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What initially drew me to the Impact Internship program was the opportunity to contribute to real-world issues while also developing my career in a field I could see myself pursuing after graduation. What drew me to TNC specifically was the chance to work on international development projects that uniquely combine financial incentives and economic development with meaningful environmental impact.

One of the main projects I worked on during my internship was building financial models for three different mud crab production systems in Indonesia. The goal is to compare each model for long-term viability and profitability to better support farming practices that protect and restore mangrove ecosystems.ÌýOne of the biggest challenges has been the limited financial data available, since this type of farming is done on a small scale and requires coordination across a complex network of partner organizations. At the same time, that challenge made the project especially rewarding because I had the opportunity to engage with a wide range of stakeholders, from local community members to scientists and international organizations.

Working at TNC has shown me that the world of conservation finance is deeply interconnected across communities, policy, economics and the environment in ways I had not previously understood. I love being part of an organization that treats these aspects of development as interdependent rather than competing priorities.

This project will stay with meÌýbecause it taught me that ambiguity is a constant in this field. More importantly, TNC showed me how valuable an interdisciplinary approach can be to conservation, not only for gathering data, but also for building conservation and economic development initiatives that have lasting impact.

Through my internship, I have seen how market incentives and economic growth can support meaningful conservation initiatives. I have also gained a deeper appreciation for the challenges involved in creating lasting change. Sustainable impact requires considering every stakeholder across a value chain and investing the time to build solutions that strengthen both communities and ecosystems, rather than focusing only on short-term relief.

Growing up volunteering biweekly instilled in me a respect for mission-driven organizations, many of which struggle for resources due to a focus on service compared to profit. This is exactly what drew me to the Impact Internship: the opportunity to contribute expertise at no cost to an organization like the Boys and Girls Clubs.

Throughout my time interning at the BGCMD, I held on to something I was told during my first week: "In nonprofits, you'll never spend more than a day doing the same thing." That rang true throughout. Whether I was handling Salesforce enrollment logistics one day, writing Python scripts the next, or handling chaotic varieties of busy work like most interns, I could not be more grateful for the people I met and the learning experiences.

My responsibilities included: assisted in running Pinewood Derby and ‘Techzilla’ STEM day; reworked Operations & Programming’s SharePoint; created Model Context Protocol (MCP)-enabled, Python-based software to parse student surveys for trends; manually unenrolled students weekly with overdue balances on Salesforce; improved skills in Excel, Salesforce, Power BI, Python and MCP integrations in automated workflows.

One project especially stood out. While analyzing raw incident data, I noticed patterns that could inform staffing and supervision decisions. What I discovered was crucial: incident trends were highly individual to each club, not organization wide. So, I built an interactive dashboard to help 100+ club leaders visualize their location's specific hotspots. Presenting that finding showed them each club's unique safety picture, revealing that one-size-fits-all safety approaches miss the mark.

I made it a priority to ask about anything I was curious about, and it allowed me to learn about aspects of CEF’s business model (and the wide nonprofit lending business environment) that I would not have otherwise learned about. Additionally, asking questions and learning from my coworkers at CEF exposed me to decades of experience, advice, and new perspectives for how to approach business.

One specific project from my internship that really captured this experience was when I was tasked with creating from scratch a canvas for part of CEF’s CRM system. I had never worked with CRM prior to this internship, nor did I have any experience with canvas design. I had to get creative with learning and understanding a new program, while also figuring out functional requirements from different departments, many of which had differing requests. This experience will stay with me because it taught me how to tackle multiple problems at once, and how to get creative with understanding the underlying issue to fix it.

This internship has further reinforced my belief that business is the ultimate power to create good in the communities around us.

Before Leeds, I taught through Teach For America, managing students and teaching multiple courses as an undergrad. That taught me that responsibility comes with the job, not after you're "ready" for it. I wanted that same accountability again, this time building tangible real estate skills, because good intentions alone aren't enough.

This summer, I worked on a feasibility study, writing development and acquisition loan and grant applications, and drafting requests for proposals (RFPs) for a manufactured home community in Colorado, where residents are considering buying their land from a private owner. Rents have climbed for years while the community's water system, contaminated at the source, has gone unfixed. Resident ownership is possible, but it means asking residents who are already financially stretched to oversee and finance a million-dollar infrastructure overhaul to get clean water.

The experience reinforced why I returned to school for my MBA. Teaching underserved students showed me that the roots of inequity run deeper than any one classroom can reach. Real estate shapes where and how people live, which means it shapes opportunity itself.

This internship has been invaluable in showing me how cooperative ownership structures could work across other asset classes, lowering the buy-in for people locked out of ownership and giving them a real stake in something that appreciates. I believe these structures can help build a middle class in America, rather than watch the one we have disappear.

I'm working with Mad Agriculture on the Wilding Bond, a novel conservation finance tool that scales on-farm prairie plantings in Wisconsin’s Driftless Region. My focus is corporate engagement: identifying which types of companies have a business case to support the water quality and biodiversity outcomes the bond delivers and building the rationale for why. It's been a great opportunity to apply my MBA studies to work that feels genuinely meaningful for my career.

Having built a career before graduate school, I came in with a clear sense of where I wanted to go next. The Impact Internship appealed to me because it let me design a hyper-personalized experience around content directly relevant to that next step. My biggest takeaway so far has been confirmation of my interest in driving positive biodiversity and nature outcomes through corporate levers.

I had the chance to attend an event hosted by Mad Agriculture and the Environmental Defense Fund that brought together ranchers, researchers, storytellers and agricultural leaders. The gathering explored how lasting climate solutions emerge not just from technology and management practices, but from the people, relationships and landscapes that shape our food system. It was a microcosm of sustainable agriculture as a whole, and a clear illustration of why durable solutions require a seat at the table for every stakeholder.

With this Impact Internship I knew I would be working toward the one thing that I am most passionate about: community. I knew this internship was designed not only to advance my professional skills, but to encourage real systemic change. And I have taken away exactly that. I have had the opportunity to perfect my analytical skills in a way that gives back to the community. I’ve been able to watch as my time working on Excel transformed into helping under-resourced students in their startup journey, organizing an event that promotes professional development and community growth, and opening doors for low-income and first-generation students to make connections that shape the rest of their lives.

As soon as I accepted this position, I did what they teach you to do in business school: post on LinkedIn. Not even a few hours later, I was contacted by a Greenhouse alum, a current scholar, a past intern, and a regular volunteer, all congratulating me for the role and sharing their stories. I met with several of these individuals before starting my internship in the hopes of learning more about the organization. Through their stories, I was able to understand just how deep of an impact this organization has had on so many people. The bond I now have with colleagues will always stay with me.