My name is Julia Toth, and I am entering my fourth year at Ï㽶ÊÓƵ, completing a multi-track degree in Biology and Sociology. My summer internship at the Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Health Centre Foundation was an incredible experience. This internship allowed me to combine the knowledge from both my Biology and Sociology majors into a field I am passionate about. I decided to apply to this internship due to the involvement in health care, as well as the MUHCF being a non-profit organization. I was excited about the possibility of learning about the intricacies and inner workings of a non-profit, and really experiencing how communities can be helped by local non-profits.
The Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Health Centre Foundation is a foundation that supports the five merged hospitals of the Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Health Centre and raises money to support many incredible healthcare initiatives and professionals to provide incredible services to patients, while funding opportunities for new generations of students and doctors within the hospital community.
As an intern, I had the opportunity to work with many different teams. As this was the case, my tasks looked different every day. Some of my responsibilities as an intern were to assist with the clean-up and management of the team’s databases, assist in hosting recognition events for donors, create promotional/awareness videos for the foundation, draft sponsorship letters, as well as organize a system to map out potential recognition areas throughout the hospital. I also assisted in research on new fundraising campaigns that the foundation could undertake, as well as worked consistently over the entire course of the internship on a strategy plan for increased participation and promotion of the foundation in the Montreal 21K run.
Some of the greatest highlights of my internship include assisting in running a donor recognition event, which involved taking donors on a private tour of operating rooms, assisting with Le Bal Rouge 2023, a huge annual fundraising gala that brings in millions of dollars every year, and playing in the Pink in the City annual charity softball tournament. All these highlights really showed how dynamic work in the non-profit sector can be. These events also highlighted multiple aspects of fundraising, from creating and planning these fun events to running them, maintaining relationships with potential donors, and working towards recognizing donor efforts. These events also really helped me connect with my team, as all of them, specifically those assisting in Le Bal Rouge, involved working closely with the team and involved lots of coordination. These events also allowed me to see the realized product of months of hard work, and it was a constructive experience to be able to see how these events function behind the curtains.
Overall, this internship was an incredible opportunity that I am so grateful to have had. It really opened my eyes to different types of professions that exist, and how many skills and areas of study can be applied to non-profits. Similarly, the internship showed me just how important it is to pursue a career that you are passionate about. The majority of the teams I worked with at the MUHCF started out working in corporations, then decided to make a career shift towards the non-profit sector to work towards something they believe in. This passion that the non-profit sector inspires is proven by the camaraderie and strong work ethics of all team members, as well as an incredible work culture. My time with the Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Health Centre Foundation has certainly been an influential piece of my time in university. It has strengthened my appreciation for the non-profit sector, which I believe will influence my path post-graduation and in the working world. I am incredibly grateful to everyone who contributed to the Undergraduate Experiential Learning Opportunities Support Fund, which has allowed me to focus my time this summer on this incredible opportunity with the Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Health Centre Foundation.
