I am an entering third-year, U3 student at McGill pursuing a joint honors degree in Political Science and Sociology with a minor in Management. This Summer, I completed an in-person internship at Berger Hirschberg Strategies (BHS) in New York City, a fundraising firm for political campaigns and non-profit clients. As a non-profit team intern, I researched potential donors’ contact info, called to follow up on meeting and donation requests, and wrote briefs and biographies on donors for clients. Clients I assisted with included Period Law, the NYC Citizens Crime Commission, Eleanor’s Legacy, Free and Fair, and DoSomething. I appreciated being able to engage with these groups, especially Free and Fair and Period Law, as they align significantly with my interests in upholding voting and other rights, as well as menstrual health advocacy. These interests also tie into my work at McGill as a Menstrual Health Coordinator for SSMU and within voter registration efforts I pursue at home in the US. I did not receive academic credit for this internship.
Through the BHS city/state and federal teams, I also staffed a handful of events with Congressman Eric Swalwell, NY State Senator Tony Simone, and Period Law. These were highlights of my internship, as they allowed for direct engagement with clients and the causes they support. At the event with Congressman Swalwell, I and a handful of fellows provided the Congressman and his donors insight into the college-student perspective on politics. I commented on Joe Biden’s social media approach, which I believe is increasingly effective in reaching young people, sparking conversation among the group about the upcoming 2024 elections. It was inspiring to feel so heard in a room of impactful people. At NY State Senator Tony Simone’s Drag Reception fundraiser, I spoke with NY Congressman Jerry Nadler and networked with others in the political fundraising industry. This event was completely different from Congressman Swalwell’s, and I appreciated seeing the diversity in fundraising events. Lastly, I attended the premiere of Periodical, a film on menstrual health and the pink tax that our client, Period Law, contributed to. This event allowed me to connect with our client directly about their work and contributions and network with those in a field I’m particularly interested in.
This internship is a rather perfect intersection of my three programs and gave me the opportunity to sample political fundraising. While it may not be my future path, I can see that I want to be more on the policy side of things and work for groups like Period Law or Free and Fair. With these new skills in fundraising, I’m hoping that I’ll be able to draw connections with my management degree as I begin those classes this Fall. Already, I can see the connections between fundraising, political science, and sociology through the psychology behind philanthropy that I learned about this Summer.
My challenges during the internship were mainly based around the issues of NJ Transit as I commuted in and out of the city from home. In a rather unfortunate reality, NJ Transit has far too many delays and cancellations, making for a rather stressful commuting experience. Even then, I made it to BHS three days a week as planned by providing myself with extra time to get there.
I’d like to give a special thank you to the Roland Family for making my internship possible this Summer. By providing funds for transit, lunch, and other supports, I could commute to BHS and experience the in-person work environment and fundraising events. This allowed me to build connections and network in a way that would not have been possible online. I had a great experience this Summer, and it was only possible due to these funds.
