My experience with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Coastal Virginia is difficult to summarize in words. Going into the partnership, I had zero expectations for the organization but not in a negative way. Rather, it was my first internship / public service placement. Furthermore, I have not been involved in the public relations sector of communications. However, I always hold myself to a high standard, so I knew I would give 100 percent to any task the non-profit asked me to complete. Even though I began this experience without a public relations background, I grew to understand how dynamic a PR role is in the non-profit sector. I performed a myriad of tasks, some utilized my skill set, while others required watching a couple YouTube videos. However, whenever I did not know how to go about a task, I was never treated differently or made to feel like I was incompetent. That is something I will always appreciate about NAMI Coastal Virginia.
While some assignments seemed trivial, I learned from working in a non-profit that every task contributes to a bigger, more significant purpose. I spent hours in the office meticulously tying ribbons on little, stuffed llamas trying to make them look as professionally made as possible. These toy animals are sold at events for 10 dollars to raise money for NAMI. While tying bows may not appear substantial, financially benefitting an organization fundamental to improving the public imagine of mental health is valuable. Another task I did was providing input on a small pamphlet for NAMI. From studying psychology, with a keen interest in human factors, I used information I learned about visual attention in the design. Throughout my experience with NAMI, I tried to take advantage of my skills when applicable. Much of the work I did involved digital design. NAMI asked me to recreate their informational PowerPoint used to explain NAMI to organizations, small businesses, and government employees. As I mentioned in my first blog post, I collaborated on an information newsletter email, which from my end mostly involved display formatting. Design is not directly involved in my major, but I have obtained knowledge involved in the psychology of design and exploiting what you already know is a skill I gained from my NAMI experience.
I still wish I could have done more with the National Alliance on Mental Illness. I expected to be heavily involved in social media, since I am a young college student (i.e. a master of Instagram and Twitter). However, I learned that with diffusion of responsibility in non-profit sector comes blurred job supervision. In other words, it was difficult getting involved in specific tasks because who was entirely responsible for managing an area could be unclear. Another complication that I imagine is not unique to the non-profit sector is the integration of copious opinions. Combined with no clear manager of tasks, it can be confusing whose opinion or advice to prioritize. Someone might tell me that they prefer an image to be in green while someone else might want it in blue and there is no one with the clear final say. Learning how to navigate multiple perspectives is a lesson that I can use in other aspects of my future.
Ultimately, I am very grateful for my non-internship-internship. NAMI is more like a family than an organization. Everyone is respectful, welcoming, and committed to the better of society. All the people I encountered were so thankful for any effort I put in and are so interested in advancing my future. I am so lucky I finished my college career having this experience under my belt. I know that no matter where I go, I have become a better citizen because of my collaboration with NAMI.