Summer Interns Reflect on Building Community and Contributing to Evidence-Based Philanthropy

Benjamin Ringel: Democracy Intern, Houston

While Ben could often be seen researching ranked-choice voting and writing briefs on redistricting for the Democracy portfolio, he said the most rewarding moment of the internship was getting to present to us, his fellow interns. Most of us had never conceptualized what it would mean to reform our democracy. Ben pushed us to learn more about the work of his portfolio, while asking questions and uplifting a culture of curiosity. In addition to writing talking points for Democracy, Ben wrote an op-ed on permitting reform for the Clean Energy team and drafted transition memos for the Higher Education team. Ben has, as he said, a ​“newfound appreciation for pragmatism and developing a long-term, thoughtful strategy to get people on board.” He attributes this to our coworkers, for their ability to ​“make community through fighting for a better world, which inspires people to keep doing the work, even when it’s hard.” 

Ben will return to Brown University this fall as a junior studying International and Public Affairs and Computer Science. He will also begin a Social Innovation Fellowship. 

Diego Castillo: Democracy Intern, Houston 

Having had an internship at Arnold Ventures before this summer, Diego served as our guide, helping many of us find our footing within the organization while completing his own work. During the summer, Diego spoke with members of the organization Families Against Mandatory Minimums, an AV grantee that focuses on shorter and fairer prison sentences, sharing that ​“it was impactful to hear from people who were directly impacted by the policies that AV worked on.” It taught him the importance of being connected to the work we do, proof that the community that we foster goes much further than the walls of the office. In addition, Diego had the opportunity to craft a variety of op-eds, research open primaries, and draft one-pagers on independent redistricting commissions. 

Diego will return to Brown University this fall for his sophomore year, where he is studying Africana Studies and History. He is vice president of recruitment and training for the Brown Debate Club and coaches students through Space City Camp, where he is debate curriculum coordinator. 

Sammie Engel: Legal and Grants Intern, Houston 

This internship gave Sammie a newfound appreciation for operations teams. As she described it, ​“I realized how important they are to the core of an organization. They create good processes that are optimized to support the people making the policy change.” On the Legal Team, Sammie read and wrote summaries of legal documents such as grantee contracts. For one project, she drafted memos on a philanthropic giving-related case, A.A.E.R. v. Fearless Foundation LLC. On the Grants side, she learned how to use Salesforce and hone her data comprehension. This included creating new reports and dashboards, which allowed her to ​“explore the ​‘why’ behind each report — how they assist those reading the reports to better understand the patterns in AV’s grant-making.” However, Sammie’s favorite moment was a cooking class she took with her team. Her joy recalling this story illustrated yet again how the community of AV is fostered by its employees, and Sammie is certainly a part of that — she’s dependable, articulate, and quick to learn new things. 

After the internship, Sammie will return to Cornell University for her senior year, where she is a varsity volleyball player and studies Government with minors in Business, Spanish, and Law and Society. She hopes to one day earn a joint master’s in public policy and law degree. 

Melat Woldu: Journalism Intern, Houston 

Melat’s responsibilities spanned a wide range of work, from a research paper on the implications of AI in journalism to building a grantee database. A project that stood out for Melat is a grant that she developed alongside Sammie for Open Campus, a nonprofit media organization that focuses on higher education. They interviewed the grantee, wrote a proposal, and presented it. With no guarantees that it would be approved, the project was high stakes and high reward — and their hard work paid off. 

“I am so proud to work for a company that doesn’t care to be in the spotlight but instead cares about getting things done,” said Melat, expressing a sentiment she embodies. ​“It’s made me hopeful that there are other people out there like us, working just as hard.” 

Melat will be returning to the University of Texas at Austin as a junior studying Journalism with a minor in Media and Entertainment. She hopes to pursue a career as a journalist. 

Madeline Hopper: Evidence and Evaluation Intern, D.C. 

Madeline discovered this summer with her team that ​“the projects that I have worked on will have a tangible impact on informing policy.” These projects include evaluating the methodological rigor of proposals, identifying states where further investments are needed, and drafting recommendations for projects that would support the use of evidence-based policy. Always striving to make an impact, Madeleine also led the charge for our intern clothing drive. 

Madeline saw the interaction between programs and operations while working with Sammie on presenting and requesting funding for a grant. She highlighted this project, saying that being able to inform the grantee of their acceptance was her favorite moment of the summer. Most of the new skills she’s learned, she attributes to the guidance of her team: ​“They are not only smart and thoughtful, they’re also intentional. That intention includes me and making sure that I have a voice, which I have really enjoyed.” 

Madeleine will return to the University of Chicago this fall to earn a master’s degree in social science. 

Michael Wei: Health Care Intern, D.C. 

Among the many projects Michael worked on for the Health Care team, one of the highlights of his summer was the opportunity to spend time with the expert team over a collection of lunches. ​“To get to know everyone in a more informal setting and pick their brains was so fulfilling.” A particularly memorable project was one in which he tracked Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval processes for Alzheimer’s medications. ​“This project gave the team a good sense of what the climate surrounding these medications is, which better informed their work,” said Michael. ​“I didn’t know much about the FDA, so I got to contribute and learn something new.” Michael found that his team allowed him to grow as an employee: ​“I so appreciated everyone at AV, and I don’t say that lightly. Everyone has been so helpful and approachable, just tremendous.” 

After the internship, Michael will return to New York University where he is studying Economics, Public Policy, and Management as a Maurice R. Greenberg Scholar. He will intern with the Department of the Treasury this fall. 

Emma Stroupe: Communications Intern, Houston 

As the Communications Intern here at AV, it’s been eye-opening to learn about what it means to craft a brand and make sure our ideas are coming across effectively. I had the opportunity to do media research, interview grantees, draft talking points, and so much more. The ability to work with a large team that is putting AV’s best foot forward is made even more special because of those with whom I got to do it. 

To echo my peers, the environment at AV is what makes our work so impactful. We lift each other up when someone feels frustrated, always making sure we are looking out for one another. There was no project that went unnoticed, no question left unanswered, and no high five left hanging. In a summer of tumultuous legislation, election decisions, and world events, AV offered a haven of hard work and support. If community is what makes AV so special, my fellow interns are the epitome of all that it is to meaningfully contribute to this community. 

This fall, Emma will return to Brown University as a senior studying International and Public Affairs.