This month’s Guest Blogger is Alexandria Hegewald, Mary Cariola Center Marketing Intern in Summer 2025. Alex, a proud Minnesotan, is a senior at the University of Rochester, where she has been involved in ASL Club, College Democrats, Mock Trial, Book Club, and Students’ Association Government as Secretary of Accessibility. She is currently studying abroad at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic. Alex will be graduating early with a Bachelor’s Degrees in Political Science and American Sign Language and plans to pursue law school and a career in disability litigation.

In May of 2025, I walked into Mary Cariola’s Elmwood Campus for my Marketing Internship interview with Director of Marketing and Communications Greg Kamp. My interview was almost two hours long and by the end, I knew I wanted to be part of it.

I would go on to learn exponentially more in my summer at Mary Cariola, one of the most fulfilling and rewarding work experiences of my young professional life.

My first interaction with the other employees at Mary Cariola was at the Lilac Festival, a Rochester tradition and an absolute hoot. This was when I met Karen Zandi, our president and CEO. As soon as I saw her interacting with the kids on the parade route and dancing down the street, I knew nonprofit work was going to be like nothing I have done before.

Over the course of the brief time I spent with the team, they helped me pursue my passions. I was able to do policy research, internal communication, and begin the first advocacy campaign in Mary Cariola history. This was, of course, supplemented by a holistic marketing education learning about media buys, branding, and maintaining press relations.

I cannot praise Mary Cariola Center enough; the students, staff, and administrative faculty are all rays of sunshine. The events, fundraisers, and day-to-day going-on were amazing. I was lucky enough to volunteer at the annual Eat, Drink, & Be Mary donor event, attend two Rochester Red wing baseball games, and tour countless local institutions to learn about all aspects of the marketing industry and nonprofit work.

I would like to say a big thank you to Greg Kamp, Joanne Fisher, Allie Merritt, Molly Broccolo, and everyone else at Mary Cariola, who made this summer unforgettable. I would also like to thank the University of Rochester Greene Center and the Schwartz Community-Based Internship Program for facilitating this experience and helping me experience the rewarding nonprofit work available in the Rochester area.