April 24, 2025| People
By: Mia Shaw
I reached out to the Lake Hopatcong Foundation last winter about an internship opportunity for my social work program. Lucky for me, I got a yes.
Originally, I was asked how social work could tie into an internship with this organization. Although many think of social work as being a therapist or working with children and families, social work involves a variety of skills that can be applied to many different careers. In macro social work, social workers can be found in nonprofit organizations, developmental roles, writing grants, working with the government, community programming, or evaluating policy. I was fortunate enough to get a glimpse of all of this while interning here, which greatly benefitted my education.
During my time with the Foundation, I have been able to collaborate with the entire team on various projects, such as our Year End Appeal, grant applications, and the development of the upcoming Lake Friendly Living Program (stay tuned for updates!). Beyond that, I had the chance to sit in on some of our high school field trips and learn more about the health and maintenance of Lake Hopatcong, as well as observe first-hand how children come to appreciate the lake.
One of my favorite parts of being at the Foundation was seeing who would walk through our doors that day. Whether it was a Board member, community volunteer, or someone passing through to admire the historical architecture of the office, it was always nice to engage with people interested in this organization.
No matter who I was working with, I could tell that everyone had a passion for this lake and the community. I am beyond grateful to have been able to work with such a talented and dedicated group of people. My time here has been full of growth, and I cannot say thank you enough to everyone I got to be with this year.
Even though I am graduating and getting ready to take my next steps toward becoming a social worker, I will not forget the impact of this internship. Everything I've learned here will be taken with me as I begin my career. Although my time at the Lake Hopatcong Foundation is coming to an end, I am excited to return to volunteer for future events, see the faces that made my year special, and maybe meet some new ones.
I can’t wait to tell them what they have in store!
All the best,
Mia
