High Cloud Foundation - Because Dreams Come True

Nothing beats the nervous anticipation of a first internship and all that it entails. As I barreled through numerous forms, smiled widely in countless interviews, and occasionally begged teachers for just one more recommendation, I finally reached the goal of college kids everywhere - acceptance into an internship.

     

Coming from Notre Dame Undergraduate Business School, the one thing you realize is that there is always someone smarter than you -- someone who can whip up financial reports at the speed of light, someone who can map out an entire marketing campaign in their head. While competition against these superhuman business students may seem daunting to some, Notre Dame students relish the struggle.

 

When the school offered up internships, ears perked up in anticipation of the bloody battle ahead for open positions. The one that caught my eye, and that of many others, was a chance to work with the High Cloud Foundation in Washington, DC. While it may not have had the supposed prestige of working for a company such as J.P. Morgan or Deloitte, it had something even better - actual work. The pitfall of working for a large company, as many previous interns have gladly spoken out about, is the lack of work. While it might look nice on a resume to have worked alongside financial bigwigs, the day-in and day-out job of making coffee just doesn't cut it.

 

As I stepped off the plane at Dulles International Airport on my first night in DC, I practically shimmered with excitement. While I realized that I would get actual work experience, and was extremely grateful for the opportunity to have an internship at all, I still resigned myself to doing the brunt of the grunt work. I soon realized my judgment in the job description was completely off the mark.  I was immediately given meaningful tasks to complete, all without the veiled threat of failure hanging over my head. Not only was I happily overwhelmed with important work, I felt extremely welcome into what I now realize is a family.

 

Since that first maelstrom of assignments, I have been given a wide variety of tasks. I have had the opportunity to write financial reports, send in grant proposals, be the head coordinator in a large event, attend a board meeting, manage and update websites, take minutes at a meeting, and plan out the logistics of humanitarian missions -- all with the complete trust of the founders and members of High Cloud. Never in a million years did I ever expect to experience this level of responsibility.

 

Not only have I had the opportunity to do meaningful work, but I have also had the pleasure of meeting some truly amazing people. Every single member of High Cloud works diligently and tirelessly for the sake of making the world a better place. They all do this while juggling jobs, familial obligations, and sometimes even school. Even though the founders both have full-time careers, they still regularly fly halfway across the world to change the lives of poverty-stricken children. I have done humanitarian work in many different countries, and never have I met a more dedicated group of people.

 

Although my time in DC is coming to a close, my work will not stop here. I cannot think of anything I would rather be doing than helping High Cloud grow for the benefit and children and families around the world. This has truly been one of the best experiences of my life, and I am looking forward to what my future at High Cloud holds.