Sage is a second-year FANPP student who interned at the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). Here are some reflections about the experience:
In just a few sentences, please tell us about your summer internship. How does it connect to your personal and professional interests?
This past summer, I interned with the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a non-profit organization that advocates for policies around nutrition, food safety, and health. My role involved analyzing and synthesizing research to support advocacy efforts related to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP). Specifically, I worked to create a table of the existing research on SNAP restrictions and analyzed qualitative interviews around state funding for GusNIP programs. I am passionate about using policies to ensure that everyone has access to fresh, affordable, and nutritious food, and I felt that I directly contributed to that work through this internship.
How did you land your internship? (e.g., networking, searching on the BCC job board, etc.)
I found my internship through the BCC job board, but I had known about the organization for a long time, as they are a large actor within the public health nutrition space. I had also gotten to interact face-to-face with the organization on the career center DC trip, which helped me craft a targeted application.
What did you enjoy about your internship? What did you find challenging?
I really enjoyed the opportunity to use my research skills to support the organization’s advocacy efforts. I truly felt like my presence and the work I performed were valuable to the organization. I also spent time working with program directors for nutrition incentive programs in various states, and the ability to use the national-level focus to coordinate efforts across states felt empowering. Working at the organization, I got to connect with a diverse group of people passionate about the same issues as me. CSPI also supported interns incredibly well, and I benefited from an intern journal club, staff presentations, and an in-person intern trip to DC. One distinct challenge was working in advocacy at the federal level during the past summer. Congress passed sweeping cuts to SNAP, and many other crucial policies supported by CSPI were under threat. It was a tumultuous time to be experiencing federal advocacy for the first time, and due to the changes, the projects I ended up working on were not necessarily the projects that I had planned to work on at the beginning of the summer. Furthermore, I think this experience highlighted what a challenge it can be to get changes through at the federal level in general due to the division in Congress.
What are the necessary soft and hard skills needed for this position?
Research skills, particularly the ability to conduct high-quality literature reviews and to synthesize research for non-academic audiences, are crucial. A familiarity with the federal legislative process and key issues in food access and nutrition was extremely important. As a remote employee, time management and self-direction were also very useful.
If you could offer one piece of internship search advice to your peers, what would it be?
Utilize the BCC resources! I worked with the career center to reformat my resume and cover letter for this internship, and the DC trip was extremely helpful in connecting with CPSI and learning more about their work.
