Current student, Lucy Morisse-Corsetti, received a Career Center Internship Grant for her recent summer internship at American Enterprise Institute. Lucy shared the following about being a summer intern:
What did you do as an intern at this organization?
worked in the AEI development department this summer, which is their primary fundraising sector. This consists of different smaller teams, each of which I completed different work for. For the individual giving team, I primarily worked on donor research, as well as meeting preparation documents for the staff. The development events team mostly had me working on physical deliverables for events and preparing materials for various fundraising activities. For the foundations giving team, I got to sit in on project meetings and learn more about what the grant-writing process looked like. For the development operations team, I did a wide range of projects, ranging from a competitor evaluation report that was presented to the whole department, to proposals for new research chairs, to coding work inside our system, SalesForce. I also got the opportunity to sit down with a number of the scholars and research assistants who work at AEI and learned more about what they do in their academic work.
How did you find this internship?
I was applying to a wide range of internships in the political science field – from Congress to lobbying to think tanks. I had heard of AEI through my advisor and knew that it was on my (very long) list of places to apply to. I applied via their website, and the development team was the option I clicked with the most.
What did you enjoy most about your internship?
I really loved the opportunity to get to learn so much about AEI as a whole. Not only did I get to do a ton of work in all the different parts of my department, but I also got the chance to interact with scholars, research assistants, and leadership at the think tank. It felt like it was a really immersive experience in all of the parts of AEI.
What did you find challenging?
I definitely learned a lot about email and communication in a corporate setting this summer, which took some adjusting to. However, I feel like it was a really valuable skill for me to learn and will serve me well in any future career opportunities.
What advice would you offer to someone who wants to make the most of an internship like yours?
Take advantage of any programming that your position offers, and if they don’t offer it, make your own programming! I learned so much from just reaching out to everyone I met and asking them if they had time to sit down for coffee and chat about their career. Not everyone said yes, but those who did always had interesting stories, insights, and advice that will absolutely be helpful in my own career journey.
