EESI Internship Leads to… the Wildlands of Utah! | Article

Danielle Calacino

The summer I spent at the Environmental and Energy Study Institute was unforgettable. My first day was a whirlwind, consisting of a conference call and a briefing on Capitol Hill. I was really thrown into everything, but I didn’t mind at all! It was exhilarating, and I couldn’t wait for more. The rest of the summer consisted of hard work, great friendships, and a growing knowledge of things I’m passionate about.

I currently work for Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation in my home state of Utah. I have been here since the fall of 2019, when my development internship at EESI in Washington, D.C., ended. Although this job isn’t necessarily related to the work I did at EESI, I still apply many of the lessons I learned there. My department is in the public sector and it is very people oriented. I talk to people all day long, over the phone, in offices, and through email. It, of course, has its ups and downs, but I know that this is another stepping stone to where I want to go, just like EESI was.

I loved being involved on the development side at EESI, and seeing and hearing all the amazing support the organization receives from its donors, both recurring and one-timers. It makes you realize just how important the work being done is, from those who benefit from it, or from those seeing how others are benefitting from it. Similarly, here at Parks and Rec, although it’s a government agency rather than a nonprofit, receiving calls, emails, and seeing feedback on our social media about how patrons throughout the Salt Lake Valley appreciate what our agency does is very rewarding. We provide about 20 recreation centers, over 100 parks, and even five child care centers to our community; we are truly living up to our mission: “Improving lives through people, parks, and play.”

The experiences and lessons learned at EESI have also inspired me to continue on with my education, and I plan on pursuing my master’s degree in the next year or two. The internship grew my love of non-profit work, and strengthened my motivation to pursue a career in the non-profit world. Whether that ends up in environmental work similar to EESI, or in a completely different field, I will always look back at my experience as a very positive catalyst.

Thank you to the whole staff at EESI, to my fellow summer 2019 interns, and to the Hinckley Institute at the University of Utah for giving me a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to fulfil a personal achievement. I think of everyone often, and how much hard work goes into EESI's success promoting environmental policies and ideas. They are a force to be reckoned with, and are incredible, passionate people with great hearts and minds.

Author: Danielle Calacino