Community Foundation Intern Reflects On A Summer Well Spent

Interning is not like what you see in the movies –  you are not going out on coffee runs and taking out trash at the Outer Banks Community Foundation (OBCF). 

This summer, Jeni Hooper, a rising junior studying Criminology at North Carolina State University, had the opportunity to intern with the Outer Banks Community Foundation. Hooper is the recipient of the Bill Jones Memorial and Howell Revier Shearouse, Jr. scholarships from the Community Foundation, and her college journey is also supported by the Milton A. Jewel Fund. 

“I am deeply appreciative of having the opportunity to receive these scholarships, and focus on my dreams,” said Hooper. “My time at the Community Foundation was a unique opportunity to apply many of the skills that I have developed at NC State, specifically in research and community engagement.”

While interning this summer, Jeni worked on various projects that reflected what the Outer Banks Community Foundation represents: inspire giving, action and trust. One of the major projects she worked on was the “Where are they now” initiative. This project focused on looking for previous scholarship recipients to see what they are doing now and if their scholarship allowed them to follow their career aspirations. 

“I thoroughly enjoyed working on this project because I loved the research,” said Hooper. “It was amazing to see how a scholarship can truly shape the outcome of someone’s future. The project highlighted the connection with the recipients, OBCF’s scholarships, and these scholars’ individual professions.”

In addition to scholarship recipient research, Jeni spent time researching new grant opportunities for the foundation for their upcoming building project for the Outer Banks Center of Nonprofits. Jeni also worked on database clean-up, revising years of outdated records into organized and reliable ones.

“While doing research and database clean-up for the Community Foundation, I was able to expand my skills within Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word, which will be extremely beneficial in my future professional career,” added Hooper. “I was even able to gain exposure to C-Suite, learning more about the nonprofit world and how important community decisions are made, such as hurricane recovery, scholarship disbursements, and new community adaptations.”

The Community Foundation’s goal of hiring a summer intern was to not only provide an enriching professional work experience for a local college student who was home for the summer, but also to engage with the Outer Banks’ younger generation on ideas and research.

“Jeni jumped right in and made such a positive impact on our work this summer,” said Nandy Stuart, Chief Operating Officer of the Outer Banks Community Foundation. “Her curiosity and hard work stood out, and it was pretty amazing to see her connect her own scholarship journey with the stories of other students. We’re so thankful for her time with us and excited to see where her path leads.”

Jeni says that working with the Community Foundation was something she will remember forever. 

“I left this internship with a deeper understanding of the nonprofit world as well as an incredible experience,” said Hooper. “I am going to take everything I learned back to NC State, and focus on completing my undergrad degree and then applying to graduate school. Overall, my time at the Community Foundation was so much more than just an addition to my resume. I was able to experience the power of community and learn just how important giving back is.”