Danielle Lonsdale

Responsibilities

During my internship at ACCESS, I assisted with administrative tasks, client intake support, crisis call observations, and organizing resources for clients experiencing domestic violence and sexual assault. I also helped create flyers and outreach materials, attended team and community meetings, and completed trainings on advocacy and trauma-informed care. This internship provided hands-on experience in nonprofit work, client support services, and professional communication.

Accomplishments

My greatest accomplishment during my internship was improving and reorganizing the organization’s strategic plan to make it clearer, more organized, and easier to read. I used the information they already had and enhanced the layout and presentation by applying excel skills and outside knowledge to create a more professional and user-friendly document. This project helped me strengthen my organizational, technical, and problem-solving skills while creating something useful for the agency.

Learning experience

One of the greatest lessons I learned from my internship experience was the importance of organization, communication, and adaptability in a professional setting. I also learned how small improvements in organization and presentation can make information much easier for a team to use and understand. Overall, the experience helped me build confidence in my professional skills and showed me the value of teamwork and taking initiative.

What advice would you give?

My advice for future students in my major is to stay open to learning new skills and take initiative whenever possible. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, share ideas, or step outside of your comfort zone because those experiences help you grow professionally. Every internship experience is different, so make the most of the opportunity to build connections, gain hands-on experience, and learn more about the type of work you enjoy.