Intern (n): NOT JUST The Bottom of The Totem Pole
By Amelie Busch
Students across the country have been participating in internships since the beginning of time—perfecting the art of getting coffee, kicking the printer when it’s down, and running downtown for… more coffee.
Luckily, I’m interning at ACCION USA in New York City, where getting “cawfee” is not the major task of my day. As a new “ACCIONista” I’ve been meeting with our Microfinance Council, attending weekly marketing team meetings, interviewing clients, and uploading client stories to our Kiva page. Later this month, I’ll also have the opportunity to travel to the ACCION USA Boston office for the annual Lending team meeting.
As the Kiva Intern, I’ve spent most of my summer working with our clients and Loan Consultants to get client stories posted on the Kiva Intern, I’ve spent most of my summer working with our clients and Loan Consultants to get client stories posted on the Kiva website. Kiva’s been a great partnership for ACCION USA because it helps us lend to clients who fall just under our requirements. With the financial crisis, it’s been all about assessing our risk while still lending to eligible small businesses.
My favorite day, so far, at ACCION USA was when one of our clients, Jose, came into the office. He was meeting with his loan consultant, Elizabeth, to finalize and disburse his loan. Afterwards, I got to sit down with him and ask him about his business so that I could create his Kiva profile. It was great seeing the loan process come to life and meeting with such an inspirational micro-entrepreneur.
As an intern at ACCION USA, my experience has been eye-opening and rewarding. With the organization moving at 100 mph, like most people do in New York City, everyone plays a big role in keeping our vehicle on target. More information, trust and responsibilities are handed to me on a daily basis. With great employees, grateful clients and a fun working environment, this internship has made me feel far from the ‘bottom of the totem pole.’
Amelie Busch is serving as the Kiva Coordinator Intern for ACCION USA during Summer 2010. She is a rising senior at Elon University, studying Finance and Economics. She has a passion for microfinance and founded the Elon Microfinance Initiative – a student organization designed to promote the outreach and awareness of microfinance.
Tags: accion usa, kiva, kiva.org, microfinance, us microfinance
July 16th, 2010 at 11:55 am
Great blog post, Amelie!
July 16th, 2010 at 4:07 pm
This is a well-written article, Amelie.
As a fellow ACCION USA Intern, I certainly agree that my time here so far has been well spent and rewarding. Many of my senior ACCIONista colleagues have welcomed me as one of their own, and I am grateful that I am not getting coffee for anyone but myself.
I look forward to working with more clients, as well as repaying ACCION USA with my time and devotion.
October 4th, 2010 at 3:46 pm
It was a pleasure working with Amelie. She was able to capture the real essence of each of our borrower’s story and their daily effort to success.