Senior Fernanda Alcantara majored in political science and psychology.
This past semester, I had the privilege to participate in an internship program with Boys & Girls Clubs of America, more specifically, with their government relations office. When I first interviewed for the position, I thought this would be a summer internship. Fast forward to my interview where I was told this would be a spring internship. At first, I was not sure how that would work, it was my last semester at the University of Arkansas, I was working on my thesis, serving in multiple leadership roles including President of University Programs, and not to mention trying to figure out my post-graduation plans. When I was offered the position as one of two interns, I knew this was an opportunity I could not turn down. I was incredibly fortunate to receive funding from the Honors College to financially aid me in this endeavor. The funding allowed me to fulfill my role as an intern to the best of my ability by relieving the financial stress that comes along with being a college student.
To give some background information on why this internship was so important to me, I need to start back when I was six years old. You see, I grew up as a “Club kid”. The Boys & Girls Club of Benton County in Rogers, Arkansas was my safe haven from a rather difficult childhood I faced. Fast forward to my high school years, The Club became my family. They provided me with an environment where I developed strong leadership, workforce readiness, and professional skills. I became the youngest Keystone president, where I led my peers in meaningful community service projects and even to receive national recognition as the top Keystone Club in the nation. This led me to receive their highest award that a Club kid can receive, the Youth of the Year award. I was the first one from my Club to make it to nationals and serve as the Southwest Youth of the Year where I served as a national spokesperson for the organization. I got to advocate for the 4 million youth we serve. This internship gave me the opportunity to continue doing that but on a different level and at the intersection of my passion for The Club and my academic knowledge.
In my role as a government relations intern, I gained an even more in depth understanding of the advocacy and legislative efforts nonprofit organizations engage to fulfill their missions. I also gained insight into the internal work that must occur to advocate for policies that impact youth across the nation. In addition, I got to witness the impact and process of securing federal and state funding. One of my main projects was our annual National Days of Advocacy (NDOA), where our team brings in Club staff and officials from around the nation to meet with their elected officials to discuss the work Clubs are doing and to secure 21st Century Workforce, Youth Mentoring, and USDA Meal Program funding. My supervisors were extremely excited to have me on board since I am a seasoned veteran in this due to my Youth of the Year experience. Although the event was virtual, there are a lot of logistics to ensure a successful NDOA. I truly enjoyed my internship experience with BGCA, and they did too. So much that they offered me a paid position after graduation! Once I graduated, I prepared for my move to Washington D.C. to finally be in person with my team. I’ll continue working with the government relations team until I begin my fellowship with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in New York. Some projects I’m currently working on is our first ever National Youth Advocacy Days (NYAD), like NDOA but strictly for youth. Teens from Clubs across the nation will come to D.C. in July to learn about advocacy and attend meetings where they can share their Club experiences with their elected officials. In addition, I am also in the process of translating important advocacy documents into Spanish to help eliminate the language barrier between our Puerto Rico Clubs and other predominantly Spanish-speaking Clubs.
My government relations internship with Boys & Girls Clubs of America has been an incredible experience that has opened a world of opportunities for me. Not only that, but also very humbling and full circle to have grown up as a Club kid, and now I get to advocate for kids like me. This experience could not have been possible without the Honors College grant I received, and I will always be extremely thankful for the financial support.