A four-month whirlwind of fun

As communications intern for the Kidney Cancer Association, I’ve gotten to practice some really important skills, but the best thing I’ll take away is the relationships I’ve built. A remote internship doesn’t always offer a lot of opportunities for engagement, but the wonderful women of the Kidney Cancer Association have made me feel like a real part of the team for the past four months, despite the fact that we were calling in from all over the country.

Through the responses to Kidney Cancer Awareness Month, meetings with the stars of our Instagram take-overs, my work with all of the wonderful contributors to our blog, and my analysis of the community survey, I’ve really gotten to be part of the larger KCA community, as well as the amazing organization at the center of it. 

I was especially fortunate to be a part of Kidney Cancer Awareness Month, helping to light cities across the country orange for the month of March. I worked alongside Radha, Rosemary, Stephanie, and the whole team, plus many wonderful volunteers, to get in touch with city halls and corporate offices in order to put together a national lights display.

I’ve gotten to flex my technical and design muscles while putting together a few graphics for the KCA, as well as getting to watch and learn from the professionals over at our design and marketing partner, 5+8. I’ve seen just how much really falls to the communications department in an organization like the KCA, as Radha and I reached out to donors, fundraising partners, medical professionals, grant recipients, patients, advocates, influencers, and more. At the same time, we had to make sure that social media was not only up-to-date and running smoothly, but come up with new ideas for thanking fundraisers and engaging followers, and track data metrics. It was a whirlwind performance, and I am amazed at the grace, creativity and fun she taught me to pull it off with.

My internship is over, but my connection to the KCA community is just beginning. I can’t wait to see what they do next, and I am thrilled to have helped drive the conversation for a little while.