Daniele Piperno (CAS ’24), participated in their internship during the summer of 2023 at the Japan Society of Boston.
How did you learn about this internship opportunity? What career resources from BU or elsewhere did you use during the application and interview process?
A friend from a Japanese class at BU.
Why did you choose to apply for this particular internship?
Because I wanted to experience working for a nonprofit and because it was an excellent way for me to get in touch with Japanese culture.
What were your job responsibilities as an intern?
I worked as a grant writer – I wrote grant requests on behalf of the Japan Society of Boston to possible donors to ensure that the programs we ran had adequate funding.
What was the most rewarding part of your internship?
Being part of a work team and receiving positive feedback from them for a job I had never done before.
What was the most challenging part of your internship?
Learning how to write grant requests
What skills, technical or soft, did you develop during your internship?
Both my writing and research skills greatly improved as they are crucial for grant writing. I often found myself having to greatly tailor my grant requests to fit the needs of the donor organization.
What was the most memorable moment of your experience?
We hosted a Japanese culture festival at Long Hill, MA which exposed me to a lot of elements of Japanese culture like incense, Taiko drumming, and Japanese flower arrangements.
What is the biggest takeaway from your internship experience?
Although the work might sometimes be difficult I was always been able to do it
What advice would you give to another student about making the most of an internship, job, or other career-related experience?
Take your time learning how to do your job, don’t rush into things, and don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Please share any notable accomplishments or milestones you achieved during your internship.
If a specific grant application is successful we will have enough funding to host a live symphony in chinatown to celebrate AAPI month
BU + Beyond 