Social Venture Partners Arizona is fortunate to have two interns and two fellows for the fall semester. Please be sure to introduce yourself to this great group of students at our events or around our offices.
Returning intern, Sami Mooney, is continuing to support communications and dabbling in some admin support. Read our summer intern post on more from Sami.
Mari Bourbon is another outstanding ASU intern who joins the communications team after spending the summer interning at Javelina Consulting. She hails from Las Vegas and is studying Political Science, Public Service & Public Policy.
She started volunteering in high school because she “had to but ended up seeing the greater purpose and change we were having on our community and fell in love with the idea of service. Once in college, I wanted to put those ideas into action and continue to impact change in whatever community I was a part of. I am the service leadership chair for Changemaker Central at ASU, Advocacy Chair for El Concilio, a coalition on campus, and a Well Devil Ambassador.” More from Mari:
What do you hope to gain during your internship? I hope to learn more about the nonprofit world and how different nonprofits operate. I also hope to learn about the different committees within SVP and explore which one best suits my interests and strengths to pursue in the future.
If you were stranded on a desert island and could only bring three items, what would you bring? I would bring a book, otherwise I’d get bored. Some good music since I’ll be alone and don’t like to be in silence and probably some water so I don’t dehydrate.
When you’re not working at SVPAZ, how do you spend your time? I spend my time either reading, dancing, socializing, or napping.
Tell us about your family (furry members, included!). I have two amazing parents, Rebecca and Albert. I have an older sister Brianna and a little sister Bella, and yes it is hard to be a middle child.
You are never without: Food.
If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, it would be: Mac and Cheese with chicken.
When you’re not hard at work at SVPAZ, we would find you (either at a location or doing a particular hobby … or both!): Starbucks reading a good book or dancing in my room.
Favorite book and why: Protector of the Small because the heroine was everything I aspired to be, strong, funny, and had a sense of attitude.
Favorite nonprofit and why: Through various service days with United Way and learning more about their mission I have come to really admire their work and purpose.
Zack Mardoc is joining us as a Paul D. Coverdell Fellow. He’s working on his MBA in finance and Master’s in business analytics at ASU. He completed his undergraduate in psychology at Boston University in 2009. Zack will be supporting Suzanne and Lesley. More from Zack:
After obtaining my Psychology degree, I worked for several non-profit group homes, with various mental disability and mental illness populations. Most notably, I was an Applied Behavior Analysis counselor for teens with autism for over 2 years. I then joined the Peace Corps, serving in rural Madagascar for two years, on sanitation and nutrition projects. Since returning in 2015, my mission has been more focused on promoting financial stability and literacy in the general public, and socially responsible investing. I’m particularly passionate about renewable energy, circular economy, and regenerative agriculture as industries for investment.
What do you hope to gain during your internship? I hope to gain insight into how mission-driven enterprises launch and sustain themselves, balancing economic concerns with pursuit of target outcomes.
If you were stranded on a desert island and could only bring three items, what would you bring? A guitar, a shovel, and the complete series of 30 Rock
When you’re not working at SVPAZ, how do you spend your time? When not buried in schoolwork, I like getting outdoors for hikes, going out with my classmates, playing board games, or having musician friends over to my house to play.
Tell us about your family (furry members, included!). I’m the youngest of four; two brothers and the eldest is my sister. My parents met in music school, and we were all raised playing instruments and singing. Everyone lives in CT and MA.
You are never without: a song in my head and the perfect pun for every occasion.
If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, it would be: Fish tacos
When you’re not hard at work at SVPAZ, we would find you (either at a location or doing a particular hobby … or both!): On campus or at the library, slogging through grad school work!
Favorite book and why: “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” by Michael Pollan. I love it for its density of insights that I carry in my daily life, and how accessibly it presents them. One read through changed my perspective on how we produce and consume food.
Favorite nonprofit and why: That would have to be the Peace Corps: “the hardest job you’ll ever love,” as they say. More important than the impact of projects during service, the Peace Corps creates human bonds between people, cultures, and countries that otherwise seldom would meet. It breeds grounded and worldly Americans, who return home with a lifelong service-oriented spirit.
And joining us from Boulder, Colo. is recent transplant Adeline Pearson, who is pursuing her Master’s in public administration from the University of Colorado – Denver. She’s deep diving in our Fast Pitch process and education initiatives in support of Lesley. More from Adeline:
My parents instilled in me the importance of donating my time and talents to nonprofits through lifelong volunteering and missions work. I continued to study nonprofits at Pepperdine University, where I worked for the National Coalition for the Homeless, Americans for the Arts, and Jumpstart. I then served with AmeriCorps in Denver, CO, which deepened my passion for nonprofit management, specifically in education-based organizations.
What do you hope to gain during your internship? I want to become more familiar with the creation and implementation of systems from scratch, such as starting a new event or applying a new software. I want to see both the benefits as well as the challenges created by innovation.
If you were stranded on a desert island and could only bring three items, what would you bring? A pair of running shoes, my memory foam pillow, and a giant bottle of wine!
When you’re not working at SVPAZ, how do you spend your time? During the week, I’m an administrator at the International School of Arizona, a nonprofit language immersion school. On weekends, I like to do yoga, explore the Phoenix area, and work on my calligraphy.
Tell us about your family (furry members, included!). I come from a huge family! I’m the oldest of five kids, and we live spread out from Seattle to London. Here in Scottsdale, I live with my husband, Clay, and our two bunnies, Winnie and Diggory.
You are never without: sparkling water.
If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, it would be: Mashed potatoes with gravy!
When you’re not hard at work at SVPAZ, we would find you (either at a location or doing a particular hobby … or both!): At the pool, or flying to visiting one of my brothers and sisters.
Favorite book and why: Song of the Lark, by Willa Cather. It captures all the loneliness and beauty of Colorado; exactly how I felt growing up in the West.
Favorite nonprofit and why: Children’s Medical Missions West, my family fostered children through the organization throughout my childhood, so it’s near and dear to my heart! They bring children from underdeveloped nations to the U.S. for lifesaving surgeries. The fostering, flights, and surgeries, are all provided through donations, and the organization’s assistance is often the child’s only chance for survival.