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Stephen E. Garner Summers of Service
The Stephen E. Garner Summers of Service is an initiative funded by the Cornell University Student United Way Campaign. Generous donors provide summer jobs for students working with a United Way partner organization. These Summers of Service positions give students the opportunity to learn firsthand about the health and human services sector in Tompkins County, gain work experience, and earn money.
Marie Mortlock's Summers of Service experience at United Way of Tompkins County
My name is Marie Mortlock, and I will be graduating from Ithaca High School in 2018. This summer I had the opportunity to participate in the Stephen E. Garner Summers of Service Internships. I was fortunate enough to be able to work directly in the United Way of Tompkins County with some of the most dedicated and hardworking people I have ever met. My favorite part of my internship comprised of being able to interview many different community members about their experiences working in the nonprofit world or volunteering. I also was able to develop professional skills by creating an interactive PowerPoint and rewriting grant parameters.
I volunteered at the Dump N Run, and was able to really learn and understand the United Way as a whole by attending the United Way of New York State Summer Conference. I gained so many invaluable professional skills that have prepared me for when I begin my career, such as networking and conducting interviews. This was my first experience in a job, and I was incredibly lucky to learn so much in just seven weeks.
While conducting interviews for the community stories I was able to see first- hand all of the resources that are available in this community, and how much people truly care. I was also able to develop my skills pertaining to research and creating new professional material for partnered agencies. I gained skills during my summer here that I wouldn't have developed otherwise, and it has opened my eyes to how philanthropy impacts everybody. I could not have asked for a better job this summer, and what I have gained will stay with me forever.
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his experience has helped me to grow as a person and gave me a new perspective on the community that surrounds me. I am so lucky to have gotten this opportunity and I simply had the best time working at the United Way.
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