Emily's Story

"Whether it was addressing thank you letters or helping to fill out grant applications, it always felt like I was making some sort of difference."  Emily, a junior at the University of Notre Dame, talks about her summer internship program with the North Texas Chapter.

We are currently seeking fall interns for both the Dallas and Fort Worth offices. Contact Alexis Meyer at Alexis.Meyer@lls.org to learn more about the available opportunities.

Read on for a little interview with Emily. 

I'm originally from Allen, TX and graduated from Ursuline Academy of Dallas in 2015. I'm currently a junior finance and economics major with an Italian minor at the University of Notre Dame. At school, I am involved with student government, serve as my dorm's service commissioner, and intern at the Ronald McDonald Family Center of South Bend. I have loved getting the chance to be a part of The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Light The Night and Team In Training programs this summer and hope to be able to participate in a Team In Training running event sometime soon!

What made you decide to intern at LLS?

I first learned about LLS from my cousin Peggy Stephens who works with Light The Night in Houston. Her work for that campaign and with LLS in general completely blew me away so when I learned about this opportunity in Dallas, I could not wait to be a part of the work that LLS does and to learn more about the programs that we offer.

Which campaign were you involved with this summer?

I worked with the Light The Night and Team In Training campaigns which gave me the unique opportunity to learn about two different types programs. As a part of Light The Night, I had the chance to communicate with teams about fundraising goal setting and learn about the preparation involved for the Corporate Recruitment Event. As a part of Team In Training, I communicated regularly with coaches and volunteers, recruited volunteers for fundraising events, and had the chance to meet several TNT participants from when I attended our annual Too Hot To Handle event.

What would you consider the most valuable part of your internship?

While I learned a lot throughout this internship, the most valuable thing for me was that every time I came into the office, I was reminded that I was doing something to help someone who had been affected by blood cancer. Whether it was addressing thank you letters or helping to fill out grant applications, it always felt like I was making some sort of difference.

What skills will you take with you from this internship to utilize in your future endeavors?

Throughout this internship, I have had the chance to further develop my communication skills and to learn more about long-term event planning. With Light The Night, I was able to speak directly with team captains over the phone and help them with goal setting. I also sat in on a meeting about long-term planning for the LTN event and the kickoff events leading up to it. With Team In Training, I sent weekly updates to coaches and volunteers and had the opportunity to take the lead on recruiting volunteers for our Too Hot To Handle event. I loved being a part of these programs this summer and look forward to applying the skills as I continue in school next year.

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We are currently seeking fall interns for both the Dallas and Fort Worth offices. Contact Alexis Meyer at Alexis.Meyer@lls.org to learn more about the available opportunities.  Find the job description and application info here.