Published
August 09, 2024
On June 27, the U.S. Chamber’s Great Hall was brimming with business leaders, CEOs, and members of Congress, all gathered to shape the future of childcare in America. Amid this sea of influence, we found ourselves—a group of wide-eyed interns, each playing a role in making this landmark event, and many others like it, happen. Welcome to the National Child Care Innovation Summit, a snapshot of our transformative summer at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.
In the early days of our internship, we hunched over our laptops, crafting speaker graphics and developing the social strategy that would guide us through the Summit. The preparation for this event mirrors our summer-long journey—a ballet of email threads, Asana to-do lists, and document drafts.
“The Foundation’s programs, such as the National Civics Bee®, childcare and workforce, and resiliency, all make direct strides in bettering our nation and its well-being. It was crucial for me to ideologically align with the work I would be doing, and the Chamber Foundation’s initiatives had the most significant impact and would best support me in achieving my goals.”
- Mary Hiney, Programs Intern
Our intern class is as diverse as the challenges we tackled, hailing from universities like Duke, Florida State, Georgetown, George Washington, Notre Dame, Stevenson, Syracuse, Vanderbilt, and the University of Virginia. Our varied backgrounds only enriched our collaborative efforts, allowing us to approach our respective teams with unique insights and ideas. Whether engaging in a lunch Q&A with U.S. Chamber Foundation President Mike Carney or attending a staff outing to Nationals Park, it became clear that our group is not just employees of an organization, but active stewards of its culture and mission.
“As the first-ever graphic design intern at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, I had the unique opportunity to grow alongside an incredible team for nearly a year. Working across departments, I witnessed firsthand how dedicated individuals can foster positive change, both in the lives of interns like me and in the broader world. This experience not only honed my design skills but also exposed me to the power of collaborative efforts to make a meaningful difference.”
- Aaliyah Perry, Graphic Design Intern
On the morning of the Summit, interns arranged name placards, guided attendees through HQ, and attempted to soak up the room’s energy. Time warps—hours feel like minutes, yet somehow, we have aged years in a single day. In retrospect, this haze encapsulates our intern experience—a whirlwind of projects, meetings, and learning curves that led to exponential professional growth in three mere months.
As the last keynote wrapped up, we found ourselves wrestling with the familiar challenge of distilling big ideas into bite-sized content. How do you capture the essence of innovation in 280 characters or less? It is a task that echoes broader reflection, like trying to summarize a summer of growth, challenges, and "aha" moments into an 800-word article.
“After The National Child Care Innovation Summit was over, I felt such fulfillment knowing it had lived up to the vision we set for it. It felt like the beginning of an especially important narrative switch.”
- Lu Johns-De La Garza, Education and Workforce Intern
But then, as we ushered attendees to "the best view in Washington" atop our HQ, something shifted. From this height, the city looks different. The buildings we look up at on our commute seem smaller, the busy streets more navigable. We realize our perspective has changed, not just on the city, but on ourselves and what we are capable of.
“At the Chamber Foundation, I was given the opportunity to apply my passion for communications to our ever-relevant focus areas and was able to draw a direct line between my work and making a difference in people’s lives.”
- Sophie Chaitovitz, Communications Intern
Fellow intern Lu Johns De La Garza once described her role as "everything in the kitchen sink"—a sentiment we quickly came to share. As interns, we have been writers, photographers, researchers, event planners, and problem solvers. It is a juggling act that worked gracefully, mirroring the U.S. Chamber Foundation's own adaptability in driving innovation across multiple sectors.
In this way, we interns embodied the very spirit of innovation the U.S. Chamber Foundation champions—versatile, agile, ready to tackle any challenge in pursuit of positive change. We have learned that creating impact is not about grand gestures, rather the countless small tasks that accumulate into something meaningful.
As the sun set over the Capital City, casting a golden glow on our rooftop, we couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride. We may have started the summer as "just interns," but we are ending it as contributors to something bigger. We have had a hand in harnessing the power of business to drive innovation and create change, one memo, one meeting, and one moment at a time.
“I am going to take the Foundation's mission with me wherever I go — to harness the power of business for good. I feel like a have a new perspective on how an organization can come together to spark initiative and solve wicked problems. It gives me hope and encourages me to keep seeking out opportunities to make an impact.”
- Emma Rhodes, Programs Intern
Although we don't know where this experience will lead us next, we do know this: the view from here—both literally and figuratively—is spectacular. And as we prepare to take our next steps, we carry with us not just new skills and experiences, but a broader perspective on the power each of us has to shape a better future.
About the authors
Sophie Chaitovitz
Sophie Chaitovitz is a former communications intern at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.
Aaliyah Perry
Aaliyah began her role at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation as a graphic design Intern with the communications team in September 2023 and remained for three semesters.
