Our 2021 Field Intern Sofia Gavia was an integral part of our team. Read more about her internship experience and the important work she did with the Table.
My time working at the Nebraska Civic Engagement Table has been a great experience. For the past year, I have been exposed to the non-profit sector in Nebraska. Through our member meetings and field work, I was able to meet many of the dedicated people who are working for a better future for Nebraskans. I was able to learn about the kind of work that goes into voter registration and ballot initiative campaigns and contribute to these efforts.
During my internship, I further developed my soft skills. I got the chance to co-present voter registration trainings, which gave me the chance to grow my confidence in public speaking and to get familiar with the do’s and don'ts of running voter registration programs. One of my favorite experiences was when we partnered with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Civic Engagement Center and the League of Women Voters in Lincoln on National Voter Registration Day. We gave UNL students voter registration training and I was able to help table outside of the UNL Union and register students to vote. Before this, I mainly just spoke about registering people to vote, but on that day I was able to practice registering students to vote in person.
The most important thing I was able to learn from the staff at the Nebraska Civic Engagement Table was on creating a positive workplace environment. As someone who is joining the workforce during a pandemic, I saw how important it is to set and respect work boundaries. Everyone is respectful and genuinely cares about each other. I now know that having a team that supports and encourages you is what makes it possible to move forward even when things get tough. I can honestly say that the Nebraska Civic Engagement Table is the best place to work at and I recommend anyone looking for an internship to apply here. I only hope that I’m able to work with a team as great as them in the future.
