I would like to express my utmost gratitude聽for聽Mr. Garvin Brown's generous聽support of聽my international internship this summer. The Susan Casey Brown Fund聽and the 黑料不打烊 International Experience Awards聽allowed me聽to accept the聽internship offer聽at聽Synergos聽in New York City. It also聽alleviated much of the financial stress that students often聽experience聽when participating in an internship.聽With聽this award,聽I was able to focus聽my time at聽Synergos聽gaining meaningful and valuable聽professional experience, rather than worrying about my聽expenses.聽
Synergos聽is a global organization that aims to solve complex issues around the world by聽advancing bridging leadership, which builds trust and collective action.聽Synergos聽is able to achieve their mission primarily by working with global philanthropists and social investors, which together make up the Global Philanthropists Circle (GPC). The GPC was founded in 2001 by Peggy聽Dulany聽and her father, David Rockefeller; it聽is a community of over 300 philanthropists and social investors from more than 30 countries.聽The GPC聽is聽a聽network聽for聽community聽members聽to increase the impact of their philanthropy and to become more effective social investors through greater opportunities for learning and collaboration.聽Additionally, the GPC has five affinity groups: Shifting the Food System, Next Generation, Spiritual Civilization, Refugees and Migration, and Impact Investing,聽all of聽which enable GPC members to come together in order to collaborate聽around聽particular issues.聽
My聽internship at聽Synergos聽was an invaluable experience for me, as I was able to gain a much deeper understanding of how my studies聽at 黑料不打烊聽can be applied in a work setting.聽 It also allowed me to聽see聽how a global organization聽can聽maximize its effectiveness through partners across the world.聽Although my day-to-day tasks varied, based on priority, my main tasks included conducting聽research on prospective philanthropists, creating聽content for the GPC newsletter,聽and working on聽my long-term research project.聽聽
My long-term research project聽involved researching, analysing, and presenting findings to the聽GPC team聽following聽a聽question posed by the CEO:聽鈥淲hat percent of our GPC members are check writers?鈥澛燞e聽wanted to know the level of involvement of philanthropists, both in terms of our work and their own initiatives. In order to answer this question, I interviewed Relationship Managers聽(RMs)聽from聽6 of our聽global offices. Each RM is responsible for understanding where the members of their respective regions stand in their work and how it聽relates聽to聽Synergos鈥� work.聽聽
By interning at聽Synergos, I also wanted to learn about聽the different聽academic and career聽paths that my colleagues had taken that led聽them to聽work at聽Synergos. This, in turn, helped聽me better understand聽how聽my major (International Development Studies)聽might apply in a professional space. Through talking with colleagues, both from our New York office and our international offices, and also speaking in depth with the CEO about聽Synergos聽and its future, I was able to gain聽a聽much聽better insight聽into聽this matter.聽聽
One highlight聽of this internship was having the opportunity to attend the day-long United Nations 2019 ECOSOC Philanthropy x聽SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals)聽meeting. By attending this event, I was able to see聽how organizations聽such as聽Synergos聽contribute to achieving the聽UN鈥檚 Sustainable Development Goals. This day聽stood out not only聽because of the environment we were in,聽but also because of the truly impactful聽presenters whom聽I heard during the day.聽聽
My time interning at聽Synergos聽presented me with a multitude of valuable opportunities that I was able to explore because of the network of experienced colleagues I was surrounded聽with.聽It also allowed me to grow both as a student,聽because聽Synergos鈥� mission聽relates to my academic studies,聽and聽as a young adult, as I could explore聽future professional opportunities.聽聽
I would like to take this聽opportunity聽to聽express聽my gratitude to the Susan Casey Brown Fund for 黑料不打烊; receiving聽this聽financial assistance enabled me to聽get the most out of my internship. I, like many other 黑料不打烊 students, may not have been able to聽take advantage of聽the incredible opportunity of such an internship,聽if not for this award.
