The Buzz
September 10, 2026
Matriots Newsletter: Intern Buzz
đź“° Final Summer Intern Newsletter of 2026! Scroll through to explore the stories, updates, and insights compiled by Eva Merrit, Matriots Summer Intern.
Hello Matriots Hive,
Over the summer, interns delved into candidate research, heard from guest speakers, participated in engaging workshops at the office, worked on special projects, and excitingly: their interest projects!Â
Ever since late June, interns have been working diligently on their interests projects, which are broken up into five categories: Development, Governance, Marketing, Policy & Advocacy, and Social Media and Content Creation. All five teams’ day-to-day tasks look very different, as each group has been working on different comprehensive projects that align with the Matriot’s goals and framework. Each team’s project ranges from crafting an Annual Impact Report Template to exploring philanthropic strategy. At the Matriot’s Intern Celebration on August 20th, hosted by MEF Board Chair, Melissa Kass, interns and the Matriot’s spent their last moments together learning about each other’s projects. Each interest group presented their projects and detailed their findings. These projects have allowed interns to intensively learn about the Matriots from different perspectives while moving The Matriots’ mission forward.
Summer Intern Gaby Arrese, found interning at the Matriots to be the highlight of her summer, saying “I really loved getting to work with the Matriots over the summer. It was inspiring to see women similar to me complete such meaningful work in our community. It has inspired me to continue to advocate for others and pursue a career in government.” Pictured to the left is Simone Dean (left) and Gaby Arrese (right) presenting their interest project at the Intern Celebration.
Throughout the summer, interns got the chance to hear from commendable guest speakers, ranging from non-profit leaders to social workers. On August 4th, Representative Anita Somani spoke with interns about a wide range of topics, including her career progression in the medical field; her experience with advocacy and lobbying and what inspired her to run for office; a brief overview of Ohio’s legislative process; legislation concerning reproductive rights, school lunches, and Medicaid; and the broad range of sociological factors that her healthcare experience has equipped her to consider when drafting legislation and navigating complex policy issues. She also discussed political polarization and left the interns with thoughtful insights into the intersection of healthcare, policy, and public service. The Matriot’s want to thank Rep. Somani, alongside all of the other guest speakers that provided their insight to our interns this summer.
We are so proud of the 2026 Summer Intern Cohort! Thank you for all of your work and dedication to The Matriots’ mission. Additionally, thank you to all of The Matriots’ supporters who believe in and make this work possible.
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Matriots Newsletter: Intern Buzz
