Meet the 2018 Interns
I have been eager to intern at the Council on Foundations since I received my acceptance letter. While coming into this experience, I did not know what exactly the Council was, I am excited to learn more about the sector and help achieve the organization’s goals. I am 1 of 7 interns here at CoF for the summer. Each of us is assigned within a different department of the organization, and I am the communications intern. With me being a journalism major, a lot of what I do revolves around asking questions to gain an understanding. Recently, I took the time to form questions that will help you get to know more about the 2018 Intern Class and our interests. In each of our responses, you will not only find fun, light-hearted answers, but you’ll also see a group that is focused on upholding the high standards the Council has put upon us.
Anshul Agrawal
Who are you?
My name is Anshul Agrawal and I’m the Government Relations intern at CoF.
Where do you go to school and what is your major?
I’m a rising junior at Georgetown University where I have a double major in Government & Economics.
What is something everyone should know about you?
I care a lot about people, and I always do my best to make everyone happy.
If you could change one thing about the world what would it be?
I wish people were nicer to each other, there’s too much negativity in the world. I think if people were more accepting to diversity, the world would be a better place.
If you could have any super power what would it be and why?
I’d want to have superspeed or teleport because I have a lot of family all over the world. It would be nice to see them more, and I wish I could get to them faster.
What are you looking forward to the most this summer working at CoF?
I worked for Senator Corey Booker, it was a great experience, I learned a lot of skills there and I want to apply them here while also learning even more as well.
How does philanthropy inspire you and how do you plan to advance it into the world?
Philanthropy inspires me because I like to make people happy, and philanthropy represents a certain sense of selflessness. It’s all about helping other people.
With the work that I’m doing here, government relations helps to make sure that organizations have all the resources they need, and I’m doing my part to promote philanthropic endeavors.
Michael Kelly
Who are you?
My name is Michael Kelly and I’m the Membership and Marketing Intern.
Where do you go to school and what is your major?
I’m a rising junior at George Washington University. I am a double major, with both Finance and Geography.
What is something everyone should know about you?
I run, ALL THE TIME.
If you could change one thing about the world what would it be?
I’d make people more empathetic to the circumstances and lives of others.
If you could have any super power what would it be and why?
Invisibility because it has the same effects as teleportation except you can be more behind the scenes.
What do you hope to gain from this internship?
I hope to better understand how philanthropic efforts can be a quicker and more effective way of change rather than public policy, while also meeting new people to network with.
How does philanthropy inspire you and how do you plan to advance it into the world?
It inspires me because it is not necessarily requested, people do it by impulse even though it is needed.
I’ll tell my friends, family and loved ones about the changes that Council members have made within their communities and how we can get involved with other organizations to help out.
Reilly Tifft
Who are you?
My name is Reilly Tiffit, I’m the Development and Public Philanthropic Partnerships intern.
Where do you go to school and what is your major?
I am a rising senior at William & Mary and the University of St. Andres and my major is international relations.
What is something everyone should know about you?
I just want to be as helpful as possible, so if anyone needs something they should feel free to ask.
If you could change one thing about the world what would it be?
Global Inequality, economic imbalance is a root cause for a lot of problems in the world. These issues could be better solved if monetary wealth was distributed in a way that could help countries help themselves.
If you could have any super power what would it be and why?
I’d want to teleport because I’d be able to get a lot more done in a day.
What skills do you hope to gain during your time at the Council?
I want to be able to learn more about how to provide the funding necessary for nonprofits and general philanthropic organizations. I also want to know how to foster connections between private and public sector organizations.
How does philanthropy inspire you and how do you plan to advance it into the world?
It’s inspiring because the action is a pretty selfless decision to donate your time and effort. You have to sacrifice what you want to do and instead participate in what needs to be done.
I’m going to spread philanthropy by making it easy for people to get involved and to ensure they have the resources they need to achieve whatever goals they have.
Caroline Healey
Who are you?
Caroline Healey and I’m the External Relations Intern.
Where do you go to school and what is your major?
I’m a rising junior at Georgetown University, and I’m majoring in Sociology and government and statistics.
What is something everyone should know about you?
I really care about learning as much as I can in the space that I am in.
If you could change one thing about the world what would it be?
I would have everyone get quality education because it is an essential tool for creating opportunities and success for yourself.
If you could have any super power what would it be and why?
I would teleport because it would save time, resources, help the environment and make me more productive.
What are three things you want to learn in your 3 months here?
- How the Council tailors their resources to each different type of organization.
- How foundations make choices about where to allocate their funds to be most impactful.
- How to be outstanding and responsible employee that people can trust with their projects.
How does philanthropy inspire you and how do you plan to advance it into the world?
I’m inspired by the giving hearts of people all over the world, because fundamentally we’re all just humans, but with wealth people are given more power than others, so to see people with that power give back to those who are less fortunate is incredible.
Improving and growing my skills as an intern so that I may use these same new abilities in the social sector.
Chris Tian
Who are you?
My name is Chris Tian and I am the Informational Technology Intern.
Where do you go to school and what is your major?
George Washington University and Informational Technology.
What is something everyone should know about you?
I love BIG DATA.
If you could change one thing about the world what would it be?
The way people think and make decisions, I think if people looked at data and logistics, better decisions would be made.
If you could have one superpower what would it be and why?
I’d have Captain America’s powers because he enhances his country by making the right decisions, so I’d model myself after him.
How can the Council help you better yourself during your time here?
I want to learn a lot of things from the different experiences that the Council will give me to help change the way that I think.
How does philanthropy inspire you and how do you plan to advance it into the world?
I want to form a steady base that has philanthropic intentions, that way I can bring this back to my country and spread it there too.
Ashley Morrison
Who are you?
My name is Ashley Morrison and I’m the Professional Development Intern.
Where do you go to school and what is your major?
George Mason University, Major in Psychology with a concentration in work organizational psychology.
What is something everyone should know about you?
I want to learn as much as possible, and contribute to whatever organization I’m a part of.
If you could change one thing about the world what would it be?
I’d change the way people search for answers to problems, where instead of countries/people consistently fighting we’d find peaceful resolutions.
If you could have one super power what would it be and why?
Teleportation because I want to get to places fast so I can visit friends, family and travel the world.
What can you gain during your time here at the Council?
I’m looking to gain a lot of work place skills while gaining experience in my field. This can help me be confident in what I’m doing and learn more about philanthropy.
How does philanthropy inspire you and how do you plan to advance it into the world?
It inspires me to help others and to put myself in positions to help other foundations.
At CoF I’m starting out on a national scale so working in a big environment will help me be able to work in smaller ones easily.
Randall Williams
Who are you?
I am Randall Williams, Council on Foundations’ Communications intern.
Where do you go to school and what is your major?
I’m a rising junior at Hampton University where I major in journalism and have an area of emphasis in sports management.
What is something everyone should know about you?
I like to learn, knowledge is power, and with that being said, I’m trying to be as powerful as possible.
If you could change one thing about the world what would it be?
I would want people to change the way they think about things. If people put themselves in other’s shoes more often then I think people could understand each other more, which would lead to more empathy and peace.
If you could have any super power what would it be and why?
I’d want to have superspeed because there’s so much you can do with it, run on water, run up buildings, and there are so many other small powers that come with it, density shifting, speed talking, time travel, etc.
Who are 3 people you wish you could interview right now?
- Barack Obama – After a turbulent 8 years, my man has been laying low, I want to know how his life has been and what he thinks of the U.S. right now.
- Colin Kaepernick – He’s taken a fall standing for the social injustice and racial inequality, it’s very likely he’ll never play football again, so where does life go from here?
- Frank Ocean – Literally no one has a Frank Ocean interview, they’re very few and far in between, getting one would not only be legendary but I have great questions to ask him too.
What can you gain during your time here at the Council?
I want to learn more about philanthropic work and how it benefits the world. In this I think there is a lot of room to gain more writing experience in an area that is new to me.
How does philanthropy inspire you and how do you plan to advance it into the world?
Philanthropy inspires me because it’s a clear-cut action that sets ego aside. Seeing someone put their time and effort toward benefiting others is something that makes the world a better place.
I’m going to advance philanthropy by letting it show in my work and how I treat people. I think that the way people set aside their time to help others with a positive attitude can go a long way, so that is what I plan to do.
