Internship Success Stories

Meet Alexia Alonso

Major: Organizational Leadership

Graduation Date: Fall 2023

Internship Placement: Economic Development Intern, City of Brook Park

Alexia Alonso worked as an Economic Development Intern for the City of Brook Park. With her responsibilities in grant writing and management, she acquired a solid foundation to build her career on and paved the way for her professional growth. Here's what she had to say about her experience:

How did you learn about the internship opportunity?
I learned about this opportunity from Alexandra Higl-Timms and the weekly internships email.

How long did you intern there?
I began my internship towards the end of January 2023 and ended May 18, 2023.

Tell us a little bit about your position and specifically what you did there.
My position as an intern of the Commissioner of Economic Development involved real-world training and exposure to many aspects of municipal government, especially economic development, as well as exposure to grant writing/ management.

What's one thing you learned about the City of Brook Park that you didn't know prior to your internship?
One thing I learned about the City of Brook Park that I did not know prior to starting my internship is that the city of Brook Park's odd shape is due to the land swap agreement with the City of Cleveland that occurred almost 20 years ago.

What did you do at your internship?
I was able to gain firsthand experience completing grant applications – specifically, the 2023 EPA Recycling and Litter Prevention Grant and the 2023 AARP Community Challenge grant. Besides completing grant applications, I spent time researching grants and learning how to read different applications. I also attended meetings and webinars with local organizations such as the Great Lakes Biomimicry, Aerozone Alliance, NASA, Team NEO, and many more.

What was your favorite project? Why?
Working on the 2023 Ohio EPA Recycling and Litter Prevention grant application was my favorite project to work on because it involved creating visual maps of all fifteen parks located in the city and it helped me to become more familiar with the neighborhood.

What skills did you learn, sharpen, or improve?
One skill I was able to sharpen would be my communication skills. I have always had anxiety around publicly speaking. Through the meetings I attended I became more comfortable speaking in meetings and even explaining my work.

What did you learn about yourself?
I have always known that I have a passion for helping others and have known that I wanted to do meaningful work, but I never knew how or where to start. I learned how important connections and networking are to doing meaningful work. It cannot be done alone.

What surprised or challenged you?
It surprised me that my supervisor, Economic Development Commissioner Paul Marnecheck, trusted me with completing grants. With having no experience in completing grant applications, I did not think Mr. Marnecheck would allow me to take the lead on completing any applications, but he did and provided guidance along the way. One challenge I faced when working on completing grant applications would be the specific details of the applications. Many times, I would overlook details and with his guidance I learned what to specifically look for.

How did you bridge your coursework with your internship?
I was able to bridge my coursework with my internship specifically through my UST 451 Fundraising & Ext Rel Nonprofit class. In this class we discussed grants and fundraising frequently which helped me to understand what I was learning in my internship. During my internship I also connected with different nonprofits and foundations and was able to gain assistance for school projects through connections made during my internship.

Why was the experience valuable?
This internship was valuable because I was able to expand my network, build connections with reputable companies, and gain experience in the public sector.

Why is an internship valuable?
At first, I did not know what to expect to gain from an internship, but I can now understand why they are encouraged. I was presented with many amazing opportunities to make connections and learn how to tackle real-world issues.

What advice do you have for current interns or students who are searching for an internship?
The advice I would give to current interns or students who are searching for an internship is to be open minded to unpaid internships. It is a big sacrifice, but the experiences and networking opportunities that are presented are extremely valuable.

What's next for you?
Next, I will continue my education at Cleveland State this summer and fall and am expected to graduate in the fall. This summer, I will also be working and studying to take the Real Estate Exam for the state of Ohio and will be a licensed Agent by the end of the summer.