By Michael Behr—
Wow, what a summer!
I could not be more grateful for the time I spent learning from the incredibly smart, talented, and experienced goddesses at Minerva Strategies. I learned so much about the communications industry and even more importantly, I learned a lot about myself.
As we all know, this summer was filled with new, and often not-so-exciting experiences. During my time at Minerva, we were all under strict social distancing guidelines, we saw more than a month of daily protests, the Seattle Police left my neighborhood in Capitol Hill, I went on a few weekend camping trips, and, as I write this, a smokey fog has settled over the city bringing me face to face with the effects of climate change in my new home.
Unlike many of my peers who had internship programs cancelled, the position at Minerva Strategies shifted to be entirely virtual. Completing a virtual internship from start to finish, taught me that I was capable of working in what many college students consider “the real world.” It also taught me that I can thrive in what future of work will likely become.
Being able to work with incredible organizations like Evergreen Treatment Services, The Stability Network, Seattle Girls’ School, and the Seattle Foundation confirmed my passion to start a career to spread important information that can change our world for the better. Each of these organizations does just that—changes the world!
Evergreen Treatment Services demonstrated the importance of advocating for chronically unhoused community members who face immense daily hardships, further amplified during the pandemic. The Stability Network illustrated how breaking down stigma and discrimination allows someone living with a mental health condition to thrive in the corporate world. Seattle Girls’ School taught me the importance of educating female-identifying youth to envision themselves as the leaders of a new and better future. Finally, the Seattle Foundation showed how they are putting social justice at the forefront of its funding by supporting groups like the Black Future Co-Op Fund in response to the police killing of George Floyd.
My summer was jammed-packed. Some nights I spent protesting in the streets only to wake up and begin work researching journalists to cover the Black Future Co-Op Fund. Overall, I learned that when your passions align with your work, it never seems like work at all. I know there is so much of this work to be done, so this is reassuring. I can work hard for the future we envision. We all can do it, and we must do it together. When we have the desire and passion to see our futures change, like the amazing goddesses of Minerva Strategies, I know our world will be much better off than when we started.
