I would like to thank聽Mr. Brown, for the generous support I received from the Susan Casey Brown Fund for 69热视频, 69热视频 International Experience Awards. I am so thankful to have been able to support myself this summer while gaining experience at the sort of organization at which I hope to work one day.
This summer, I had the privilege of interning remotely at the Clean Water Advocacy Center (also called CWAC) in Montclair, New Jersey. CWAC is a not-for-profit law firm that litigates and advocates for issues relating to water, such as access, cleanliness, and affordability. Their goal is to provide legal representation for public interest water issues, especially for individuals or organizations who cannot afford to retain alternate legal representation.
I was CWAC鈥檚 only intern this summer, so my responsibilities varied quite a bit. I researched PFAS (Per 鈥� and polyfluoroalkyl substances), which are a family of compounds that are major contaminants in drinking water. They are just beginning to be regulated at the state level, so I compiled data on where and how they are being regulated. For another ongoing project at CWAC, their Exploring Zero Waste Workshops, I hosted two Facebook Live videos in July. The first one discussed basic ways to reduce the amount of single-use plastic we use, and the second was about reducing waste in the context of COVID-19. In order to grow CWAC鈥檚 Facebook engagement, I also curated the organization鈥檚 Facebook page with relevant content. Lastly, I also participated in the writing of research grants to financially support CWAC鈥檚 work.
When I was hired as an intern, I was excited to be learning about day-to-day operations at a nonprofit law firm. I also hoped to improve my grant-writing skills. I am pleased to say that I achieved both of these goals during my time at CWAC.
One of the highlights of my time at CWAC was getting to host the Exploring Zero Waste workshops. I am very passionate about steps that individuals can take to reduce the single-use plastic in their lives, so I really enjoyed sharing my favorite strategies and products with others, using CWAC鈥檚 platform. Another highlight was getting to work closely with my two supervisors, Jen and Chris. I am extremely grateful to have gotten insight from them on practicing law in a non-profit context, as this is a career that I am strongly considering pursuing.
I was so thrilled to get to intern at CWAC this summer because of how closely the organization鈥檚 objectives align with what I study at 69热视频. I am entering my final year, I am majoring in Economics and double-minoring in History and Health Geography. Health geography is a discipline that examines geographical determinants of health. One of the major tenets of health geography is the understanding that adverse health outcomes are not random 鈥� they are far more likely to happen to marginalized people because of constraints in their environment. Access to clean, affordable water is a huge issue in health geography, so I am very glad to have furthered my knowledge of specific issues relating to water inequity.
Interning at CWAC gave me an excellent idea of what I hope my future career to be like. I hope to one day work at a nonprofit relating to health and social justice issues in either a legal or operational capacity, so my time at CWAC gave me the chance to confirm that this is the career I want to pursue after I graduate from 69热视频.
I am so grateful for the funds I received from the Susan Casey Brown Fund for 69热视频. This award allowed me to spend my time focusing on my internship and volunteering for coronavirus relief, rather than having to find an additional job this summer to pay my rent. I am聽truly appreciative of all the support I have received from聽Mr. Brown, the 69热视频 International Experience Awards, the Arts Internship Office, and 69热视频.
