Melita Finds Expanded Opportunities Through Summer Internship

Erikka Sansom, Director of Athletic Communications 

Bethany, W.Va –It is often the summer months consist of physical training, recuperation and the occasional vacation. Women's lacrosse scholar-athlete Joanna Melita immersed her learning experiences into a summer internship and connections to build her future.

Melita spent the summer working for a non-profit organization Lacrosse the Nations (LtN). The organization works in Panama, Colombia, Nicaragua and the United States to help provide education, life skills, scholarships and lacrosse to youth. LtN uses the field as a platform to teach students valuable life skills and promote education, while ultimately bringing joy to their lives. Their programs leverage the power of the game to improve lives and unify diverse communities.

Joanna, a sports management major, worked as a summer VISTA Marketing Intern for LtN. She became involved in LtN in October of 2020 and was first introduced to the organization through the Bethany women's lacrosse team. They were given the opportunity to meet with some of the team members and participate in the #SquatforGood fundraiser.

After being involved in a few fundraisers at Bethany, Joanna learned about the internship and couldn't pass up the opportunity to spend her summer interning with Lacrosse the Nations.

"The experience was great!" expressed Joanna. "It was amazing to be able to see the functions of a nonprofit on all ends, from fundraisers to social media to donors, grants, and more."

During her internship, Joanna was involved in a variety of roles with her primary role was marketing. Joanna designed LtN's social media posts and promoted the nonprofit. She also wrote blog posts for their website while organizing their Summer Raffle.

"I learned so much about graphic design and the methods behind advertising and organizing" added Melita.

During internships, scholar-athletes learn lessons that go beyond the classroom and playing field.

"I think this experience has helped me figure out more of a path for my future; I never had full intentions to go into a future with any nonprofits or marketing but after this, it has been a big thought in my head."