Current Tufts student Miles Henderson shared the following about being a Summer Intern at Cambridge Local First …
What did you do as an intern at this organization?
As a Resilient Local Economies intern for Cambridge Local First, I worked with a small team of interns and three directors to bolster small businesses through numerous projects that helped identify and highlight local business owners, city policies, and effect messaging strategies for antitrust legislation. These projects included writing articles for Cambridge Day newspaper, crafting newsletters for our followers, and investigating the harm of monopolies to draft a memo. I participated in daily meetings with various teams to keep us on track, met in person to co-work with CLF even though the internship was originally hybrid, and attended a weekly lecture series to network with community leaders and learn about adjacent fields.
How did you find this internship?
This internship was recommended in a Career Center newsletter.
What did you enjoy most about your internship?
It was so energizing to work on such a variety of projects that helped me dabble in several fields, such as journalism and policy research. I learned a lot about the oppressive nature of monopolies and mergers and the negative economic effects that occur when they use their outsized power to crush small and independent businesses.
What did you find challenging?
It was difficult to stay on track given the number of projects I was working on at once, especially since we were not in person to check in on each other and help co-work on projects. Other than that, I found the work both informative and entertaining.
What advice would you offer to someone who wants to make the most of an internship like yours?
I would recommend that they keep in constant communication with their directors and set up weekly action-items so that there are clear directives and goals; open ended projects without deadlines can admittedly lead to procrastination. I would also recommend that they network with everyone they meet along the way, especially since I had the opportunity to speak with so many leaders in interesting fields that would be great resources for me to use going forward.
About the Organization
Cambridge Local First
Cambridge Local First (CLF) is a non-profit network of 500+ locally-owned, independent businesses in the Cambridge area. We work to support and promote a thriving, equitable local economy through education, direct support to local businesses, and policy advocacy.
