During the summer 2024 term, I had the opportunity and privilege to work as an intern with Shelby Pride. Shelby Pride is a nonprofit based in Shelby, NC, that serves the LGBTQIA+ community of Shelby and the surrounding area. My work with the organization was primarily in communications, including projects like writing newsletters, updating and creating new sections of their website, interviewing community members involved in Pride events, and generating new ideas for Shelby Pride’s online presence. I was most personally excited to get the ball rolling on a project interviewing LGBTQIA+ residents of Cleveland County over age 40, and I’m happy to report that the Shelby Pride executive board is continuing to network with other LGBTQIA+ organizations for the purpose of documenting queer history.
Before starting this internship, I had experience writing various feature stories for the Gardner-Webb University Communications Department relating to campus events and notable students. Having a bit of communications writing under my belt was extremely helpful as I began working with Shelby Pride, and I had the great opportunity to expand my skills writing for a general, public audience in Cleveland County. Working with members of the executive board to brainstorm projects, network with local outreach and mutual aid organizations, and edit and incorporate feedback for writing made me feel more confident in my ability to write in a professional context.
As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community and a part-time resident of Cleveland County, working with Shelby Pride meant working with a cause very near to my heart. I’ve always had an interest in advocacy work, and my time with Shelby Pride allowed me to be involved with a group actively making Shelby and its surrounding area a more affirming and safe place for me and people like me.
In my professional future, I hope to work in the realm of guest relations, education, and/or advocacy with a group such as the National Parks Services or a nonprofit group. At the conclusion of my internship, I was pleased to learn that it is work I’m interested in continuing to pursue. Working with a group in such a small community was especially meaningful, as I knew that the projects I contributed to were truly taking steps toward improving the same space in which I live.
Receiving funding with a Sigma Tau Delta Internship Stipend greatly enriched my time with Shelby Pride, providing peace of mind over financial concerns and allowing me to instead invest all my energy into my work. I could not be more grateful for the support of Sigma Tau Delta, and I hope that whatever small contribution I was able to make during my time with Shelby Pride continues to aid the LGBTQIA+ community of Shelby, NC.
Ashley Rich
Internship Stipend Recipient, Spring 2024
Gamma Lambda Chapter
Gardner-Webb University, Boiling Springs, NC
Internship Stipend
Sigma Tau Delta offers funding for current undergraduate and graduate student members accepting internships for which their expenses exceed what they will be paid. Sigma Tau Delta will not cover expenses related to tuition and/or student fees. The Internship Stipend is a competitive program providing a limited number of stipends of up to $1,500 each.
The internship must involve working for an “organization” while being directed by a supervisor/mentor within that organization, and the intern’s duties must be consistent with the applicant’s level of education, area of study, and career goals. Financial need will be taken into consideration in addition to internship length. Applicants are responsible for obtaining and providing verification of the internship. Check out BestColleges’ Ultimate Guide to Internships for advice in finding and applying for internships.
The internship stipend does not apply to activities that are part of a student’s pre-professional degree requirements, such as student teaching or capstone internships in journalism/technical writing, and cannot be used to supplement a graduate assistantship. Students are eligible for the internship stipend award one time per internship.
Eligibility
Applicants for an Internship Stipend must be:
- an active student member of Sigma Tau Delta;
- pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree; and
- enrolled part- or full-time in a degree-seeking program.
Applications for the Internship Stipend will be accepted through November 11, 2024, 4:00 p.m. CT.
Past Internship Stipend Recipients
An Internship Stipend Supports Opportunity with National Journalism Center
My Editorial Internship with Drunk Monkeys
Her Bold Move: An Internship Stipend
An Internship Stipend Proves the Benefits of an English Degree in the Philanthropic Sector
The Value of an Internship Stipend
A Writer in an Artists’ World: My Internship at an Arts Nonprofit
An English Major’s Summer Internship with a Legal Nonprofit
An Animated Summer: My Internship with the Florida Animation Festival
The Cost of an Unpaid Internship
How a Sigma Tau Delta Internship Stipend Allowed me to Pursue a Great Opportunity
The Price of an Unpaid Internship
An English Major in a Neuroscience Lab
To Be the Practical or the Spark; That is the Question
Understanding the Power of the Storyteller and the Story
My Internship at the LARB Publishing Workshop
An English Major on Capitol Hill
Spring Internship Stipend Applications Due Soon
Writing Internship for AGAPE
McIntosh & Otis Internship: Preparation for a Dream Career
An Eye-Opening and Goal-Affirming Internship: My Time with Penn Press
My Indie Summer Internship at Wise Ink
Winning an Internship with About.com
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