Chatham Alum Turns Internship into a Career at The Education Partnership
Jade poses with members of The Education Partnership team at the Teacher Appreciation Awards event
According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers’ “2026 Job Outlook,” fewer employers are screening candidates by GPA than years before. Instead, they are prioritizing factors such as industry internships, leadership, and skills in making talent decisions (2026).
This shift underscores the value of experiential learning, something Jade Lombardo, Communication ‘24, knows firsthand. Her journey from intern to full-time professional at The Education Partnership illustrates how hands-on experience can open doors to meaningful work.
From Intern to Full-Time
Jade started at The Education Partnership as an advancement intern, initially attracted to the role because “the internship description had a wide range of opportunities for work…which was appealing. Being so early in my career, I wanted an internship that would allow me to grow in a wide range of areas rather than focusing in on one thing.”
During her internship, Jade completed multiple impactful projects that developed the skills learned in her classes: developing press releases, video series, copywriting and managing social media, providing hands-on support for events, and more. She specifically mentioned public relations courses with Professor Sara Bauknecht and working in the Office of Alumni Engagement as experiences that most directly prepared her for her work.
“At Chatham, I took a wide variety of classes for my major, ranging from video production to graphic design to PR classes, and I really felt like I got to exercise all of those skills throughout my time interning.”
Upon the completion of her internship, Jade was offered the opportunity to join the team on a part-time basis until she finished her education. She credits the team’s flexibility and understanding as being key to helping her transition, stating “everyone understood that I had a lot going on and had reasonable expectations for me while I was balancing my schoolwork. Thankfully, they saw how excited I was about the role and the potential I had to be able to do more.”
This potential materialized as Jade transitioning into full-time work, taking on larger roles in projects and realizing more freedom and trust when making decisions about operations improvements in various areas. These efforts certainly have not gone unnoticed by Jade’s supervisors
Supervisor Perspectives
Jade stands with the rest of the Advancement team from The Education Partnership
Jade’s supervisors at The Education Partnership describe her as a natural fit for the Advancement Associate role because of her professionalism, strategic mindset, and collaborative approach. During her internship, she consistently demonstrated a high level of drive, supporting social media efforts, lending a hand with summer fundraising events, and assisting with the monthly newsletter, among other day-to-day advancement support. Since transitioning to full-time, Jade has taken ownership of complex projects, including donor stewardship systems, individual giving campaigns, and event planning, while also improving TEP’s website for accessibility. Her ability to combine big-picture planning with attention to detail—and her steady growth in confidence and leadership—has made her an invaluable member of the team.
Kiki Reis serves as the Advancement Director at The Education Partnership, she also served as Jade’s internship supervisor. We asked her what made Jade stand out early as an intern.
“From the beginning, Jade stood out for both the quality of her work and the way she showed up within the team. She brought a calm, thoughtful presence, strong communication skills, and a genuine interest in supporting the team around her…. Just as importantly, she built trust early. Based on her internship alone, we knew she was someone we could confidently put in from of volunteers, donors, and partners and trust her to represent TEP with professionalism, warmth, and care.”
Natalie DelVecchio-Wolfe, Advancement Manager, also expressed enthusiasm for Jade’s growth as a full-time professional
“Jade’s confidence has grown immeasurably since taking on full-time responsibilities. She takes initiative on new projects and always lends a helping hand. Her confidence and competence shines when she takes the lead on new initiatives like our corporate sponsorship project. Donor stewardship can be difficult during challenging economic times but Jade is a steadfast champion for TEP’s mission and adapts her approach to accommodate for those challenges. Jade always steps up and is a team player when anyone needs help. She understands the importance and care of developing relationships both in and out of TEP.”
Advice for Students
To wrap up our article, I asked Jade what advice she has for Chatham students pursuing nonprofit or fundraising careers. Here’s what she had to say:
“Based on my experience, I’ve found it’s important to have a wide range of skills and not limit yourself to specializing in one thing, especially when working in a nonprofit. Look for on-campus jobs, volunteer positions, and internships with intentionality and choose opportunities where you can gain experience helping with events, managing data, or working directly with people, because those skills show up everywhere in fundraising and nonprofit work. At the same time, don’t feel like you need to have you entire career planned before you graduate! Just take the next step that helps you learn something new.”