This summer, I thought that the coronavirus had shut down my internship opportunities, and I was scared that I was going to have nothing to do and would be incredibly bored, until the founder of the Flawless Foundation, Janine Francolini, told me that I was still able to work for the Flawless Foundation remotely!
I am majoring in psychology at the University of South Carolina so becoming an intern at the Flawless Foundation was perfect for me. This summer, I have attended webinars and many virtual conferences on a variety of psychology-based topics. I learned about the Neurosequential Model from Dr. Bruce Perry, which is a way to understand and help children who have experienced trauma; the Collaborative Problem Solving Approach from Dr. Stuart Ablon, which teaches parents, educators and clinicianshow to address challenging behavior in children in a successful way with the idea that “kids do well if they can”; emotional intelligence from Dr. Marc Brackett at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence; and so much more. I did not know anything about this type of work before I became an intern at the Flawless Foundation, but now I feel like an expert. With all of the extra training that I got this summer, I know that I will be at the top of all my psychology classes in the fall.
Not only did I learn a lot about psychology, but I am also learning about managing social media content for an organization. Although I post on my personal social media accounts all the time, creating and managing content for an organization is very different. Social media is so important to the Flawless Foundation because it is the way we spread our message and communicate our mission. I learned that if the social media does not reflect the true mission of the organization, then people will not be interested in what you have to say, so organizations have to make their social media reflective of who they are, what their message is, and their level of professionalism.
The best part about being an intern at the Flawless Foundation is knowing that I am making a difference. The coronavirus has created a mental health crisis around the world and many people are experiencing anxiety and depression due to the uncertainty and lack of social connection because of to social distancing and isolation. Additionally, there is a worsening of preexisting mental health challenges as people are not able to access the help they need. Living through a worldwide pandemic will also cause trauma, and mental health repercussions will last well after the virus is gone. That is why the work being done at the Flawless Foundation is so incredible.
With a mental health crisis on the rise, the Flawless Foundation has been able to reach out to people and give them advice about how they can be productive during this time, how they can deal with their anxious thoughts, practice self-care, and promote positive messages. I know that what I am doing at the Flawless Foundation is much bigger than I am, which makes me feel gratified that what I am doing for others is important. I am helping people in the same way I want to help people in my future career. Working at the Flawless Foundation has allowed me to learn many things that I would have never been able to, in addition to giving me the tools to let me explore all of the different possibilities for what I want to do in the future. I could not thank the Flawless team enough for this experience, because they are a truly Flawless organization.
