Grand Valley State University’s Non Profit Volunteer and Internship Fair will take place Sept. 9 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Grand River Room of the Kirkhof Center on GVSU’s Allendale Campus.

Organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters of D.A. Blodgett for Children and YWCA, as well as many others, attend this fair each year. Students who get the chance to attend the fair can check out all of the opportunities in order to find which one suits them. The student will then write his or her name and information on a contact sheet to initiate direct communication with the organization.

The Lanthorn spoke with Joshua Lee of the Office of Student Life to get more information.

Lanthorn: What is the purpose of the fair?

Lee: Well, the purpose of the fair is two-fold: first for our community partners to come into our community and talk about their companies, and second, for students to connect for internships and volunteer opportunities. It’s for students and companies to connect with each other in the Grand Rapids area.

Lanthorn: Who should attend this event?

Lee: It really can be all majors and any student. The volunteer opportunities have no specific requirements. But internships are geared more toward juniors and seniors in education and medical fields. But anyone can have an internship — you can never gain too much experience.

Lanthorn: How do students benefit from attending this fair?

Lee: Hopefully they’ll benefit directly getting experience by talking to non profits and get an internship with a non profit. I think overall it’s an (enlightening) experience and students can gain anything from this experience.

Lanthorn: What have past attendees gotten out of going to the fair in the past?

Lee: We partner with the Career Services department. We have some great partnerships with these agencies and some students have come back feeling fulfilled in their experience and major.

Lanthorn: Who are some of the companies that will be in attendance?

Lee: Some of the more popular, recurring non profits are The American Red Cross, McKenzie’s sanctuary, United Way, a lot of companies doing good in the community. We have 37 agencies signed up right now but have room for 50 so we’re still recruiting.

Lanthorn: What do you hope the outcome will be for both the companies and attendees?

Lee: What we hope, and has been happening, is the companies have been satisfied with their connection and we hope that they gain a valuable experience not only personally but professionally.

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