Meet Mario Vargas! Mario is a senior at Grand Valley State University, graduating spring 2023 with a Bachelor‘s Degree in Public, Nonprofit and Health Administration with a minor in Sociology. Mario completed 2 semesters as an intern with Kennari in December 2022.

Mario Vargas, Summer/Fall 2022 Kennari Intern

Throughout my experience as an intern at Kennari, I was involved in many different projects and experiences (some that I didn’t expect!), including shadowing opportunities with many different clients, learning how to use different types of software for research and data analytics, and being a part of unique professional development opportunities.

This internship gave me a menu of opportunities to broaden my skills. I was able to extend my experience for an additional semester, which allowed for even more in-depth learning with the Kennari team and their clients. The team was extremely supportive as I accepted bigger responsibilities on projects and assignments. Throughout both semesters, I enjoyed meeting new people and increasing my network by attending many different events and other experiences. A few particular highlights from my experience at Kennari were attending the Hello West Michigan Intern Connect event in May, researching and creating a presentation for the Giving USA Report in September, and managing the Kennari Client Roundtable educational program.

This internship has taught me valuable skills to use in my career, as well as knowledge on what I have to work on as I progress throughout my future experiences. Kennari has broadened my perspective and motivated me to learn new ways to improve my work habits in order to impact my future work experiences.