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Meet our 2016 Spring Interns!

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Here at charity: water, we’re so proud of each and every person that comes into work every day fully ready to give their 100%. And that includes our interns! Our interns are invaluable to what we do and how efficiently we do it. We are so thankful for the benefit they add to our office and the important role they play in helping us bring clean and safe drinking water to those in need.

And we want you to meet them!

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Jade Broomfield
School: School of Visual Arts
Team: Creative
Hometown: Newark, NJ

Why did you want to intern at charity: water?
charity: water has been my favorite nonprofit organization for as long as I can remember. It has inspired me in many ways, but most importantly to be kind, giving, and genuine. The organization caught my eye as a designer because of its great brand, but its spirit is what always keeps me interested.

What does a typical day in the office look like for you?
I’ve spent the last eight months here working on in-office projects and learning from Garrett and Ryan (our graphic designers). For me every day here has been about learning how to be a better designer, to think more creatively, and to challenge myself.

What is your favorite part about interning at charity: water?
I’ve loved interning at charity: water because it has allowed me to see real impact in action. One of the most life changing moments for me has been seeing donations roll in from campaigns or events like charity: ball and understanding that the work produced at charity: water really inspires people and is truly bettering the lives of people in need.

What goes on in your life outside of charity: water?
When I’m not at charity: water, I’m living it up as a full-time graduate student. I’m typically in class, reading long articles on the train, or brainstorming ideas for my thesis. When I’m not being a student, I’m typically spending time with my family, planning a road trip because I love long distance driving, or sleeping (if necessary).

What is your favorite place to hang out in New York?
I’ve spent the majority of my life 15 minutes outside of NYC so I really don’t have a favorite place to hang out. However, I genuinely love the city, I’m always in awe of it.

Where do you want to be in 15 years?
In the future, I really want to be an introductory level graphic design professor. I know how much of an impact my mentors and professors have had on me and I would like to be that for someone else. Hopefully I will return to my alma mater (and favorite place in the world), West Virginia University, to help young minds in need like my current self.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself!
I’m not afraid of public speaking, heights, or many other typical things, but I am super afraid of pigeons which makes me question why I choose to live in the city all of the time.

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Elizabeth Turner
School: The King’s College
Team: Key Relationships
Hometown: Washington, MO

Why did you want to intern at charity: water?
I have a passion for nonprofits and wanted to intern with a successful nonprofit fighting for a good cause. What’s better than clean water for everyone? I was initially drawn to charity: water because of the 100% model. This was such a unique model to me, and one that I greatly respected. Since joining the charity: water team, I’ve found so many more reasons to love being at charity: water. The people are amazing. I love sitting and talking to the staff. They tell you to “Reach out! Everyone’s so friendly!” Being an introvert, I was nervous to reach out. But they weren’t kidding. Everyone truly is so sweet and kind. We focus on relationships with our partners, donors, supporters, volunteers, and each other.

What does a typical day in the office look like for you?
I typically start by grabbing coffee and water and maybe a snack (our kitchen is seriously the best). My days vary between different daily and project-based tasks. However, I’m often creating completion reports for water projects or sending welcome packets to new water project sponsors. I also check our inventory for pitching and occasionally talk to our amazing donors. Basically, I have lots of spreadsheets and databases and Word documents open constantly.

What is your favorite part about interning at charity: water?
My favorite part is receiving feedback on the reports I send to donors once their water projects are complete. Whether it’s an e-mail that I get to read or a blog post or a news article, I love seeing the excitement the supporters have knowing that they have helped people receive clean water. I get to see pictures of the people’s excitement receiving the water and to then see the donor’s excitement makes my job so fulfilling. Oh, and also, my health has significantly improved because I drink so much water every day. Also, i LOVE sitting at the front desk. Seriously, ask Anna, I practically beg to sit up there.

What goes on in your life outside of charity: water?
When I’m not at charity: water, I’m often missing charity: water. But you can also find me hanging out with kids in Brooklyn Bridge Park. I nanny during the week. I love to go museums, especially The Met and The Whitney. And I also recently learned the glorious power of coffee, so I like to explore new coffee shops.

What is your favorite place to hang out in New York?
Smorgasburg because it’s like I’m at a bunch of restaurants at once.

Where do you want to be in 15 years?
In 15 years, I’d love to be living in a smaller city married with kids and a dog and working at a nonprofit in donor relations or with volunteers. I just can’t compromise a car, a dog, and a great community. I need those to survive.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself!
This question always trips me up…um…I was born with violet eyes then they turned brown and people started calling me “root beer eyes.”

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Neha Sardana
School: New York University
Team: Water Programs
Hometown: Gaithersburg, MD

Why did you want to intern at charity: water?
I was looking for an opportunity to expand my horizons in the NGO world, and charity: water is such an exemplary and inspiring place to work if you’re looking to work in human rights.

What does a typical day in the office look like for you?
I usually start by chatting with Anna or Jordan or whoever is at the front desk because they brighten my day. Then I grab a giant mason jar of water, put in my headphones, and get done as much as I can. I assist the water programs team with whatever they need, so I could be doing anything from photo reviews to WASH research to running to the Bangladesh Embassy to put in visa applications. Every day is a mixed bag!

What is your favorite part about interning at charity: water?
Definitely the people. Everyone here is so accomplished and so passionate about what they do, and the office culture makes it a pleasure and a privilege to come to work. Everyone’s motivations and drive are contagious. Plus, even though the team works hard, it’s also such a fun, relaxed place to be.

What goes on in your life outside of charity: water?
I’m studying psychology at NYU, so that takes up a decent amount of time. But otherwise I love going on little adventures with my friends around the city, or just running around East Village while I still can.

What is your favorite place to hang out in New York?
Washington Square Park, which sounds cheesy, but it’s honestly the most wonderful place on Earth. There are always so many interesting people. And puppies! And babies! And live music! What’s not to love?

Where do you want to be in 15 years?
Hopefully working as a human rights attorney somewhere in the city. I would love to work in reproductive justice, somewhere I can do good on a daily basis. I also want to own a Russian box turtle named Vladimir and live in a yellow house full of plants. And maybe have someone I love and some kids.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself!
I have eaten a grasshopper taco, but I have never eaten a steak.

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Geet Chawla
School: University of Washington, Seattle
Team: Production & Finance
Hometown: Punjab, India

Why did you want to intern at charity: water?
I was in the private sector, working as a consultant for the Big 4 right after graduation. However, my true passion lied in philanthropy and humanitarian service and I wanted to transition into the nonprofit industry. charity: water seemed to be exactly what I was looking for because not only was it doing great work in the WASH sector but it was also very dramatic, agile, innovative, and data-driven. Not to mention it was based in NYC and had a strong brand value and following.

What does a typical day in the office look like for you?
I don’t have a typical day. Every day looks different especially because I work across two different teams and with several stakeholders. Some day I spend hours collating historical revenue data and creating spreadsheets for a finance project. Other days I will be in meetings brainstorming ideas for identifying and removing gaps from internal systems and processes with my project management team.

What is your favorite part about interning at charity: water?
Fatboy bean bags (and pizza on Fridays)

What goes on in your life outside of charity: water?
Exploring different neighborhoods, trying new restaurants and bars, long walks with my one-year old yorkie and a lot of instagramming.

What is your favorite place to hang out in New York?
East Village (reminds me of college)

Where do you want to be in 15 years?
Founder & CEO of a successful global social entrepreneurship venture.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself!
I can eat cottage cheese for every meal every day of my life until I die and not get bored.

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Audrey Cooper
School: The King’s College
Team: Key Relationships
Hometown: Seattle, WA

Why did you want to intern at charity: water?
I learned about charity: water’s work in high school and was pumped about the opportunity to contribute tangibly to solving the water crisis with an organization that is committed to transparency, reporting, and a 100% model. I was also fascinated by charity: water’s emphasis on efficiency and product development – an unusual (but awesome!) focus for a nonprofit.

What does a typical day in the office look like for you?
Lots of researching, updating data in our donor management software, and reaching out to supporters. I also keep track of our Well members and support our communications efforts to celebrate the many ways they make our work possible!

What is your favorite part about interning at charity: water?
The people here are fantastic. They’re always willing to grab coffee and chat about life or career planning or their work at charity: water. Also, because there are so many opportunities to be a fly on the wall in meetings and talk to people who work on other teams, you really end up learning how charity: water operates strategically, as an organization.

What goes on in your life outside of charity: water?
I’m studying Politics, Philosophy, and Economics at college, and trying to learn Japanese on the side. I travel with my collegiate debate team – and our last trip was a tournament in Jamaica! I also coach high school speech and debate.

What is your favorite place to hang out in New York?
At coffee shops in the West Village or in Central Park.

Where do you want to be in 15 years?
Living somewhere warm (sorry, NYC!), putting my skills to work for a cause I believe in, and spending weekends drinking bubble tea and reading books.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself!
When I was young, I was obsessed with Winnie the Pooh stories and insisted that my family address me as “Audrey Christopher Robin.”

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Megan Caldwell
School: Fordham University
Team: Brand Partnerships
Hometown: Morristown, NJ

Why did you want to intern at charity: water?
Always wanting to work for a nonprofit, I fell in love with charity: water after learning about their intuitive fundraising strategies and stellar media presence! I just had to work here!

What does a typical day in the office look like for you?
I spend most of the day on Zendesk answering requests, and also calling prospective donors to help them set up mycharity: water campaigns or other fundraising initiatives.

What is your favorite part about interning at charity: water?
The inspirational office space constantly reminds me of why I am here.

What goes on in your life outside of charity: water?
I sleep, go to school and go to work. Repeat.

What is your favorite place to hang out in New York?
Central Park bike rides!

Where do you want to be in 15 years?
Hopefully I will be working in a refugee camp in complex crisis management.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself!
I am a classical pianist and have been playing since I was 4 years old!

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Emily Farley Chang
School: New York University
Team: Water Programs
Hometown: All over! (CT, MI, KS, CA, CO, NY)

Why did you want to intern at charity: water?
My roommate interned at charity: water, and she would come home and tell me all about her day and charity: water’s mission. Her passion was contagious. I did my own research into charity: water and fell in love with the work that goes on here.

What does a typical day in the office look like for you?
I get into the office and always make a stop at the coffee station. From there, I go into projects like reviewing completion reports and pulling out important data, and reviewing photos and gps coordinates from our partners in the field. No day is the same as the next, I am always on my toes!

What is your favorite part about interning at charity: water?
My team! I have so much fun working with the people on my team, from team lunches to going over endless completion reports together, we are always laughing. I have the birthday card that my team made and signed for me on my fridge.

What goes on in your life outside of charity: water?
I volunteer with South Bronx United, another great organization in New York. I get to play soccer and work with awesome kids. I also hit the books hard, most nights of the week you can find me in the NYU Bobst library. And when I am not at charity: water, South Bronx United, or Bobst, I am out with friends exploring New York City.

What is your favorite place to hang out in New York?
I love MaCombs Dam Park and East River Park, they are awesome spots to play soccer with friends. Also, a close second, Smorgasburg! So much yummy food in one place is a dream come true for me.

Where do you want to be in 15 years?
I want to be travelling! I want my passport to be filled with stamps.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself!
I’m a first generation American. And I’m an Irish citizen. (My mom is from Ireland, and my dad is from Cuba).

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Amanda Blackhurst
School: Fordham University
Team: Office Operations and Volunteer Program
Hometown: Orange County, CA

Why did you want to intern at charity: water?
I first interned at charity: water in 2014 and wanted to come back because I felt like the work was really meaningful and loved the staff and environment in the office.

What does a typical day in the office look like for you?
Emails, emails, emails! My daily tasks often include correspondence with our awesome volunteers and helping with the logistics in planning volunteer opportunities. You’ll also find me hanging out at reception greeting guests and answering calls!

What is your favorite part about interning at charity: water?
Getting to meet and interact with our amazing supporters and volunteers! Their support is integral to helping charity: water provide others with access to clean water!

What goes on in your life outside of charity: water?
In my free time I love to read and catch up on TV shows. I also love traveling and exploring new places. I’m currently on a mission to brunch my way through the five boroughs.

What is your favorite place to hang out in New York?
Brooklyn Bridge Park

Where do you want to be in 15 years?
Working in humanitarian aid.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself!
I was born in Singapore.

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Emily Bingham
School: The King’s College
Team: Marketing
Hometown: Orlando, Florida

Why did you want to intern at charity: water?
If my internship can be a part of helping give women in other countries the opportunity to start businesses because they don’t have to walk hours to get water for their families – sign me up! After going on a volunteer trip to South Africa in high school, I felt really passionate about sustainability in nonprofits. This is something charity: water cares about and does really well.

What does a typical day in the office look like for you?
I’m there for the marketing team and get to be a part of their initiatives. I communicate daily with supporters about their fundraising campaigns or any questions they have via the help center, email, or phone. I love getting to learn more about our supporters and come alongside them as they help give clean water to those who don’t have it.

What is your favorite part about interning at charity: water?
The scooters and bean bags are a lot of fun, but my favorite part of being an intern is the charity: water culture. It’s amazing to come to work in a place that celebrates generosity every day. The people here are incredibly talented, enthusiastic, and serious about staying true to the organization’s values. Everyone here knows exactly why they come to work every day, and that makes for an amazing atmosphere.

What goes on in your life outside of charity: water?
I’m studying finance, so that takes up the majority of my week. I’m super extroverted and need time with friends so I love walking around, finding new places to eat, and drinking tea with people that make me happy!

What is your favorite place to hang out in New York?
Some of the best places to go in my book: Brooklyn Bridge Park, The Morgan Library, Bethesda Terrace, The Brooklyn Art Library, and any rooftop with a good view.

Where do you want to be in 15 years?
One of my dream jobs is to eventually work as a consultant for corporate social responsibility initiatives at different companies, so doing that would be wonderful!

Tell us a fun fact about yourself!
I love Aretha Franklin a lot and have a giant cardboard poster of her album cover for Aretha Sings the Great Diva Classics in my apartment.

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Jennifer Ulloa
School: Macaulay Honors College at Hunters College
Team: Key Relationships
Hometown: Levittown, NY

Why did you want to intern at charity: water?
The moment I miraculously stumbled upon the charity: water website, I knew I had to be a part of this organization! I had a personal connection with the charity: water mission of bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing countries because my family is from El Salvador, a developing nation that has struggled with contaminated water, and I have witnessed firsthand how detrimental the lack of safe drinking water can be. I was also inspired by both the level of transparency that charity: water maintains through the 100% model and GPS coordinates, as well as the level of appreciation that this organization has for its donors because they really are the ones that make these changes possible!

What does a typical day in the office look like for you?
A typical day in the office involves me thanking our incredibly generous major donors whether it be by putting together impact reports or by sending out fun thank you gifts! I also get to work with my always fabulous managers, Maria and Nicole, with any spreadsheet input or donor research that they need.

What is your favorite part about interning at charity: water?
I love being surrounded by such passionate and hardworking individuals! Everyone is so driven and genuinely inspired by the charity: water mission! Each time I step foot in the office, it’s so apparent to me how passionate this generation is about spearheading change and I get excited thinking about the future and the impact that each and every one of us can make!

What goes on in your life outside of charity: water?
I’m currently an undergraduate junior majoring in Public Policy (with a concentration in Public Health), Studio Art, and Psychology, so my weeks consist of juggling hours of painting in the studio, psych stats homework, and reading up on global ecological diseases and reproductive technologies!

What is your favorite place to hang out in New York?
I love going to the Chelsea art galleries and exploring new artists and exhibitions!

Where do you want to be in 15 years?
In 15 years I hope to have my PhD in Public Health (fingers crossed) and be working for the WHO or an international nonprofit organization (or maybe my own international nonprofit) and help better maternal and child health in developing countries!

Tell us a fun fact about yourself!
I’ve seen Beyonce live 3 times…needless to say, I’m a fan of Queen Bey.

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Annette Turnbaugh
School: The King’s College
Team: Accounting & Finance
Hometown: Fountain Valley, CA

Why did you want to intern at charity: water?
Past interns encouraged me to apply. They had nothing but praise for the time they spent in the charity: water office. Plus, I needed to gain more experience in finance outside of what I was learning in my college courses.

What does a typical day in the office look like for you?
Entering donations into our database, making tax receipts, and building financial reports in Excel (my personal favorite! It’s nerdy, I know).

What is your favorite part about interning at charity: water?
Everyone appreciates the interns! We are a part of the team and our work is significant to the success of charity: water. Oh, and the coffee!

What goes on in your life outside of charity: water?
I’m a full-time student – so there’s plenty of late night paper writing and studying. You can find me in a coffee shop (one iced latte and a chocolate chip cookie, please!) or find me cooking in my apartment.

What is your favorite place to hang out in New York?
Washington Square Park! 9/10 times there’s live music – from a grand piano to a three piece jazz band.

Where do you want to be in 15 years?
Laughing with my friends, cooking in my apartment, and building Excel models at work (nerd alert round 2!)

Tell us a fun fact about yourself!
My first detention was in 2nd grade for talking too much in class (whoops…)

charity: water interns spring 2016