My Wonderful Experience as a Summer Intern at EESI

This summer, EESI had five fantastic interns, who all brought so much to our office. Danielle was one of them, and she wrote about her experience.

 

Working for the Environmental and Energy Study Institute this summer has been such a life-changing experience. I came into this internship with excitement to learn more about environmental issues and what happens behind the scenes of a successful nonprofit. I am leaving with so many new ideas, friends, and a greater sense of responsibility to better the planet. I have had the opportunity to contribute to grant proposals and reports, attend our briefings and our 2019 Clean Energy EXPO on Capitol Hill, and reach out to donors!

My first day was unlike any other, but in the best way. I was immediately greeted with the utmost kindness by everyone in the office, and was able to attend one of our briefings and sit in on a conference call. I knew I would learn so much over the summer and was so excited to jump right in! A favorite moment from that day was how the speakers at the briefing acknowledged my hard work, and were surprised when I mentioned it was my first day on the job. My confidence in myself grew that day, and I have continued to learn more about myself and my abilities this summer.

Another favorite moment from this summer was discovering we have a monthly donor from my hometown! I reached out and wrote a postcard to this donor and, happily, I received an excited response in return; this donor was amazed to hear that someone from his hometown was at EESI (far from home—I’m from Utah!). Making those connections and showing that EESI is an organization run by people who are dedicated to furthering climate solutions has been such a fulfilling task this summer.

EESI's Summer 2019 interns
From left to right: Katie Schneer, Marco de Laforcade, Danielle Calacino, and Heather Luedke.	From left to right: Marco de Laforcade, Katie Schneer, Danielle Calacino, and Chloe Rogers.

 

Thank you to all of our amazing donors who help make these experiences happen for young adults like myself, and for helping to impact our lives in the most positive of ways! I will always cherish this time I have spent at the Environmental and Energy Study Institute, and am excited to let others experience time here as well, thanks to YOU!

 

Author: Danielle Calacino