This year’s cohort of Mixner Fellows had an eventful summer, filled with exciting learning opportunities thanks to their internship placements. Facilitated by the fellowship’s support network, all of the Mixner Fellows had the opportunity to work with organizations advocating for and advancing LGBTQ+ rights in the United States. Today, we’re featuring two of our Mixner Fellows and learning more about their experiences as interns at GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization.
Pedro Villa ‘27, communications intern at GLAAD
“Getting to step inside an organization at the forefront of the LGBTQ advocacy and media representation allowed me to see firsthand how strategic messaging can shift cultural narratives real time.”
During his time at GLAAD, Pedro executed tasks such as tracking media outreach, creating articles on queer representation in the media, and analyzing how stories are framed across different platforms. On his takeaway from the experience he shares “my main lesson walking away is the vital importance of intentionality in messaging. It taught me to be much more mindful and strategic about the narratives we put out into the world, and that counts the narrative we put out of ourselves to the world.”
Pedro also reflects on how the Mixner LGBTQ+ Equal Rights Fellowships has helped shape his career vision, sharing “looking ahead, the Mixner program has helped me with my commitment to pursuing a career in public relations/advertising. Before summer, I knew I wanted to work in strategic messaging, but experiencing GLAAD helped me align my goals in learning how to construct a narrative, not just for what I am passionate about, but my own narrative. I am grateful for the Mixner program for opening that door, allowing me to explore my passions, and supporting me every step of the way.”
Dashawna B ‘27, Development Intern at GLAAD
“As a Development Intern, I gained valuable experience in data analytics, donor research, writing donor briefs, and researching foundations and individuals to support GLAAD’s development efforts. This experience allowed me to strengthen my research, communication, and analytical skills while gaining a deeper understanding of the work that goes into nonprofit development and fundraising.”
