Foundational

A Summer Spent Connecting at KConnect

My name is Megan Meyers and I was KConnect’s summer intern for 2024. As my time here is coming to an end, I wanted to share some reflections on my past six weeks here. First, let me tell you a little bit about myself. I have an Associate of Arts degree from Grand Rapids Community College. I am currently pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in graphic design at Grand Valley State University. This was my first internship and I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to work on my graphic design skills while gaining new skills and connections. I’m thankful that I was matched up with KConnect. They are a nonprofit with the goal to make sure all children (pre-natal through college) in Kent County have an equitable path to economic prosperity through quality education and support systems. Being from Grand Rapids, it makes me extremely happy when I am able to help contribute to positive change in the community.

I first discovered the GRow1000 program this spring through social media. The program matches young people (ages 14-24) with a business where they’ll be an intern for six weeks during the summer. After filling out a lengthy application, I had no idea what type of company I would be placed with. I was excited when I found out I was matched with KConnect. I am really grateful that I got placed here for several reasons. First of all, I believe in their mission, second of all, it is a small company so I got to know all of the members of the team really well. They have been such a welcoming group and are all very passionate about their jobs. I have gotten to do several tasks, from helping out around the office, to assisting in the process of coming up with a graphic design idea for a pitch to help increase college enrollment. I worked on several different projects that I am proud of. I helped design the ebook and an infographic for the Youth Compensation Model. These projects helped increase my Canva knowledge because in the past I had mainly only used Adobe apps. I also co-hosted a Community Engagement meeting with Dr. Shayla Young and presented feedback which included takeaways from the Neighborhood Summit data that I had analyzed. I have always been a bit apprehensive of presenting, so that whole experience helped to get me out of my comfort zone and gain some valuable public speaking experience. I was really proud of myself for doing it. During my internship, I have also been taking an edX course on Community Engagement and I am working to earn a certificate by the end of summer. The course has taught me a great deal about the importance of getting community input when working to solve a community problem. It has also taught me to always do research before getting involved with a community, so you can get to know the community members better and suggest solutions that will work for them.

This has been my first time working in an office environment. All of my previous work experiences prior to this were in the food industry so it was a big adjustment at the start. I was nervous at first, but as the weeks went on, I slowly got used to the new environment. All the team members were extremely approachable, helped me get acclimated and answered all of my questions. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with all of the members of the KConnect team. They have been welcoming, helpful, informative and compassionate. I have also received advice from them that I very much appreciate.

My contact for the internship was Dr. Shayla Young. She was so welcoming and engaging, I couldn’t have asked for a better mentor! When I first read her bio and realized all the advanced degrees that she has, I was a bit intimidated, but Dr. Young was so warm and inviting right from the start! She went above and beyond to make sure I had a great internship experience. She was always there when I had questions, she met with me weekly to make sure I knew what to do, and gave me graphic design projects to work on. She also made things fun by stopping to get boba after a meeting and making one of our weekly Zoom meetings look like we were in a coffee shop.

Some of the most memorable moments for me were the group lunches and when we were all working in the office together, those helped to make me feel part of the team. The past six weeks have flown by and I am truly thankful for my experience here. I got to work with a small, but amazing team, make new connections and gain valuable new skills. I am very grateful and will cherish my time at KConnect. I hope this is not the end, but just the beginning of working with this amazing organization in the future.