SHECP Talks: Intern Insights with Kelsey Dowling & Samuel Hudson

On this episode of SHECP Talks, we are joined by two 2015 SHECP Interns — Kelsey Dowling and Samuel Hudson. Kelsey, a 2017 graduate of University Lynchburg, interned with Tenacity Inc., a Boston-based nonprofit that uses tennis to teach reading and life skills to youth from preschool through high school. Samuel, a 2017 graduate of Virginia Military Institute, spent his summer working with Code/Interactive, a New York City nonprofit that places high school students in coding internships. Kelsey and Samuel met during their SHECP summer, and the two are now married and living in Virginia. During their conversation with Abby, Kelsey and Samuel reflected on their SHECP internship experiences and how those insights continue to shape their personal and civic lives.

Though their internship placements were in very different settings, both Samuel and Kelsey highlight similar lessons of adaptability and empathy from their internships. Neither currently works in the nonprofit sector, however both emphasize how their early SHECP experience continues to inform their sense of purpose. Kelsey now serves on the board of her local “Girls on the Run”, while Samuel applies the values of equity and perspective he learned during his SHECP internship to his work in clinical research.

Both alumni also emphasize the importance of growth through discomfort. “Step outside

of your comfort zone,” Samuel said. “Not too far to the point where you shut down but stretch yourself and stress yourself out a little bit. You grow through stress.” Kelsey encouraged future SHECP interns to build on what they already know when stepping into new, stressful environments. Try to find an internship that incorporates something you’re already interested in,” she said. “It gives you a point of comfort when everything else is new.”

For more information about topics discussed in the podcast:

• Girls on the Run helps address mental and physical health concerns in young women by building confidence, fostering relationships, and encouraging the joy of movement.

• Tenacity Inc. meets a critical need for enriching after-school, in-school and summer programs for Boston youth. Athletic activities are closely integrated with literacy, tutoring, and mentoring programs to help build academic motivation and achievement.

• Code/Interactive which recently merged with Mouse is a nonprofit that empowers all youth and educators to engage with computer science and creative technology to solve real problems and make meaningful change in our world.

---

Looking for ways to listen the SHECP Talks podcast? You can listen to all episodes and find links to additional resources here on the SHECP site. You can also search for "SHECP Talks" on Podbean, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast player.