HBCU First

Programs Lead Intern

June - August 2020 • Saint Paul, MN

What I liked

I loved this internship program. As Programs Lead Intern, I had the ability to work alongside the founder to create two training modules on HBCU History and Social-Emotional Wellness for the Near-Peer Mentoring Program. Courtney Gray, the founder, is amazing and taught me so much professionally and personally while still letting me guide my own project. Another thing I loved about this internship was working alongside my four fellow interns who made my experience worthwhile and were always willing to help out when needed. I would highly recommend this program to everyone. You get to help out your community while working with an amazing group of people and the best founder!

What I wish was different

The only thing I wish could've been different about my internship program is that we could have seen each other in person and not just virtually. However; due to the state of our nation and a pandemic going on, the experience was far more than I could've asked for!

Advice

One piece of advice I would share about my experience with HBCU First is to really take advantage of your time there and realize that you are doing something greater than a regular internship. With HBCU First, you are able to bridge the gap between learning and doing. With this experience you are also able to gain networking experience and come out with a lot of new skills and opportunities.

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Intern

September - December 2021 • Orlando, FL

What I liked

I like that events were planned each day for the interns to interact with the representative from fortune 500 companies. We had engaging conversations, challenges, and internship offer on a rolling basis.

What I wish was different

I wish I had given it my all and did not allow my nerves to take over.

Advice

Take advantage of the opportunities that align with your career path and values. Do not be afraid to speak and allow your voice to be heard. Everyone is like family, so make sure you are connecting with others.

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First Year Internship

August - November 2021 • Montgomery, AL

What I liked

The great companies we spoke to.

What I wish was different

The lack of all majors represented.

Advice

To take advantage of all opportunities.

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First-Year Intern

September - November 2021 • Tuskegee, AL

What I liked

I liked having the opportunity to learn about various companies and expand my professional networking skills through events and workshops.

What I wish was different

Advice

One piece of advice I would share about this experience is to always have an open mind. You never know what opportunities may come your way, even if you don't initially envision yourself in that position.

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First-Year Intern

September - November 2021 • New York City, NY

What I liked

I really liked the genuine people on the HBCU team. The people team did a great job at helping us with professional development. HBCU First really helps on getting you ready for getting internships or job opportunities. I loved how we got to speak with people at the top from big companies like 3M, NielsenIQ, EcoLab, etc. I appreciate how we get like first dibs on opportunities with those big companies. HBCU First also helped me improve my public speaking skills.

What I wish was different

Advice

It's a big commitment but it's worth it, you get your foot in the door with opportunities. Don't be afraid to get out your comfort zone, take in opportunities, they just might be what you needed.

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First-Year Intern

September - November 2021 • New York City, NY

What I liked

What I liked about this internship was the networking opportunities it provided. All my life, I have never seen an educational program that could connect student to employees as much as HBCU first does. Bless them. I also liked the fact that this program created a sense of community for interns. It created a "safe space" that we as Blacks could use and share our experience as a family and preserve our black culture as one.

What I wish was different

Everything went well. However, I do wish that HBCU First would host more engineering companies that would accept more international students like me.

Advice

Be who you are, no one else. HBCU First teaches college students to be unique and be the best version of themselves, rather than the revised version of someone else.

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HBCU Near-Peer Mentor

February - April 2021 • Grambling, LA

What I liked

HBCU First was a great program that provided me with information on different career options through various companies. I was able to hear stories from company members on their career journey's, job fulfillment, and career advancement. This program gave me opportunities to network with powerhouse companies such as Tiffany & Co. and Northwestern Mutual. As well as insight and opportunities into new innovative companies such as MYX. As a mentor I was able to guide an incoming freshman on the ins and outs of university life, help her in developing hard and soft work skills, and ultimately gaining a good friend. I am so grateful that I was able to participate in this program.

What I wish was different

Advice

One piece of advice that I would share about this experience is to make the most of it. This program really pushes you to network and create your own windows of possibility. HBCU First provides students with connections to many companies but it's ultimately up to the individual to make the most out of these connections.

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Mentor

February - April 2021 • Elizabeth City, NC

What I liked

It’s truly a family atmosphere. They expose you to several opportunities and networking opportunities.

What I wish was different

Advice

Take advantage of every opportunity that they provide.

1 One person found this helpful

Mentoring Program Lead

September - December 2020 • Huntsville, AL

What I liked

I loved having the opportunity to manage a group of my peers and pioneer a mentoring program that is the first of its kind. Courtney gave me the freedom to make the program my own, but he also kept a watchful eye to ensure that I was upholding the vision of HBCU First. I loved being able to meet other students from other HBCUs and hearing what they loved about their school while also sharing what I loved about mine.

What I wish was different

I wish I could plan more activities in which the mentees got to interact with the other mentees. I wished the mentees had been able to build the same relationships and comradery that the mentors did.

Advice

Courtney is a perfectionist and LOVES a person who puts in work. If you are the type of person that gets in their feelings when they get constructive criticism or you are lazy, then this isn't the job for you.

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HBCU First Mentor

September - December 2020 • Tallahassee, FL

What I liked

Because the program is still growing, I was able to help create, plan and implement activities. The “lesson plans” were able to reflect not just general topics of discussion like choosing your dream school and managing finances, but also more in depth discussions like navigating tough periods in college and difficult relationships. With the team of mentors coming from different schools, backgrounds, majors and experiences, we were able to pull all of our ideas together to make the best experience for the students. The HBCU First team were all attentive not only to the needs of the students we were mentoring, but also the needs of the mentors working with them.

What I wish was different

Allowing more check ins from mentees throughout the semester as opposed to just the end. This would allow students to weigh in on what they want to see so that they will be engaged and the HBCU First team is constantly getting feedback on the program and can use it moving forward. Also, if it was an option for the program to have mentees from the schools already along with the mentors bringing students to the program. This allows for mentors to have more of a guarantee that the student will fully participate.

Advice

If you start the program as a mentee your freshman year, continue throughout your matriculation at your respective university. This will allow for a full-circle experience moving from student to teacher. And, after each year of experiences, you will be able to provide a new set of learners with the tools necessary to succeed at tour respective schools. Paying it forward to those coming behind you.

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Near-Peer Mentor

September - December 2020 • Tuscaloosa, AL

What I liked

I enjoyed this program for a few reasons. One reason being is that I was able to step out of my comfort zone and meet new people. HBCU First allowed me to not only guide my mentee but also bond with them. All of the activities were meaningful whether it was about HBCU history, our goals, time management skills, or money management skills. Moreover, everything was organized and professional.

What I wish was different

My experience with HBCU First was great, but I do wish that we could have interacted more outside of our weekly meetings. I also wish that we could have interacted face-to-face and not just on virtual platforms. However, we are amid a global pandemic and must adhere to the safety precautions.

Advice

One piece of advice I would share about this experience is to give feedback. The weekly activities are designed to initiate an ongoing conversation between you and your mentee. Therefore, if you do not think the questions prompted within the activity are pointless then be sure to communicate that to the program lead and include it on the feedback form.

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Near-Peer

September - December 2020 • Holly Springs, MS

What I liked

I thoroughly enjoyed the mentorship program. HBCU first provided us eight weeks to bond and learn more about our mentees, which I found to be very beneficial for both of us. Beforehand we also received relevant training that allowed us to work a lot more effectively. Also, everything was done very professionally including the inviting work environment and timely responses to concerns/ emails. I would highly recommend this program to those who strive to make their college communities better.

What I wish was different

Again, my time working with HBCU First was excellent. Although, if I had to change something it would have to be the amount of time spent networking with the other mentors. We got to interact with each other a couple of times but I would have liked more dedicated time with them. I'm sure we would have received more opportunities to do so if it wasn't for the limitations of the pandemic. Other than that, everything else was solid.

Advice

My biggest advice is to be open-minded to what comes with the program. The activities that you participate in make you think critically and reflect on a lot of things that you've done. In order to get the full benefits of the mentorship, you should be willing to share some personal items. It will make the experience more interesting and insightful.

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Fundraising Lead Intern

May - August 2020 • New York City, NY

What I liked

This was an amazing virtual experience within a startup space. Being in the first class of interns and seeing how quickly I was able to work on real work projects, it was certainly a fulfilling experience. While I am grateful to have had the opportunity to grow with the organization, what stuck out most to me was the amount of trust that the founders and the board gave for us to complete the Capstone project. This has challenged me to be a creative problem solver and have a "big picture" oriented thought process about real business issues concerning NGOs.

What I wish was different

COVID - 19 has certainly made this internship challenging but, eventful! As many of the founders and leadership lives in the NYC area, I would have loved to have more face to face interaction with the team and the opportunity to live and work in a different city this summer and have a chance to collaborate with everyone at a higher capacity.

Advice

Fundraising Lead is a very high-level type of role and I fell back on my finance and marketing background to do well in the role and to complete my capstone project. Much of the work done requires a dynamic understanding of the other roles and the relationships that each role has to donors and external parties that interact with the org. I would suggest having a bit of prior experience or knowledge in the financial and marketing structure of start-ups to really be effective in this role.

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Podcast Lead Intern

June - August 2020 • New York City, NY

What I liked

During my internship, I enjoyed learning new more efficient ways to conduct research. I also enjoyed the opportunity to learn creative branding techniques while making content for the audio show.

What I wish was different

I wish there was more opportunities for collaboration with other interns and departments within the organization.

Advice

One piece of advice I would share about this experience is to not be afraid to ask for feedback or help if needed when working on an independent project.

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Research Lead Intern

June - July 2020 • Belleville, MI

What I liked

What I liked about this internship was the flexibility in hours. I had a full time job at night and I was able to make my own hours in terms of work scheduling. I also enjoyed the creative freedom given to myself and the rest of the intern team. I got to the chance to do the kind of research I was interested in and solve real problems at the same time.

What I wish was different

I do wish that there were more collaboration opportunities between myself and the other interns. My schedule at the time prevented me from interacting with the team the way I wanted to.

Advice

Have patience with yourself. Remember that this is a learning opportunity and not knowing how to do something is perfectly normal. When you figure things out, you have the experience necessary to overcome problems and teach easier methods in the future.

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