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Experience Brings Clarity: How a summer internship redefined one student’s path.

Jiya Heath poses in front of a brick walkway at UNC Charlotte for her SECU Public Fellows Internship Professional Photo

Authored By Gabby Rivera, Marketing and Content Specialist

 

In 2014, a Harvard/UC Berkeley study found that Charlotte was the worst city in the United States for upward mobility. Founded by Carrie Christian, Families Forward Charlotte is a nonprofit organization “committed to breaking the cycle of intergenerational poverty” with a mission to "achieve lasting economic stability.”

Motivated by public service initiatives, junior Jiya Heath had an easy transition into her summer internship with Families Forward Charlotte. Through Hire-A-Niner, Heath applied for her internship with the goal of clarifying which career path would best maximize her strengths. To help her discover this, she focused on developing event planning, management and operations skills.

Jiya Heath at her UNC Charlotte SECU Public Fellows Internship workspace

As a program intern, Heath assisted with educational opportunities, donor relations and operational tasks. As she began her internship with skill growth in mind, she is leaving with a new passion–content creation and design. Redesigning the donor brochures has quickly changed her perspective on her career path.

 

“I really enjoy designing and making content, so I could utilize that in the future,” said Heath. “I want all of the content that I put out [to be] memorable.”

 

Working remotely has taught Heath the importance of accountability, as other staff are also working on independent tasks. While strengthening her skills, she also received her emPATH certification–the Emergency Psychiatric Assessment Treatment & Healing.

During her internship, she made the decision to double major and now has a clearer path of working specifically in programming, rather than wearing multiple hats. Heath is prepared to start the academic year with experience that will go beyond her college years. She will apply her learnings to her new role as Social Media Chair for the National Council of Negro Women, a student organization at UNC Charlotte.

 

The SECU Public Fellows Intern Program connects UNC Charlotte undergraduate students with paid, community-focused summer internships across the Charlotte region. Supported by the SECU Foundation and administered by the Career Center team, the program offers meaningful, hands-on internships while strengthening community impact.