Current student, Kailyn Ortiz, shared the following about being a Summer Intern at the The League of Women Voters New York City.…
What did you do as an intern at this organization?
During my summer at the League, I primarily focused on voter education and registration efforts, as well as leading intern projects. Due to the impending mayoral election, the first half of my internship consisted of voter education and registration throughout New York City. I often worked collaboratively with other interns and members of the League to hold these events at libraries, universities, community leaders, and with partner organizations.
The latter half of my internship was focused on the development of the LWVNYC. For instance, I co-led a project focused on recruiting more diverse volunteers for the League. This project is intended to diversify volunteers at the League, in hopes of serving a more diverse community overall.
Moreover, I also co-led a group dedicated to drafting roughly fifteen chapters of a book being written by a life-long member of the League. The book is about women in the suffrage movement who often do not receive praise for their contributions to the movement.
How did you find this internship?
I found this internship online by searching different job listings and stumbling upon the LWVNYC page.
What did you enjoy most about your internship?
I most enjoyed the opportunity to go to Albany, NY with the president of LWVNYC and other interns, to meet with other New York State branches. During this convention, I was able to speak with individuals of diverse careers and backgrounds about their work at the League and share methods on how to reach more voters. We spoke of national legal actions that were being taken to preserve the right to vote, as well as smaller scale efforts such as creating partner programs with local high schools. This was most enjoyable because of the collaborative aspect, and I was able to apply what I learnt from other branches of the League and apply it to my intern projects.
What did you find challenging?
I found the travel aspect most challenging, but simultaneously rewarding. Because my work initially focused on voter education and registration, I traveled all around NYC to reach as many different populations as possible. This was difficult because I was constantly having to adapt to new spaces and set ups, but it also meant that I was able to reach a wide variety of individuals. Because NYC is a place which has a very diverse population, there are many alcoves of different cultures across the city. By traveling to these communities, I was able to ensure that a diverse group of people were being reached by the League.
What advice would you offer to someone who wants to make the most of an internship like yours?
I think what is most important is to remain open to having complex conversations. Oftentimes, people stray away from difficult topics in order not upset others. But, I learned in my time in this position that people crave the outlet to ask questions and share their own thoughts on current events. I was seen as a resource and someone willing to converse about complex topics such as the functioning of government, and simply by being in those communities, I saw people open up significantly more. Remaining open to conversations like this allows individuals to be more knowledgeable about current politics.
