You’re a special category of talent who deserves a shout-out of respect and admiration.
As we continue to learn from our experience with each and every one of our interns at kindness.org, we wanted to thank you, and to share how you’ve impacted our thinking.
You encouraged us to put ourselves in your shoes.
As a nonprofit startup, whether or not to build an internship program was an important question. How would bringing interns onto our team fit into our mission of kindness? Could our small team provide meaningful opportunities to learn and grow?
We knew you wouldn’t want to be fetching coffee (though paying it forward with coffee is one of our favorite kind acts). So what DOES make an internship a good fit for a candidate?
You showed us that transparency is key
“Internships should be mysterious and opaque,” said no one, ever. We’ve learned that transparency in every step of the process is critical, from interviews to day-to-day assignments.
It’s not just about giving each intern a clear sense of what they will accomplish individually. Building teams of interns who complement each other encourages collaboration and collective growth.
You thrived when we gave you a seat at the table
We believe that whether you are an intern or a CEO, your work can be fulfilling and make you proud. To lead with kindness means being open to ideas and experiences regardless of job title or role.
Saying “you can sit with us!” was eye-opening. Your fresh perspective deepened our understanding of what resonates about kindness, what is challenging, and how we can expand the language of kindness to reach more people.
You are willing to make mistakes
Your enthusiasm to jump in and fail (or succeed!) fast continually helps us to evolve and innovate. Time and time again your courage has transformed “it can’t be done” into “it can, and it will be great!”
You’ve moved total strangers on the street to share vulnerable stories about the role of kindness in their lives, and have built deeper connections with people everywhere— from the staff right here in our office to community members on nearly every continent.
Without you, our work in building the world’s first kindness measurement index and numerous scientific studies on topics including cyber-kindness and kindness in the workplace would not be possible.
It’s never too early to make a real difference
Your thoughtfulness and compassion helps inspire our community to spread kindness in schools, workplaces, online, and in countless other places across the globe.
Every intern—past, present, or future—should know: You already have the power to change the world. We can’t wait to see what you accomplish as your talents and interests unfold.
Thank you so much Michael Bryer, Justin Burmester, Jazmin Chase, Kaitlyn Costa, Chloé Cottineau, Brendan Dunlap, Abby El-Shafei, Jie Gao, Erica Garbarini, Alexandria Henke, Jae Huang, Divia Joseph, Anita Keyes-Lee, Nora Krantz, Drucila Lefevre, Rebecca Lin, Blake Rumuly, and Ankita Singh, for walking the path of kindness with us. May your career journeys take you wherever you wish to go!
An Open Letter of Gratitude to All Interns was originally published in kindlab on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.