Service Learning and Leadership Blog

Project C.U.R.E.'s 2010 Summer Interns and the First Lady of Panama, Mrs. Marta Martinelli

Thu, 05 Aug 2010 22:08:00 GMT

(Left to Right) Brian Fahey, Melissa Aiken, Manaslu Bista, Nhung “Leena” Nguyen, Melanie Canfield, Mrs. Marta Martinelli, Lyrana Hughes, Dr. Franklin Bergara, Allie Dando

Interns selected for summer 2010 program

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 18:33:00 GMT

The following individuals will soon begin summer internships at PROJECT C.U.R.E.'s international headquarters in Centennial, Colorado:

Melissa Aiken, who is currently pursuing an International MBA from the University of Denver, will work in the Operations department.
Caleigh Bates, who is currently pursuing a B.S. in Applied Health Science from Wheaton College, will work with the Director of Operations for the Denver C.U.R.E. community.

Manaslu Bista, who is currently pursuing a B.A. in Women's Studies and Communications from the University of Colorado, will work in the Communications department.
Melanie Canfield, who is currently pursuing a M.A. in International Development at the University of Denver, will work in the Historical Records department.

Allison Dando, who is currently pursuing an MBA from the University of Denver, will work in the Corporate Development department with the Events Team.

Brian Fahey, who is currently pursuing a M.A. in Economics from the University of Denver, will work in the Corporate Development department.

Ava Fuqua, who is currently pursuing a M.A. in Public Administration from the University of Colorado (Colorado Springs), will work in the Needs Assessment department.

Tom Gibson, who is currently pursuing a B.A. in Political Science from Wake Forrest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, will work in the Government Relations department.

Lauren Hartel, who is currently pursuing a M.A. in International Studies from the University of Denver, will work in the Grants department.

Lyrana Hughes, who is currently pursuing a B.A. in International Affairs from the University of Colorado (Boulder), will work in the Clinics department.

Nhung (Leena) Thi Nguyen, who is currently pursuing a M.A. in Public Health from the Colorado School of Public Health, will work in the Needs Assessment department.

Erin Tatlock, who has a B.A. in Rhetoric and Media Studies from Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, will work in the Corporate Development department with the Events Team.

We look forward to an engaging and productive summer. Please check back for more updates on the program and blog posts from the interns themselves.

A warm welcome for winter/spring 2010 interns

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:33:00 GMT

Our winter/spring 2010 interns are heavily involved in projects in multiple departments here at PROJECT C.U.R.E., and we look forward to posting their journal entries here soon. The following individuals are currently working through their internships here PROJECT C.U.R.E.'s international headquarters in Centennial, Colorado:

Lizzy Chapman, who is soon to complete her MBA in health administration at the University of Colorado-Denver, is working closely with the director of operations for the Denver collections and distribution center to prepare for PROJECT C.U.R.E.'s involvement in the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses' 2010 Congress, the group's annual conference.
Sampada Joshee, from the University of Colorado-Boulder, has been working on various projects supporting the operations department of PROJECT C.U.R.E., which oversees U.S. collections and international shipping.
Rosalind Dillon, from the University of Colorado-Boulder, works within the communications department on various projects, including research into speaking opportunities for Dr. Douglas Jackson, the president and CEO of PROJECT C.U.R.E.
Allison Dando, a recent graduate of the graduate business school at the University of Denver's Daniels College of Business, supports PROJECT C.U.R.E.'s director of corporate development with outreach and planning activities for the organization's upcoming 2010 First Ladies' Luncheon.
Yuanjie Du, currently studying at the University of Denver for a master's degree in economics, is working on a feasibility study for PROJECT C.U.R.E. to determine if, how, and when to roll out a volunteer rewards program to honor people for their service contributions to the organization.
Becky Neely, who will begin studying for her master's degree at the University of Denver's Josef Korbel School of International Studies in the fall, is working in the communications department where she is writing and producing PROJECT C.U.R.E.'s spring Communique and editing website content and other written materials.
Ava Fuqua, who is working towards a master's degree in public administration at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, is serving in the project development office where she assists with needs assessment planning and C.U.R.E. Kits for Kids.

It's a busy time at PROJECT C.U.R.E., and we thank all of our interns for their time, talents, and energy!

Special thanks to fall 2009 interns

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:13:00 GMT

In the flurry of the beginning of 2010, we forgot to officially thank our Fall 2009 interns for their contributions. Four students representing diligently worked on projects in communications, government relations, corporate development, and operations. We are grateful to them for their time, energy, and input throughout the fall, and we wish them the best of luck in their future endeavors!

Ben Zenner - University of Denver
Riley Smith - University of Denver
Alyssa Westerman - University of Colorado (Boulder)
Ashley Armstrong - University of Colorado (Boulder)

Intern journal: Takeaways and inspiration for future pursuits

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 20:28:00 GMT

Benjamin Zenner
Marketing and Communications Intern
Fall 2009

This experience with Project C.U.R.E. has really opened up eyes to the many complexities that are involved in running a large-scale nonprofit organization. Through working, interviewing, and just my exposure to the various individuals that comprise the success of this mission, I have realized that there are an incredible amount of factors that need to converge in order to provide this aid on a global scale. My time discussing various issues with Doug Jackson and understanding how he is able to carry about his work with such a calm, very purposeful manner, has been a source of inspiration as I move into the rest of my senior year and my life after college. For some time now, I have been developing this mindset that we have an incredible amount of resources and ideas at our disposal that simply need to be integrated in order to enhance the impact that they were initially conceived to do. Project C.U.R.E. exemplifies this idea through its correlation of all of its different departments who work to raise donations, its operations and sponsors/partners that bring together thousands of volunteers on a national level, and its constant drive to propagate real change in developing countries.

Without my exposure to the infrastructure and methods of Project C.U.R.E., I would not be pursuing in the same manner my goals to create a beneficial impact on our society. I knew prior to joining this organization that I wanted to work in the nonprofit sector but never would I have conceived many of my recent plans if not for Project C.U.R.E.'s fundraising techniques such as their C.U.R.E. Coffee. The allocation of funding through the sale of consumer goods is an idea that I am going to utilize in my upcoming initiatives to not only raise capital for humanitarian efforts but to mitigate our country's gross over-consumption. Seeing how Project C.U.R.E. generates funding and diffuses its message through the media and the internet has also taught me how to generate exposure for causes. Through the creation of a Facebook Causes page and videos (about C.U.R.E. Kits and the volunteer experience), I've realized that multiple avenues of marketing techniques are necessary in order to truly reach the largest spectrum of demographics.

Project C.U.R.E.'s initiative to continue pursuing partnerships with corporations and other entities is also something that I will take from this experience. This organization is obviously highly dependent upon its sponsors and volunteers for its existence and rather than be complacent with our current partners, we constantly push ourselves to seek out more be it from a Catholic church or the US Navy. The potential that we have for continual growth is what amazes me as well as it seems like Project C.U.R.E. has nothing limiting it from achieving distribution and collection centers in every state in our country…and possibly beyond that to places like Canada and Europe. This determination and continual expansion have definitely inspired me to not limit my goals' potential to become as widespread as that of Project C.U.R.E.. Jim Jackson's story of founding this organization through just one trip to Brazil and belief that he could send back aid without even knowing how to do so is something else I will recall as to not become overwhelmed with my own work. He learned how to do something that he had no prior exposure to through experiencing it firsthand and generating partnerships with people who had the skills necessary to get the job done most effectively. I do understand that everything needs to initially begin at a small scale like that of Jim Jackson's garage and that is exactly what I aim to do over the next stage of my life.

Intern journal: Lessons learned as a PROJECT C.U.R.E. intern

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 20:28:00 GMT

Alyssa Westerman
Corporate Development Intern
Fall 2009

My internship experience at PROJECT C.U.R.E. has far exceeded my expectations of any internship experience. To be honest, I was in the market for a full-time job and not an unpaid internship, but my experience interning at PROJECT C.U.R.E. has provided me with invaluable and insightful experience that few jobs would have provided me with at this point in my life.

The following are several ideas and concepts that I was familiar with prior to interning here, but that I did not completely grasp until now:

Reallocation of resources could mitigate a vast majority of the developing world’s problems. - It amazes me and disgusts me to know that the developed world fills up landfills with things that could greatly improve the lives of others. Most Americans are so far removed from destitution that I don’t think they acknowledge, or even realize, that much of their waste is what other people would kill to get their hands on. Although a reallocation of resources would be logistically complicated, more than anything it requires awareness. Hopefully one day the trash that ends up in our landfills is truly trash, and no use to anyone else.
Nonprofits can be competitive just like profitable enterprises. - PROJECT C.U.R.E. competes for funds, exposure, and to advance its own cause just like a business fights for a contract or a business partner. What’s incredible to me is that all of this is for a humanitarian cause, rather than personal financial gains. It’s refreshing to see so much motivation for a noble cause.
Fundraising is an art. - I never knew just how much effort it took to raise money for even a reputable, well-known cause. PROJECT C.U.R.E.’s cause seems so self-explanatory to me that is amazes me how much is involved to get money from a large corporation or organization with the funds to spare; it seems like a no-brainer, but it takes coaxing and lots of time, energy, and skill.

These realizations may seem obvious, and they are to some extent, but it really takes first-hand experience and exposure to completely grasp some ideas. These insights, among others, have reinforced my decision to pursue a career in International Development and have opened my eyes to the nonprofit sector’s seemingly endless sea of opportunities.

Intern journal: Expanding horizons through government relations

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 20:29:00 GMT

Riley Smith
Government Relations Intern
Fall 2009

Upon meeting Joe Miklosi, the director of government relations, I was pleasantly surprised to find that he was kind and energetic. Though busy, Joe was very supportive and gladly took time to provide me the direction needed to work effectively at PROJECT C.U.R.E. Within a week of starting, Joe had assigned about 300 pages of reading so that I could familiarize myself with the US Navy Operation Continuing Promise.

Operation Continuing Promise partners the US Navy, US government agencies, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to deliver humanitarian aid to developing countries in Central and South America. PROJECT C.U.R.E. will be delivering medical equipment to eight countries on the mission, while US Navy and NGO medical personnel provide treatment to citizens, and assistance to doctors in the host nations.

One of my primary tasks as an intern has been communicating with US Navy personnel and other NGOs to compile information on hospitals and clinics that could benefit the most from our assistance. Whether sifting through seemingly ancient databases or phoning the directors of hospitals in Suriname, the work has been consistently interesting and challenging.

Though the work I have done for the Continuing Promise mission merely scratches the surface of the research and communication I have engaged in at PROJECT C.U.R.E., it has afforded an interesting new perspective on the US military’s role as a force for good. It has also provided valuable insight into the dynamism of the world’s healthcare needs.

Interns selected for fall 2009 program

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 20:08:00 GMT

After much deliberation, we have made our selections for the fall internship program. PROJECT C.U.R.E. will be hosting interns in the following departments at the international office: C.U.R.E. Clinics, operations, communications, corporate development, and project development.

We look forward to an engaging and productive fall semester. Please check back for more updates on the program, and potentially blog posts from the interns themselves.

Thanks to summer 2009 interns, and introducing the PROJECT C.U.R.E. internship program blog

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 18:05:00 GMT

Just a few weeks ago, we completed our summer internship program. Nine students (upper-level undergraduate and graduate) representing five universities participated in the program, working on projects in operations, communications, development, C.U.R.E. Clinics, historical records, and government relations. We are grateful to them for their time, energy, and input throughout the summer.

Kali Bechtold - University of Puget Sound
Stephanie Bertsch-Merbach - University of Denver, Josef Korbel School of International Studies
Corey Danko - University of Denver, Daniels College of Business
Kara Jacobs - University of Denver, Josef Korbel School of International Studies / Daniels College of Business
Jordan Lane - University of Puget Sound
Jaren Meldrum - Brigham Young University
Robin Van Deren - University of Denver
Karie Watts - Denver School of Nursing

For their contributions to the summer internship program, we would also like to thank the following people:

Abbey Vannoy - Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, Swaziland
Mark Reiner, Birambye International
Lori Geres, Water for People
Al Doerkson, IDE
Pam Harvey, Not for Sale Campaign
Karen Sugar, Women's Empowerment Fund

We are currently finalizing job descriptions for the fall 2009 program, which will be posted to this web page and distributed soon. Please check back for more updates on the program, and interns' reflections on their experiences, throughout the coming months.

For more information about the PROJECT C.U.R.E. internship program, position openings and/or job functions, please contact us at projectcureinfo@projectcure.org.