Nonprofit internship leads to a rewarding experience for media and journalism major

Internships are more than mere college requirements — they’re opportunities to explore interests, develop new skills, and gain insight into industries' operations.

For Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg media and journalism major, Ashley Villano, her internship with the Bloomsburg Children’s Museum was a great experience that helped shape her career goals and allowed her to contribute to the local community.

“I had always wanted to work with a nonprofit at least once in my life,” Ashley explained. “When the opportunity to intern at the museum came up, it just made sense. I’ve done a lot of event planning and community outreach in past jobs, so I thought this would be a great way to build on those skills.”

Villano, knew this internship would be a little different. No two days were ever exactly alike.

“It’s hard to describe a typical day because my responsibilities changed based on the project I was given,” she said. “But most days I would check in with the museum’s media strategist to see what I was assigned to do. I was often creating graphics for events or social media posts to help raise money or spread the word about what the museum was doing.”

Villano’s role also took her beyond the screen. She attended events and helped with hands-on activities, which gave her a better appreciation for the behind-the-scenes work that keeps nonprofits like the Children’s Museum running.

“Being there in person really showed me how important community involvement is,” she said. You get to see the impact right in front of you.”

Like any internship, it came with its challenges. For Villano, one of the biggest adjustments was the digital communication side of things.

“I didn’t realize how much they rely on social media until I got there,” she admitted. “Every day, they’re posting, emailing, and updating their followers about what’s going on. It opened my eyes to how important digital communication is, especially for small nonprofits trying to connect with the community.”

Villano found the experience rewarding.

“The most valuable thing I’ve taken away is a better understanding of how nonprofit organizations operate,” she said. “There are real challenges with things like funding and keeping the community engaged, but it’s also amazing to see how passionate the people are. Some of the people I met work multiple jobs and still make time to help the museum. That kind of dedication really inspired me.”

The internship also gave Villano the chance to reflect on her own strengths and career goals.

“It made me realize I’m definitely more of a detail-oriented person,” she shared. “While I’ve worked in flexible environments before, I think I’d prefer a more focused role in the future. But I’m still super grateful for this experience because it helped me figure that out early on.”

Ashley isn’t walking away from nonprofit work altogether though. “Even if I don’t work full-time in that space, I definitely want to keep volunteering with organizations like the museum. It’s helped me build my communication skills, and I still have a lot of room to grow in that area.”

Bloomsburg’s media and journalism program also played a big part in preparing Ashley for this opportunity.

“Some of the classes I’ve taken, like multimedia journalism and visual communications, gave me the tools I needed,” she said. “They helped me understand how digital content connects with audiences and taught me the basics of writing and designing for different platforms. At first, I was intimidated by how much online interaction was needed, but those classes really helped me feel more confident.”