Julianna Kantner, a Toller Honors College Fellow and political science and international studies major from Shawnee, Kansas, completed an internship at Canopy Northwest Arkansas as the Community Development intern. She cultivated community relationships, met client needs, and had the opportunity to interview refugee resettlement agencies across the country.

If there is one thing I have learned while interning at Canopy Northwest Arkansas, it’s that one day at a non-profit is never the same as the next. From advocacy to storage inventory to on-campus collaborations, my internship with the Community Development Coordinator at the NWA-local refugee resettlement agency taught me what it takes to keep a flourishing non-profit like Canopy running. I worked at Canopy during an expansionary period directly following the resettlement of over 100 Afghan parolees. Throughout my internship, I would often recall what Canopy looked like just 1 year ago. The resettlement agency worked out of an office less than half the size of its current location with a fraction of the present staff. Working at a growing platform of refugee support was eye-opening to the many moving parts of a non-profit and considerable partnerships with volunteers and the community. I learned how significant the act of advocacy is in the development of Canopy and its day-to-day operations.

I found this position after a year of interning with Canopy’s Volunteer Coordinator. Wanting to learn more about the operations of the agency, I interviewed with Hannah Lee, the Community Development Coordinator. The beginning of my experience this semester speaks to one of my key take-aways from my time at Canopy. Local work in a small non-profit organization is highly beneficial to one’s skill sets. I chose to return to Canopy because of the unique opportunity I was provided to work directly with volunteers, clients, and the everyday responsibilities of the organization. Meanwhile, my knowledge expanded. I went from barely being able to define a refugee to being able to advocate for refugee resettlement within my community. I took to heart the stories and character of the clients I worked with and the volunteers I worked alongside.

My tasks throughout the semester exposed me to the vast financial and voluntary support that keeps Canopy alive. While working with donations and grants, I became familiar with the CRM databases utilized by many non-profits and the very real financial impact of advocacy. As I coordinated educational events on campus, I learned the benefit of Canopy’s strong ties within the community. I also helped with the less glamorous duties necessary for the everyday resettlement of our newest neighbors: the organization and delivery of home goods and furniture. Throughout this experience, my respect grew for the behind-the-scenes work. While it is easy to celebrate the memories shared with our clients, some of the most impactful work is done before the clients even board a plane. Every client is set up for success with a fully furnished home of donated supplies. Behind the scenes are the folks who transport, store, and set-up the supplies for each home.

Just like in business, it’s important for non-profits to utilize the most efficient and beneficial workplace strategies. With limited funding and personnel, employee burn-out and turnover is a very real barrier in the non-profit world. To combat these problems, I spent time interviewing volunteer coordinators at refugee resettlement agencies across the nation, strategizing ways to more effectively care for our clients, while creating an enjoyable workplace for Canopy staff. I worked alongside my supervisor to develop practices for Canopy as it experiences rapid development. This internship provided me the unique opportunity to not only learn from local work in refugee resettlement, but also benefit from the knowledge of agencies across the country.

Approaching law school, the many practical skills I have learned at Canopy will make me a better courtroom advocate and innovator in the workplace. I will always carry with me my newfound passion for refugee support and reverence for resettlement work. I encourage anyone interested in public service to check out Canopy and local non-profits like it. Not only will you make a difference in the community, but you will gain the hands-on experience that not every internship provides.