Intern Spotlight: Kayleigh Elder

This summer I had the opportunity to work as the Columbia Basin Foundation’s student intern. In previous years, I have volunteered at many of the various auctions, dinners, and events that CBF was in charge of putting together. With this, I thought my knowledge of CBF was pretty thorough, but being more involved in the daily functioning of CBF, the vitality and importance of this nonprofit organization has stood out to me like never before.

At the beginning of this summer, I was able to travel around with CBF’s scholarship director (also my mom) and see her give out thousands and thousands of dollars in scholarships to students in our communities. I was aware of the large impact CBF has on graduating seniors and college students, but getting to hear the hundreds of names and schools and majors these scholarships would be going towards was incredible. Having received a few scholarships myself, I am aware of the huge blessing and support it is, and as I went to all these schools, I could feel that blessing being multiplied by the hundreds.

As scholarship season came to an end, I settled into my weekly routine at CBF. Working Tuesdays in the office, I was able to deliver meals from the senior center and afterwards attend Rotary Club meetings. Both of these have been a wonderful experience as a part of my internship. I was able to be more hands-on in serving the community by delivering meals, and I got to see business leaders and organizations working to serve the community at Rotary Club. There, I was also exposed to inspiring guest speakers sharing about their roles in the communities around them, opening my eyes to a world of opportunities and careers that are oriented to serving and giving back to others.

Apart from these opportunities, my main project this summer has been writing “Make a Difference Monday” features. I am incredibly blessed to have been given this responsibility. First, just like Rotary, I have gotten to see the significant impact each of the organizations has on its community. Almost all of the organizations I’ve been researching rely heavily on volunteers, which goes to show how dedicated the people around me are in uplifting one another. This is an understanding that will not leave me soon. Second, this task aligns with my educational and career interests, as I am currently majoring in English, and it has given me a professional application to my studies. Not only will this benefit me as I return to WSU this fall, but writing these features has helped me see how I can use my passions in potential careers.

Reflecting on my time spent here, my understanding of the scope of CBF’s work has deepened considerably, and my perspective on what it means to serve one's community has been broadened. I’m walking away with growth and confidence in my abilities, a connection to the larger community surrounding me, and excitement for a future this internship has given me a glimpse of in a very quick summer program. Go CBF! Go Cougs!

-Kayleigh Elder