July 25th is National Internship Day, and Adoptions From The Heart is celebrating by showcasing its interns and what they do for AFTH. Nowadays, one of the more important aspects of a postgraduate resume is internships. They’re important for gaining experience and establishing what you want to do for your future career. Each semester and summer, AFTH opens its doors to college students interested in social work and marketing. Currently, the marketing department has three interns, and the social work interns will start up again in the fall.
Elliot Stalebrink
Elliot is AFTH’s video and social media intern. He is going into his senior year at Penn State University Park and is majoring in psychology with a film minor. His main project he’s been working on is editing the AFTHtv episodes and getting them ready to be posted. He’s been working hard to have a quick turnaround on each episode so that the series can be posted in a timely manner. Additionally, Elliot also records reels and TikTok’s for AFTH social media and writes for the AFTH blog as well. He enjoys working on his editing skills through the internship while also working with a non-profit. The interview layouts of the AFTHtv episodes have given Elliot the experience of working with different video formats and learning the best ways to edit different videos. Elliot plans to further his future career in the entertainment industry with the skills he’s gained. 
Isabella Smith
Isabella is the event intern for AFTH. You’ve probably seen her in recent AFTH Instagram reels and tik-toks. She is going into her senior year at West Chester University and is working towards her BS in marketing with a concentration on digital marketing. Isabella became drawn to AFTH because she wanted to explore career opportunities in the non-profit field. The event internship also allowed her to explore the process of planning events, a career she is considering. Isabella has helped plan the Horsham Family Picnic by helping organize raffle baskets, the Heart-to-Heart event by making the presentation slides, and the Ardmore Comedy Fest by reaching out to donors for raffles. She also works on social media posts, specifically the fun-fact Friday reels and the “things-to-know” info posts. She hopes to find a job in social media marketing or events. 
Jamie Murray
Jamie is the public relations intern at AFTH. She is starting her senior year at Temple University and is majoring in journalism with a public relations minor. Jamie became attracted to AFTH after working closely with her sorority’s philanthropy team. She wanted to explore possible career paths that allowed her to combine nonprofits with her passion for writing. Throughout her time at AFTH, some of the projects she has worked on are the Voices of Adoptions posts, writing blog posts for the AFTH website, helping build media relations, and communicating with the press. Jamie has enjoyed learning more about the importance of good media relations and improving her writing skills. She has also enjoyed working with an organization that is doing good for its community. In the future, Jamie would like to continue working in the non-profit sphere as a public relations specialist. 
Social Work Interns
While AFTH doesn’t currently have social work interns, they are still a valued member of the team during the fall and spring semesters. Social work interns work directly with the social work staff to gain real-world experience in the field. Jackie Zausner was an intern at AFTH who has since become a full-time member on the social work staff. Jackie worked alongside experienced staff who were able to provide her with the knowledge and experience she would need in her career. She was involved in all aspects of the adoption process, including observing options counseling and meeting with expectant mothers in the hospital. Her time as an intern at AFTH helped her build confidence with working in the adoption field.
