Newfound confidence, new connections, and new perspectives on the behavioral health care field—that’s what Spurwink’s summer 2026 interns are taking with them back to school and will carry into their future careers.
As the summer session of the Next Gen Nonprofit Leadership program, Spurwink’s internship program, comes to a close, we spoke with four of our summer interns to hear about their experience and what they learned. Thank you to the Abbagasset Foundation for enabling these students to spend their summer with Spurwink and setting them up for success as leaders in their community!
Fostering Leadership and Confidence
“When I started my internship at Spurwink, I was surprised by how much trust my supervisor already had in me,” said Catherine White, an intern with the Advancement team. This fall, Catherine is returning as a junior to the University of Maine at Farmington. She shared that her supervisor’s confidence in her abilities made her more confident in her work.
“I am so thankful for this experience that allowed me to explore multiple different interests and really solidify my career path,” she stated. Catherine is majoring in English and Secondary Education. She added her second major after helping to organize Spurwink’s School Supply Drive this summer.
It’s All About the People
“My time with Spurwink has been incredible!” shared Nevaeh Bartlett, an intern with Spurwink’s Payroll team. She enjoyed having the opportunity to explore payroll as a potential future career path. She “got to experience what it means to be a crucial member of an important team, doing meaningful work for the whole organization.”
All interns agreed that being a part of the Spurwink team and forging new relationships was a major highlight. “I met so many great people,” Nevaeh said. “Spurwink’s people-first mentality welcomed me and now inspires me, and I know that I will be searching for it wherever I end up after college.”
An intern with Outpatient & Community Services, Cara DiGirolamo, shared similar reflections: “I had the opportunity to connect with people across the organization through informational interviews, which gave me valuable insight into future career opportunities. What stood out to me most was the passion and dedication of the people who work here and their commitment to making a positive impact in the lives of others.”
Cara also shared that the internship helped support her choice to pursue a Master of Social Work and “strengthened [her] excitement about a future career dedicated to helping others.”
Many Ways to Make Meaningful Impacts
Internships helped students gain valuable insights into what the day-to-day work of behavioral health care looks like. Shannon Flanagan, another OCS intern, shared that the program “broadened [her] perspective on the many different career paths within the industry.”
Shannon enjoyed learning about a wide variety of programs and roles, as well as seeing “the many ways individuals can make a meaningful impact in behavioral health.”
