Grant Recipient: Samantha Melvin ‘13
Major: Psychology, English
Organization: Global Autism Project
Location: Brooklyn, NY
This summer, I have an internship with the Global Autism Project, a non-profit organization that works in under-resourced communities around the world to raise awareness and provide services to people with autism. As a psychology major interested in child development, I chose this internship in order to gain experience with the social and public health-based sides of child development and psychopathology. In addition to learning about the Global Autism Project's international projects and goals, so far I have primarily been focusing on fundraising for the organization. From networking for donations to researching grant funding, I've learned that this is a crucial element of the non-profit world. In addition to helping with a couple of the Global Autism Project's signature fundraising events, I am currently in the process of leading the organizing committee for a new event this year, Brooklyn Wellness in the Park. Because I am the primary planner and organizer of this event, I have learned an extraordinary amount about event planning and fundraising as a whole. While this isn't exactly the experience I was expecting to gain upon taking this internship, I'm enjoying what I'm doing and am learning numerous new skills that will certainly help me in the future, regardless of whether or not I ultimately enter the non-profit sector.
