Name: Steven

Year: Senior

Major: Earth and Planetary Science

Minor: Environmental Policy and Culture

CFS Program: Field Studies in Civic Engagement

I am currently interning at Openlands, a non-profit conservation organization centered in the heart of Chicago. I have always been interested in the Earth’s natural and complex set of systems and how society interacts with them in its surrounding environments. With global climate change and environmental degradation becoming increasingly worrisome issues, I felt determined to utilize the knowledge I have gained at Northwestern towards preserving the environment, discover ways to provide sustainable alternatives and educate others on environmental issues. Openlands has provided me the gateway to achieve these goals; currently this organization protects over 55,000 acres of land, such as parks, wildlife preserves, and waterways, in and around the Chicagoland area and motivates the public to engage in sustainable living through community garden projects, tree planting events, educational workshops, and many more.
As of now, I have completed the third week of my internship under Openlands’ financial development team. In my position, I am responsible for managing contact information in their donor data-base, processing any monetary gifts received, creating and sending thank-you letters, and compiling daily and weekly financial reports for my supervisors. Because of my efforts, Openlands can better allocate the funds necessary to run sustainable community projects and maintain its environmental preserves. Although my work so far has been mainly finance-oriented, I have the opportunity to converse with other staff members over the company’s political and legislative agendas for protecting Chicago’s land and other natural resources. Due to the winter season, there is currently a lack of community projects being held by Openlands, but as spring approaches, I aim to attend these projects in order to learn how sustainability is taught to communities and eventually educate others myself. Additionally, I will serve as a member on the advisory committee for Openlands’ ComEd Green Region program in the upcoming weeks, where I can review proposed conservation projects that seek funding from the company. I am excited to learn about these conservation projects and have a direct influence on their implementation.
My favorite aspect of this internship is the staff members; everyone is friendly, approachable, and has a strong sense of community. As a result, I have gotten a chance to meet and know each person individually and I feel comfortable navigating around the office. In particular, my supervisor has been incredibly present and patient. With her help, I was able to effectively get a grasp of the financial procedures and, along the way, she was always willing to answer my questions and constantly provided me feedback. For the remainder of my internship, I look forward to strengthening my bond with my supervisor and the other office staff.
As part of the Chicago Field Studies experience, I attend a weekly civic engagement seminar. Through class discussions, I have contemplated the meaning and significance of community topics such as culture, citizenship, and civic engagement, as well as how they translate to the workplace, such as my own. More importantly, the class provides an outlet for my peers and I to discuss our internships. On one hand, we can vent any problems associated with our workplace, which gives me a feeling of relief knowing that others, especially my instructor, are willing to listen to my problems and support me in case I need help resolving them. However, we also tell each other of our internship’s benefits and personal accomplishment, so that if we become interested, we can pursue an internship similar to another student. This is especially a valuable connection for someone like me who does not know which career to pursue.
In the end, Chicago Field studies has provided me with the opportunity explore my career paths and engage in the professional world while having support from fellow classmates, instructors, and career advisers.