When I applied to intern at ABT, I never could have expected to be doing it from over a thousand miles away from 890 Broadway. I previously had an internship in the development department of another ballet company and was thrilled to see ABT’s internship opportunities posted. After a lifetime of dancing and looking up to ABT, I knew if there was an opportunity to intern here, I wanted it. Then of course, right before my interview was scheduled, the country began to shut down due to COVID-19. At that point, I thought I was traveling home to Florida for a few weeks, which then turned into the whole summer. Despite all of the surprises and changes over the past few months, interning remotely at ABT has exceeded all of my expectations.
As part of the Membership team, I got to work on a variety of projects while also keeping up with the weekly routine (or as we say, “the Membership Machine”). That included checking the voicemail to help out members with donations and renewals, learning how to use Raiser’s Edge and NetCommunity to send out acknowledgement letters, and gathering press and social media materials to be sent to donors in a weekly newsletter. I also had the opportunity to work on larger projects with the other Membership intern, Sam L. We collaborated on things like creating a social media calendar for the Junior Council Instagram and one-pagers to showcase the different membership levels ABT offers. I really enjoyed working with a close-knit team, and everything we accomplished was rewarding and taught me a lot about membership.
I don’t think any of us knew what a remote internship would look like, but for me it was the best experience I could have asked for. I got to participate in regular Zoom calls with the Membership and Development teams, and worked closely with Sam L. and our supervisor, Alex. While I wish I could have spent the summer at 890 Broadway in person, I am so thankful for my time as an ABT intern.
Samantha Jones
Membership Intern
Summer 2020
abtinterns 
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