BizVoice -- March / April 2018

March/April 2018 – BizVoice/Indiana Chamber 77 Jerica Mitchell (Indiana State University) College Intern of the Year Jerica Mitchell’s hard work has paid off by more than tripling the length of her internship at the Indiana Minority Health Coalition (IMHC). The internship was originally scheduled to run for two months; however, the organization adjusted the budget to extend her time there. Mitchell’s career aspirations of being an executive director of a non-profit organization or a hospital administrator perfectly align with her work at IMHC. Her first large project involved the coordination of 15 volunteers at the organization’s vendor booth at the Indiana Black Expo. To increase visitor engagement, she assisted with creating a prize spin wheel for attendees to answer questions about diabetes. This resulted in positive feedback from the attendees and a local television feature. Her skills in outreach proved valuable in creating connections and building relationships. One of her duties was inviting businesses to attend presentations or participate as vendors at an event. To gain the attention of younger demographics for event promotion, Mitchell successfully utilized social media. “IMHC is from a myriad of backgrounds and Jerica quickly learned to respect and value all of the cultures by seeing the underlying connections which make staff members a team,” says Lesia Bostick, the organization’s state project coordinator. “The other interns within our agency can often be seen asking her for advice. As a knowledge- seeking and motivated fast learner, I have seen her grow tremendously by helping others within several departments in our agency.” Camisa Vines (John Adams High School – South Bend) High School Intern of the Year Summer break means a recess from school and homework for most students. That’s not the case, however, for Camisa Vines. After studying youth coding and computer programming at South Bend Code School (read more on Page 47) in 2015, Vines obtained an internship with a local technology company. Two years later, she returned to the coding school as an instructor. “Camisa worked with children (ages seven to 18) in our program and put in many hours to help the core team define, build and execute a high-caliber coding program that served all ranges of students from many different backgrounds and walks of life,” says Alex Sejdinaj, co-founder of the South Bend Code School. In 2017, the school coordinated a summer camp with a record- breaking number of over 100 student applicants. Vines served as a lead instructor and assisted with the program. She made sure each student felt comfortable and confident with the material they were learning. “A large part of South Bend Code School’s mission is to make deep connections with students in our community while showing them the opportunities that they could have in STEM-related career fields and Camisa is a shining example of what that means,” Sejdinaj explains. “She cares deeply for the students we work with, the team that helps to support that mission and the larger community we live in.” Miranda Goodwin Non-Traditional Intern of the Year The Wabash Valley Community Foundation was a little skeptical when a professor at Indiana State University recommended a student majoring in math for a marketing and communications internship. Miranda Goodwin, however, removed any doubt the organization may have had. The majority of Goodwin’s internship was dedicated to working on the organization’s legacy albums, which contain stories of those who have created endowment funds. Through reading provided material, researching other sources and interviewing donors or their relatives, Goodwin skillfully composed each narrative with emotion and purpose. These stories are often shared with the corresponding grant or scholarship recipients. Due to her excellent time-management skills and hard-working attitude, Goodwin performed tasks for various projects throughout the Foundation. She assisted with a donation campaign, tediously updated a list of professional advisors and provided support for staff members in administration, marketing and communications, and affiliate relations. Her minor studies in non-profit leadership proved valuable when assisting with coordinating donor meetings, processing donations and maintaining the database. “I believe Miranda understood that an internship should be a continuation of the learning process and treated the internship exactly like that,” explains Beth Tevlin, executive director of the Wabash Valley Community Foundation. “She assisted with grant award distributions and attended grant award ceremonies to learn more about local nonprofits and how the grants awarded from the Community Foundation would impact that organization.” Nathan Milner (Indiana Wesleyan University) Career Development Professional of the Year Nathan Milner has shown great strides in his first year as internship coordinator at Indiana Wesleyan University. Before his transition to career development, Milner was the university’s resident director for 10 years. “Nathan integrates his extensive residence life experience in the field of career development and shines in the area of student advocacy and development,” says Tiffany Snyder, director of career development at Indiana Wesleyan University. “He enhances internship programs, contributes to improved and even innovative communication with students and employers, and reflects a strong level of commitment to professional development.” One of Milner’s early accomplishments was facilitating a program funded by Lilly Endowment that provides wages for up to 20 students interning at start-up companies each semester. He made valuable improvements to the program, including a wage increase for student participants. Milner also strives to provide professional development opportunities for the interns. Every other week, he sends a reflection question for them to submit a filmed response. “Nathan goes above and beyond in his internship coordinator role by offering each and every intern a personalized video response, celebrating student growth and offering suggestions where appropriate,” Snyder shares. “He treats the program as a developmental opportunity to ensure that the students feel heard, to learn what needs to exist, to encourage growth and cultivate professional development.” Each semester, Milner coordinates an internship banquet for the