Josh is a senior business administration-marketing major from Justice, Ill. He spends two days per week at the Boys and Girls Club of Bloomington, where he organizes outdoor programming, interacts with the kids and assists the administrative staff. "The ability to feel like you're actually making a difference is one of the most fulfilling experience I've ever had," Josh said. "Seeing the look in [the kids'] eyes and the smiles on their faces makes every second worthwhile."

Emily is a junior business administration and music double major from Canton, Ill. During the two days she spends at the UNITY Community Center, Emily works with the day camp kids in the mornings, and works on the business side of the center, such as writing grant applications and assessing finances, in the afternoon. "I think my favorite part of the internship is that these kids are different than anybody I've ever worked with before, " Emily said. "They have a great attitude about the day camp; you can tell they really want to be here and that they love it, and it makes every day fun."

Erin is a senior political science and Hispanic studies double major and an art history minor from Rockford, Ill.  Erin spends two days per week working on the Hispanic Families Work Group, prepping the community for a large survey of the Hispanic community in the fall by interviewing the HFWG funders and local social service agencies. "[With this internship] you get to learn how to adapt to situations that demand critical thinking and self-motivation to solve problems," Erin said.

Katie is a junior English-writing major and psychology minor from Mason City, Ill. Katie is conducting a survey of present BBBS volunteers in order to improve their services and increase their volunteer retention rate. She also works on grant-writing for the organization. "I like doing something where I can go home and feel good about myself at the end of the day," Katie said. "It has been an eye-opening experience going from volunteer to staff member."

Chris is a senior political science major from Batavia, Ill. Chris is placed at the Western Avenue Community Center, where he is helping to redevelop the infrastructure, create a strategic plan, and do SWOT analyses. "The reality is that we live in a country of such wealth, of such prosperity and blessings across the board, that there really is no reason for a Bloomington family to go without a meal.  Or without a doctor.  Or without equal treatment under the law," Chris said. "On a daily basis I watch families come in and learn about medical programs offered in Bloomington, I see children provided with a haven to shelter them from a life in the street that so often leads to gangs and drugs."

Diana Lopez at the Day Care Center of McLean County

Diana, a senior political science and philosophy double major from Aurora, Ill., splits her NFP time between the Day Care Center of McLean County and Heartland Head Start. Diana coordinates programs between the two centers, creates educational materials and assists the administrative staff.  Diana enjoys the independence and exploration allowed by the SF Internship program. "It allows me to test out the water for two potential career paths (community work/development and corporate-business) and see how I fit in," she said. "Because I work in the Community Affairs team, I get  to see the interaction between for-profit and non-profits everyday."

Jack, a senior political science major and philosophy minor from Downers Grove, Ill., is placed at the McLean county chapter of the American Red Cross. Jack has spent his time training as a disaster volunteer, teaching classes and giving presentations about disaster preparedness and working on public affairs. “I feel like I’m exposed to so many volunteers who are dedicated to helping people. They’re all so passionate, and come from such different backgrounds,” Jack said. He also plans to continue to work with Red Cross long after his internship is over. “It’s nation-wide, so no matter where I live, I can get involved.”

Jessica is an English-literature and secondary education major and a German minor from Rockford, Ill. She works two days per week at the STAR Adult Literacy Center, where she works on publicity, updates the website and researches literacy issues. Jessica previously worked with STAR as a volunteer. "I get to see the organization I volunteered with from a different perspective. Now I see the behind-the scenes work and the process that goes into bringing these services to the community."

Kyle is a political science major and sociology minor from Davenport, Iowa. His not-for-profit work is at PATH, where "there's always something different to do," he said. "I'm usually not at a desk." Some of Kyle's varied tasks include giving a presentation on becoming accredited with the Alliance of Information and Referral Services, creating surveys and helping others write presentations. "It's something totally new for me," Kyle said. "I knew nothing about this when I started, and now I talk like a junkie with all the jargon and acronyms."

Jennifer, a senior psychology  major and biology minor from Schaumburg, Ill., does her not-for-profit work at 4-H, where she is doing a large-scale assessment to determine why adolescents drop out of the 4-H program. "If I had my way, I'd just volunteer all summer," Jennifer said. "Now I can sort of do that while still getting paid. And everyone here is really passionate and invested in the work."