Emily Butera

Responsibilities

During my internship, I've done a lot of outreach within the campus community and in the greater Ames community. I've helped develop and facilitate programs related to youth mental health (e.g., perfectionism, internship stress, healthy eating on a budget, mindfulness). I've helped connect AmeriCorps with different ISU classes and/or organizations in Ames to collaborate on programming (e.g., Ames Public Library, Boys and Girls Club). I also create marketing materials, such as flyers and informational packets, for potential members and host sites.

Accomplishments

I think my greatest accomplishment during my internship experience was probably helping AmeriCorps 4-H gain more publicity on the ISU Campus. I wrote an article on AmeriCorps for the ISU Daily, which was a really amazing experience. I'm really happy that I was able to serve as a connection between AmeriCorps and the general student body at ISU.

Learning experience

I think the greatest lesson I learned from my experience is that you can bring your personal interests into the workplace as a strength! I am a very creative person, and I didn't realize that creativity would be a strength during my internship. However, I've been able to use my creativity to develop engaging programs and events for youth, which has been very rewarding.

What advice would you give?

My biggest piece of advice for future HDFS students is to put yourself out there! I've learned that the worst thing people can say is 'no.' I've heard "no" so many times during my college career, and I've learned to take it as a learning opportunity. Having a growth mindset is so important!