With the school year starting, and summer ending, the Joseph Maley Foundation must say farewell to our summer interns. Every year, JMF feels beyond fortunate to have incredible teams of interns to help aid us in all our camps, organization, and planning tasks – and this year was no different. To commemorate a summer of laughs, learning, and serving children of ALL abilities, we’re sharing the favorite JMF memories of our summer interns with you. Keep reading to learn why these interns might miss JMF just as much as we miss them:
Kirby Jones: 2018 and 2019 Summer Intern, Occupational Therapist Graduate Student at University of Indianapolis
My favorite memory was a lunch where all JMF staff, new and old, shared butterfly moments with Allison Boyll on her last day. It was truly representative of how JMF touches lives and takes people in as family, because the memories shared all spoke to the values, experiences, and mission cultivated at JMF. The Joseph Maley Foundation is an extremely special place, as evidenced in that lunch by the heartfelt memories shared by those that had been a part of JMF for weeks, months, or years. JMF has been more than a summer internship for me. It has introduced me to some of the most influential individuals of my young adult life and helped me to have a taste of what it is like to work alongside a variety of people who are all passionate about the same mission.
TJ O’Neil: 2019 Summer Intern, Marketing and Communications major, Marian University
My favorite memory from my time at JMF was the week leading up the Run, Walk, Roll. The center was filled with people everyday and they were all buzzing with energy focused around making this event perfect. One of the primary tasks was stuffing and sorting race-day packets and it fell to me and many of the other interns. During packet stuffing Grant, Kyle, and I would show each other our playlists and we would talk about everything under the sun. We laughed, schemed great lunch escapades, and college meet-ups. It was the sort of camaraderie that turned a mundane task into a meaningful memory. I firmly believe that the friends I made at JMF are the ones that will stay forever because they are all just quality people doing their part to make a difference in the world.
Grant Eifert: 2019 Summer Intern, 2018-2019 School-Year Intern
As a high school intern for the Joseph Maley Foundation, I had worked all year on projects for the Foundation. One of these projects was organizing a small group of high school runners to be “Captains” and act as representatives of their school and town for the annual Run, Walk, Roll. Throughout this project I got to know many of them and learn what sparked their interest in JMF. My favorite memory came the morning of the race when I saw these Captains stretching and warming up for the race with all the friends they brought with them. Seeing this group together running for a great mission validated all the work I put into organizing the team. Even more memorable was realizing how all of these runners, along with their friends, were now active members in the JMF community.
Kyle Brun: 2018 and 2019 Summer Intern, Communications major, University of Dayton
I was able to be a part of JMF’s disABILITY Awareness program through my summer internship, and it created memories that will last a lifetime. The children we serve don’t always grasp the difficult concepts we work on together right away. However, when the little “lightbulb” went off and I could tell they were truly grasping what acceptance looked like, I couldn’t help but feel proud of what JMF is accomplishing, and of my role in furthering the mission. Getting to do that with wonderful coworkers around, supporting each other through everything, was just icing on the cake to my very sweet summer with the Joseph Maley Foundation.
Katrina Ornelas: 2019 Summer Intern, Program Associate
The memory that resonated with me from this summer was the last day of Sibs Camp. This day was filled with our usual active games and crafts, but it was the way that day ended that truly stuck with me. Liz, our Joseph Maley Family Support Manager, had a beautiful idea that would encompass the camp’s mission, and that was to encourage all families to bring the Sibs together to watch a movie, enjoy snacks, and talk about the previous days at camp. As families began to come into the Joseph Maley Enrichment Center, children that were shy during the week glowed with joy and excitement as they saw their sibling come through the door. Everyone gathered around the movie, Emperor’s New Groove, to celebrate the new relationships Sibs made with one another, and many promised to come back next summer. My main job during this week was to assist with workshops and be the craft master. What I didn’t expect was for the unbelievable impact that these kids made on me. They showed grace, acceptance, and empathy for one another. They showed me that anyone, at any age cannot only better themselves, but also those around them.
Hannah Wleklinski: 2019 Summer Intern, 2019-2020 School Year Intern, Junior Board Member
One of my favorite parts of interning was working on the Run, Walk, Roll. I enjoyed seeing the behind-the-scenes work and having a part in putting together such a great event. I learned about all the pieces involved in running a large event, and I loved working with everyone that was involved in the Run, Walk, Roll.