Self-Evaluation

I began my internship in editing with NAMI Tallahassee in August. I started

corresponding with Nancy OFarrell, the second Vice President and my supervisor, in
July. NAMI Tallahassee was looking for a Marketing and Clerical intern, and I believed I
would be the best fit. I noticed in the job description that this nonprofit desperately
needed help with its monthly newsletters as well as with organization. I have a great
background in developing newsletters, as I have developed numerous newsletters for the
South Florida Hospital and Healthcare Association (SFHHA) and a few for my mothers
business, NursingImpact. I also noticed that NAMI Tallahassee was looking for a
youthful asset. Though I am graduating early this upcoming spring semester, I am only
twenty years old, so I believe my youthfulness contributed to the dynamic that was
needed.
Since I had already been corresponding with Nancy, I began my internship duties
in the beginning of August before classes had even started. My duties included creating a
monthly newsletter for each month, writing for a blog, assisting with social media and
any marketing or public relations materials, and attending specific fundraising and special
events. I started interning early because I wanted to contribute as much as I could toward
this organization and show I was dedicated to making an impact in my work.
NAMI Tallahassees monthly newsletters were different than what I was
accustomed to. I was used to a digital newspaper format with a masthead, various
articles and images, and save the date information at the end. NAMI Tallahassee only
features upcoming special events of its own as well as community events that share
similar values to its mission. Since I could not develop a familiar traditional template, I
was forced to think outside the box when creating a design for the monthly newsletters.
Also, the newsletters I have had experience with were sent as attachments in emails, but
since NAMI Tallahassee has an older demographic, I was told to make sure the newsletter
could be seen in the body of the email message. I finally came up with a simple design
and masthead that could be saved as an image and inserted into the body of an email
message. Therefore, although I was experienced in creating complex newsletters, NAMI
Tallahassee taught me how to use my ideas and experience for the job at hand instead of
trying to duplicate what I already know.
I also helped Nancy organize the NAMI Tallahassees Gmail contacts. There
were more than twenty contact groups with some resembling others. This became quite
confusing when sending out mass emails of the monthly newsletters and other clerical
emails I was asked to develop. Although I was only able to downsize to fifteen contact
groups, I was able to combine some groups and also create a large contact group for
whenever mass mailings needed to be sent out.
I very much enjoyed blogging for NAMI Tallahassee, and I believe it has helped
me grow as a blogger and overall writer. I knew little to nothing about mental health
before I took on this internship, so naturally I was worried about what I was going to blog
about. Nevertheless, I was pushed out of my comfort zone to come up with my own
ideas that would somehow appeal to the mental health community and the older
individuals that are a part of NAMI Tallahassee. I started writing about special events I
had attended and eventually began to do my own research on mental ill-health1 for my
own benefit and to provide more information to the Tallahassee mental health

community. Not only did blogging improve my writing but it also enhanced my
understanding of mental ill-health.
The social media aspect of the internship was a little foreign to me. I know how
basic social media platforms work like Facebook, but I dont particularly participate in
any other social media other than Facebook. I have an Instagram, Pinterest, and Snapchat
account as well, but I am not an avid user. Despite all this, using the little knowledge that
I had, I was able to teach myself how to link up the Bluebird Run Facebook page with its
corresponding Twitter page as well as the Bluebird Blog. I posted my blog posts on my
own Facebook page as well to continue to market and share the Bluebird Blog. I also
created a few original graphics for the monthly newsletters when I did not have a set
image to advertise. To help with membership, I decided to create a couple surveys so that
the board could use input from its members to further improve and expand the overall
membership. I created a current membership survey and a lapsed membership survey, all
while learning and using Email Me Form, since that is what NAMI Tallahassee uses to
create its other forms. With the small amount of social media and public
relations/marketing I was able to contribute, NAMI Tallahassee has opened the door to
this entire world that I now have the stepping-stones to continue to grow.
I participated in a variety of events for NAMI Tallahassee, most of which I wrote
about in my blog posts. The first event I attended was an editorial meeting at the
Tallahassee Democrat. This by far was an experience I will never forget and will be able
to take with me in my future endeavors. I was able to meet several staff members,
including the president, Skip Foster. We met with the Tallahassee Democrat to discuss
ways it could help us advertise for the Bluebird Run. I watched as NAMI Tallahassee
board members introduced themselves and the organization and made their case. I
believe the largest factor that led to the newspaper aiding in advertisement for the
Bluebird Run was Mary Bowers, who was the mother of Brooke Bowers of who the 5K
is named after. Mary told her story to the staff members at the round table, which led to
almost each one opening up about a loved one that has had a mental illness or of knowing
someone who has committed suicide. This exchange taught me that an editorial meeting
does not have to be as intimidating as it may seem. If one is able to relate his or her
experience and make a valid and honest case of what he or she needs, both parties can
leave the meeting feeling satisfied and content with what each can offer.
I also tabled at TCCs Health and Wellness Fair with Cindy Foster, one of NAMI
Tallahassees trainers for NAMI Basics and End the Silence as well as a Bluebird Run
coordinator. We had to publicize the Bluebird Run as much as we could as well as
explain what NAMI Tallahassee was all about. I sat back and watched and listened to
Cindy as she spoke with students walking by our table until I felt comfortable doing the
same. I was surprised with myself that toward the end of the day, I grew less and less
anxious speaking with individuals whom I had never met regarding an organization I
recently learned so much about. I learned that these individuals trusted me as a
representative of NAMI Tallahassee, so I stepped up to the plate and placed my usual
shyness on the back burner. NAMI Tallahassee helped me grow and see that sometimes I
must put my personal struggles aside in order to get the job done and succeed.
The largest event I attended was definitely the Bluebird Run. NAMI Tallahassee
had been working since July to put on this fantastic inaugural run on Labor Day. Around
three hundred and thirty people registered and showed up at the Bluebird Run. Although

most students slept in or were home on Labor Day, I was at J.R. Alford Greenway a little
after six oclock in the morning and stayed until the afternoon. I volunteered to help set
up, walked the shorter trail, and came back to help clean up. I had been to one other 5K
before back home in Fort Lauderdale, but I never knew how much work was put into
preparing for the race, running the race, and the aftermath as well. A plentiful amount of
marketing goes on in preparing for the race, as races need enough sponsors and
participants to put on the actual event. Volunteers, leadership, and organization play a
key role while running the event to ensure everything goes smoothly. After the race, a
great deal of corresponding occurs between volunteers, sponsors, and participants. I
helped with social media by posting on my own Facebook page and sharing with the
organizations I am involved in at FSU. Because of my marketing involvement, I was
able to bring the Bluebird Run winner to the race. An interesting dynamic I observed was
that not only was this the first 5K I was involved with from beginning to end but it also
was for NAMI Tallahassee. However, NAMI Tallahassee had amazed me with how well
everything came together and in turn taught me the ropes of how a 5K takes place.
Aside from the editorial meeting, my favorite event I attended and volunteered for
was NAMI on Campus ALIVE! Mental Health Fair. Although none of the NAMI
Tallahassee members were present, I feel this event taught me more about NAMI as a
whole than any other event or project. To be honest, before I interned for NAMI
Tallahassee, I never knew that NAMI on Campus existed, and I wish I had since I am
graduating next semester. Everyone was very easy to talk to and was so passionate about
the organization. Each and every person was just an overall good person at heart, which
makes me understand how representatives speak volumes about the organization they are
involved with. I believe the NAMI on Campus ALIVE! Mental Health Fair was the
turning point for my views concerning mental ill-health, as I began to care deeply and
empathize with those who suffer from a mental illness.
The last event I attended for NAMI Tallahassee was one of its monthly board
meetings. Though mundane as it may seem, it actually made me reflect on other
meetings I have had the opportunity to partake in and gather a different perspective on
how various organizations operate. This internship was my first experience with a
nonprofit, and I ignorantly assumed all organizations operated in a similar manner.
NAMI Tallahassee has a laid-back way of discussing affairs yet always accomplishes
them professionally. Everyone speaks as though he or she is friends with one another, but
it is also known to the group when to get down to business. I enjoyed this way of
business because I was treated like an equal even though I was an intern. Members spoke
to me with genuine interest and were very personable. After this meeting, I appreciated
how Ive been treated over the course of my internship because I indeed was the youngest
attribute but I never actually felt that way.
Now that my internship has ended, I can say that I have learned more than I ever
thought I would. I never really intended to learn much about mental health, and I
certainly did not intend to feel as strongly as I do now about helping individuals
struggling with a mental illness. I went into this internship with the idea that I would
only need my writing and editing skills, and although they did contribute, I came out of
the internship with more self-confidence, knowledge in mental health, social media
marketing experience, and organizational skills.

1. My internship supervisor informed me that mental ill-health is a rising term in the mental health industry and community.

Word Counts

August Newsletter 132

September Newsletter 428
1st Blog Post 266
2nd Blog Post 585
3rd Blog Post 336
Clerical Email 1 164
4th Blog Post 558
October Newsletter 237
5th Blog Post 873
Clerical Email 2 78
6th Blog Post 594
7th Blog Post 491
November Newsletter 255
Membership Survey 144
Lapsed Membership Survey 120
8th Blog Post 397
Clerical Email 3
9th Blog Post 600
December Newsletter 203

Total Word Count: 6,592