Make-A-Wish Foundation, 4/09
by Krystal Harwick

“Working for a noble cause with a great supervisor, while doing what I love, made this internship the most rewarding experience of my four years in college,” said Jacquelyn Sable after completing her PPW Internship with the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Greater Pennsylvania.  The Make-A-Wish Foundation “brings hope and joy to children who have been diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses by providing them with the magic of a wish.”

About Jacquelyn
Jacquelyn was a dual major in Communications and the College of Business Administration, but halfway through her degree, she realized, “the business field wasn’t for me.” She retained her Communications major and added the PPW program. “I still wanted to walk away with something other than my communications major. I always enjoyed writing but it was too late to chose a new major, so the PPW certificate was the perfect option.” After a few semesters in the PPW Program, Jacquelyn decided to apply for an internship.

Getting the Gig
In the fall semester of her senior year, Jacquelyn met with Pam O’Brien, Associate Director and Internship Coordinator of the PPW Certificate, who talked to her about the PPW Internship Class, the difference between for-profit and non-profit organizations, and what to look for in a good internship. After the meeting, Pam gave her a list of suggested non-profits and some helpful tips. Jacquelyn went home and began researching the organizations, only to find that she loved the idea of working for Make-A-Wish.

Jacquelyn submitted her resume via email, and landed an interview the next day. During the interview, the hiring manager, Dana, looked through her writing portfolio and asked some “behavioral questions.” Once she got home from the interview, Jacquelyn sent each of the interviewers a thank-you letter. After a few days, Pam called Dana to recommend Jacquelyn for the position. After only two weeks, Jacquelyn officially got the job.

On the Job
The next semester, Jacquelyn began her unpaid internship at the Make-A-Wish Foundation, in conjunction with part-time work and full-time school.  Despite all these commitments, Jacquelyn found it easy to manage her time once she fell into a set routine. Even though the internship was unpaid, the experience “was definitely well worth it.”

Once she started working at Make-A-Wish, Jacquelyn consistently worked on press releases and the children’s “wish stories.” Typically, children’s wishes fall into one of four categories: meeting celebrities, travelling (usually to Walt Disney World), special gifts, or being someone for a day. While “a wish can pretty much be anything the child decides,” about “95% of the children wish to go to Disney World,” so the majority of Jacquelyn’s wish stories focused on that.

The Ups and Downs
When asked about the best moment at her internship, Jacquelyn replied, “I don't know if there was one best moment in particular.  I thoroughly enjoyed my internship.  Working for a noble cause with a great supervisor, while doing what I love, made this internship the most rewarding experience of my four years in college.”

However, the job didn’t always come with a pair of rose-colored glasses. A major downfall in working with sick children is that, sometimes, they don’t get better. Even in her few months at Make-A-Wish, Jacquelyn found herself confronted with the reality that these kids get their wishes for a reason. “The worst moment was having to write a wish story after the child passed away.  It was difficult having to face death in my writing. Also, whenever a child passed away we would receive e-mails, so reading those on a biweekly basis was tough.”

Even though the job wasn’t always easy, Jacquelyn would go back to Make-A-Wish in a heartbeat. Nothing could compare with the knowledge that you made a profound difference in a child’s life.

What Lies Ahead
After working hands-on in the non-profit sector, Jacquelyn dreams of staying in it. In the future, she hopes to work as a Communications Coordinator at a nonprofit organization where she can create marketing campaigns, write on behalf of the organization, and plan fundraising events.