jewish community.
Engaging with first years and seeing them get involved in leadership roles at the end of the year was motivating."
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​Amanda is a rising third year student working on developing the programming and engagement internship curriculums for the coming year. She is working with Assistant Director, Paige to gather data on past internships with the goal of improving the student leadership experience this year. This fall she will begin courses in the McIntire School of Commerce.