Riley Toennies

My time at the Advocacy Project was nothing short of turbulent, with COVID-19 eventually forcing the intern team to work remotely with Iain and Mary Ellen. Despite this, I can say without a shadow of a doubt that working at the Advocacy Project is an experience I will cherish forever. AP expects its interns to take on a lot of responsibility within the organization unlike many internships in this field, which left me with the feeling that I actually made a difference and the work I did was substantial. During my time here, I worked on numerous projects and was able to gain experience in a number of different categories: fundraising, financials, administration, research, tech support, among others. This organization, its people, its work for marginalized communities, and the opportunities it provided me as an intern will forever hold a place in my heart. I cannot thank Iain enough for his kindness, energy, sarcasm, and for imparting some of his trademark passion for this cause onto myself. But keeping Iain in line is A LOT of work – future interns, be ready to crack the whip to keep this old fart on track! And take every assignment, task, challenge that the Advocacy Project throws at you – it’s worth it.