A Semester in the Life of an Intern at CMN Hospitals

I applied for an internship this past winter with the Dance Marathon Strategy Team at Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals because I knew my time with Guinathon, Youngstown State University’s Dance Marathon, was ending.

I anticipated filling my post-main-event blues by continuing my work with CMN Hospitals, but soon realized the potential that being a part of this team offered me.

Project management and evaluation, peer-to-peer fundraising, digital communication and stewardship went from boxes I checked on an application specifying what I wanted to learn more about to a collaborative work space right from day one.  This internship gave me the chance to understand how Miracle Network Dance Marathon fits into Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals on a larger scale and creates a ubiquitous scope of impact on kids and their families treated across North America.

I sat in on Strategic Partnership trainings, offered my thoughts on Dance Marathon Leadership Conference and Child Health Day, and created informational resources for MNDM leaders (like this DonorDrive How-To Deck). I stewarded corporate partners, promoted the MNDM fundraising app (and stretched my media and video editing skills with a video and blog!).  I collected data applicable to the future growth of Dance Marathon as well as provided and received feedback on projects being shared on a national level.

Through this internship, I was introduced to a remote, digital work space with colleagues all over the country. Working remotely taught me that even though sometimes it feels like you’re speaking into space while the person on the other line is muted to eliminate background noise, it is possible to establish professional relationships and friendships in this type of work environment. The connections I have been able to make have added to my professional repertoire by allowing me to hone transferable, field-related skills as well as impacted me personally by giving me connections who I know will be supportive of my future endeavors.

Thank you, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, for an unforgettable semester and for allowing me to continue to kick childhood illness to the curb.