Deja Jenkins '19 Interns with Local Nonprofit through Mellon Foundation Grant

2018 Feb 12

Deja Jenkins '19 has been using a Mellon Foundation Grant to intern with the National Association for the Exchance of Industrial Resources (NAEIR), a Galesburg-based nonprofit that offers discount supplies for other nonprofit organizations. Jenkins contributes to NAEIR's marketing and media team.

Jenkins spoke to Knox about the Mellon Fellowship and internship.

Knox College [KC]: What are you doing as a Mellon Fellow?

Deja Jenkins [DJ]: I've been hired to intern with NAEIR, a nonprofit based in Galesburg, Illinois. I'm serving as the Social Media/Marketing Intern for them, a distributor of discounted supplies for teachers, churches, and other nonprofits. I also assist with fact checking and data entry as new members join and must be added to the system.

I became interested in this internship because I love nonprofit work. I believe everyone deserves equal opportunities and assistance if socially disadvantaged. I found NAEIR by researching nonprofits in the Galesburg area, and thought it was great that they provide so much for other nonprofit organizations.

KC: What are your plans for the future?

DJ: I'm still exploring my career options, and this internship is allowing me to explore my interest in communications, marketing, and nonprofit work. The company largely relies on donations and grants, which I hope to get better at writing and obtaining as I hone and develop my communications skills. I'm already familiar with social media, and I consider writing and communicating in general to be my strong suits, so this seemed like an ideal fit for me. I look forward to working with them beyond just this summer and learning more about the day-to-day operations that keep nonprofits going.

KC: What activities do you participate in on campus, and how do those affect your internship?

DJ: I submit original plays and sometimes excerpts for staged readings in Studio Theatre's Playground as often as I can. It's always nerve-wracking and exciting to see something I've written come to life -- it inspires me to write more. I've also tried directing and acting. I have several work-study jobs that take up a lot of time, and the Audio Visual Department and Advancement Office are both fun and provide opportunities to gain non-academic skills that come in handy when working in more formal scenarios, like my internship.

Deja Jenkins '19 is a Mellon Fellow. She works at the Audio/Visual Department and Advancement Office at Knox, and participates in theatre productions, such as Studio Theatre's Playground.