On the heels of our podcast with current and former interns, Harrisburg intern Sarah Goetz wrote her reflections about life as a PennFuture intern on our blog.

PennFuture Reflections by Sarah Goetz

For a college student, activism is not hard to find. A walk through the quad can mean wading through protests, petitions, flyers, and other campaigns for worthy causes. Campus is the perfect canvas for activism:  the combination of carefree youth, idealism, and energy empowers students and their diverse passions. Masterfully wielding the charisma and informed optimism that seem to come naturally at this stage of life, student activists fight for what they believe in. Sometimes the mere fight for the sake of counterculture is enough to call a student rally successful. 

But college campuses are a far cry from the real world. And the onset of reality and the working world forces many to abandon their idealism and former causes. So, as I exited the gates of my campus this May for a brief respite from college life, I braced myself for a change of pace. Expecting the monotony that is standard in an office setting, the vitality within the walls of PennFuture’s Harrisburg office building continuously surprised me from the first time I was buzzed through the door.

The staff members at PennFuture are the people who, even after youth has worn off and reality set it, still fight for the causes that engage them. Less idealistic and more grounded, they rely on experience and expertise to deliver their messages and to conduct environmental business with some serious clout. And the result of their work is not measured by the mere satisfaction of the fight, but by the tangible victories that are won in the courtroom, through the legislature, and with citizen support.

It is vital that these staff members still possess the will to fight, because environmental advocacy is often an uphill battle against many and diverse opponents.

I walked into PennFuture just as the battle for Governor Rendell’s Energy Independence Strategy became red hot in the state legislature. In the past, my only involvement in legislation was reading about the finished product in the newspaper. Here, I was privy to the gritty and complex process of a bill’s voyage through the state legislature.

PennFuture’s staff hatched ideas and strategies in the conference room and promptly spread them to the state capitol building and to media outlets. They had to equip politicians and the public with the knowledge and precision to ward off the persuasive opposition – which arose from every angle – in order to enact environmental policy. An incessant flow of information and personal contacts passed between PennFuture’s office and the Capitol building.

Perhaps the most unexpected aspect of the process was PennFuture’s constant vigilance over the bills as they passed through the hands of legislators. Battles on the Hill seem to be unpredictable; a steady climb in the support for a bill could overnight slink in the opposite direction. And then it might be back to the conference room for more strategizing.

As a result of my internship at PennFuture, I have gained some skills and garnered just a glimpse of that ever-elusive “real worldâ€? experience. The most valuable part of my learning experience here has been the opportunity to observe the skills displayed each day by the staff of PennFuture. Their ability to reach and accommodate diverse audiences contributes to PennFuture’s growing citizen support and validates its authority as an organization. 

I will carry all I have learned long after I leave the office. My experiences in this real world setting should be of great use as I reenter the gates of my college campus this fall.

We hope other interns, past, present and future, will join in this discussion.  Let us know how we're doing as mentors and whether your internship made a difference in your life's plan.

And PennFuture is always looking for interns. If you have an interest in volunteering or interning at PennFuture, we welcome your support. Contact our Director of Outreach Heather Sage at: sage (at) pennfuture (dot) org, or visit our website to locate a staff person focused on your specific area of interest. You can also take a look at our Jobs Board, where we post opportunities for employment at PennFuture and elsewhere. We welcome your support as a new member of PennFuture! And remember, citizen action really does work, so check out our Action Center and brand new "Legislation to Watch" section of our site to find out more about how you can affect Pennsylvania policies.          

PennFuture is extremely lucky to have so many outstanding members, donors, partners, and volunteers. They hail from every corner of the state and well beyond. Working together, we are able to continue our successful work to ensure that every environmental victory grows our economy.

And who better to help us work toward a just future where nature, our environment, and the economy thrive than future leaders? Summer brings many fresh new faces to the offices of PennFuture, as young people looking to gain real-world experiences working in the environmental field volunteer their time, skills, energy, and creativity in our four locations around the state.

In this podcast, current PennFuture interns interview one another and a couple veterans to get some insights about why they became interested in the organization and our work, and what they did and learned while they were here. It's a fascinating journey into the world of twenty-somethings, and we hope quite a plug for how rewarding it is to contribute to the mission at PennFuture.

We were a little geographically biased in this podcast, talking only to interns who are working or have worked in our Pittsburgh office. But kudos to each and every one of the many student volunteers and interns we are working with now and have worked with in the past. Drop us a line if we haven't heard from you in awhile!

If you have an interest in volunteering or interning at PennFuture, we welcome your support. Contact our Director of Outreach Heather Sage at: sage (at) pennfuture (dot) org, or visit our Web site to locate a staff person focused on your specific area of interest. You can also take a look at our Jobs Board, where we post opportunities for employment at PennFuture and elsewhere. We welcome your support as a new member of PennFuture! And remember, citizen action really does work, so check out our Action Center and brand new "Legislation to Watch" section of our site to find out more about how you can affect Pennsylvania policies.