Shippensburg University

Search
Search
News
Multimedia
Sports
Ship Life
Opinion
Subscribe
Entertainment
Send a Tip
Podcasts
Donate

Shippensburg University

°
Full Forecast

Wednesday, July 9, 2025

The Slate

Subscribe

Print Edition

  • News
  • Opinion
  • Ship Life
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Multimedia
  • Send a Tip
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment
  • Ship Life
  • Multimedia
  • Podcasts
  • Special Issues
  • Send a Tip
  • Donate
Search

Subscribe

 

1/30/2018, 12:27am

Internship gives junior the chance to make a change

By Madeline Walsh

Share

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Mail
  • Print

Do you believe our government should work harder to combat extreme poverty abroad? If so, then you are like junior Austin Stoltzfus, a communication/journalism major who recently began a 12-week internship with The Borgen Project, a non-profit organization that uses political influence to fight worldwide poverty. 

According to its website, The Borgen Project aims to “make poverty a focus of U.S. foreign policy” by employing interns like Stoltzfus to fundraise, contact Congress and write articles on the importance of U.S. aid in impoverished countries. 

Although The Borgen Project is based in Seattle, Washington, Stoltzfus is able to do most of his intern duties remotely by using his laptop. 

“I have to write two well-researched articles a week,” Stoltzfus said, “and they have a list of topics that need covered.” 

Interns may also pitch their own story ideas, Stoltzfus said, who believes the internship has helped better his writing skills. 

“I get a lot of feedback from the editors each time I write on how to keep the flow of the story going and ending the story correctly.” 

Stoltzfus also emails and calls Congress regularly to voice support for certain bills. 

“Instead of putting puts on the ground, The Borgen Project tries to have a political influence because they think getting more foreign aid from the U.S. will have a bigger impact on people overseas.”

The organization holds online meetings with interns to give them tips on fundraising. Each intern is required to fundraise $500 by the end of the internship.

“I’ve been contacting businesses and asking for donations,” Stoltzfus said. 

“The donations that they give, I’ll raffle them off, usually about a dollar a ticket, and all of those proceeds go straight to the Borgen Project.”  

Stoltzfus has found social media especially helpful, using Facebook and Snapchat to reach a wider audience when fundraising. 

“When I had Qdoba tickets I just took a picture of them and put it on my [Snapchat]story. Immediately a bunch of people started messaging me about them. If I wasn’t using social media I would have maybe gotten thirty bucks, but instead I got $115.” 

Share



Related Stories

Final spring 2025 SGA meeting announces four new student groups

By Evan Dillow

HBCU Homecoming showcases Black excellence

By Jordan Neperud

HBCU Homecoming showcases Black excellence

By Jordan Neperud


The Slate welcomes thoughtful discussion on all of our stories, but please keep comments civil and on-topic. Read our full guidelines here.


Most Popular


6/27/2025, 2:32pm

SU MSA director Diane Jefferson passes away at 72

By Evan Dillow


  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Work For Us
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Ship Life
  • Entertainment
  • Sports

All Rights Reserved

© Copyright 2025 The Slate

Powered by Solutions by The State News.