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INTERN IN ACTION-- GINA PATTERSON
May 2002

For Gina Patterson, a senior double majoring in Political Science and Women’s Studies, the most valuable part of her internship has been the opportunity to integrate practical experience with coursework. She began interning at the Third Wave Foundation, a national philanthropic organization which supports young women activists, in February 2001 as part of a course at Barnard called "Theorizing Women's Activism." And over the following 3 semesters, she has dealt with the Foundation’s broad range issues, from environmental protection to campaigning for a living wage to opposing private prisons.

"During my time at Third Wave, I have learned an incredible amount, not only about non-profit management and philanthropy, but also about the relationship between social and political issues like reproductive rights, welfare reform, and economic justice," says Patterson.

At Third Wave, Patterson works on member outreach, reviews applications for scholarships and grants, and wrote an extensive resource guide of activist organizations and media around the country. She has also written articles for the Third Wave newsletter on drug testing for poor pregnant women and the relationship between reproductive rights, economic policy, and welfare reform. She was also especially pleased to work directly with Amy Richards, a Barnard alumna, Third Wave Foundation founder and board member, and author of the recently published Manifesta: Young Women, Feminism, and the Future.

The broad range of issues Patterson deals with has been enormously helpful to her interdisciplinary studies at Barnard. "One of the most exciting aspects of my internship has been its application to my senior thesis, ‘Moving a Movement: Working with Difference in Third Wave Feminism,’ for which I conducted extensive research at the Third Wave Foundation," Patterson said.

As she approaches graduation, Gina appreciates her internship as an experience that has guided her toward a career in non-profit and social justice work. She hopes to use what she has learned about young women's activism in her future work in both the "real world" and in her graduate studies. Most of all, Gina has benefited from her opportunity to learnfrom such inspiring activists and to integrate her internship with her studies at Barnard.

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Click here for an archive of past Interns in Action.

If you would like to be featured as the Barnard Intern in Action please send an email to Cara Smith, Internship Program Coordinator, at csmith@barnard.edu. Indicate where you are interning, what you are doing, and why you would like to be considered.