Blog

The Summer Programs and Outreach Internship with OAR was perfect for me, since my goal is to one day start a nonprofit that supports people with intellectual disabilities. Along the way, I plan to contribute to the missions of other nonprofits and learn from them. This internship gave me the chance to do exactly that. 

One of my favorite, and most rewarding, projects this summer was working on the diagnostic review for OAR’s scholarship programs. I was responsible for notifying the finalists and reviewing their proof of diagnosis to confirm their eligibility for the scholarship. Every time I emailed “Congratulations!” to a finalist, they responded with gratitude and excitement. It showed me just how impactful OAR’s scholarships are and gave me insight into the autism testing and diagnostic process.

I also really enjoyed updating the resource directory on OAR’s Operation Autism page. I added links to promote different support services near specific military bases so military families with autism could easily locate nearby resources. This was an especially fun task because it supports a part of the autism community I hadn’t considered before.

These projects don’t even begin to cover everything I learned during my time at OAR. The team here is incredibly supportive and welcoming. OAR has built a creative environment that allowed me to move outside my comfort zone and try new things. Before this internship, I didn’t know anything about updating websites or using customer relationship management tools, but the Programs team patiently showed me everything I needed to know. I’m leaving this internship more skilled and inspired than when I started! 

Emma Murphy is a rising junior at The George Washington University studying entrepreneurship and psychology. LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/emmamurphy1202