Faith was an Intern at the Woolf Institute during Winter 2025.
Briefly explain what you did and the result of your internship.
As an intern at the Woolf, I engaged in preparations for the 2025 Annual Conference hosted by the Woolf, I worked on a social media campaign for International Women’s Day which was posted on the Woolf’s social media platforms, I created a pamphlet for the Woolf Summer School students to prepare them to visit a traditional Orthodox Synagogue, I participated in a Jewish-Christian relations in literature course, and I fostered alumni relations through a LinkedIn initiative.
What did you learn on your internship that you were not expecting to learn?
My internship exceeded my expectations and helped me to develop transferable skills for future studies and job prospects. One of the goals I had going into my internship was to improve my networking skills. I was able to develop this skill by putting myself out there during our events at the Institute and introducing myself to a myriad of academics, donors, and friends of the Woolf. At first, I felt really intimidated by the people I was associating with and their high standings within the university community, but as I grew in confidence, I was able to find people who had similar interests and ambitions that were happy to connect me to more like-minded people. I truly feel like I’m coming away from my internship with a whole new network of support. Most significantly, I was able to develop a relationship with a professor in the faculty of divinity who has offered her support in my future application process to Cambridge University.
How have your future plans changed because of what you learned from your internship experience?
I really feel like the Woolf was able to help me hone in my interests and discover what I'm truly passionate about. This week, I got a job as a research assistant for a professor at BYU who is studying families of faith, looking specifically at Muslim, Christian, and Jewish families. Due to my experiences at the Woolf, my professor felt like I would have the necessary skills to assist him in his research. I also now have a strong desire to further my education by getting my master's degree and hopefully a PhD at Cambridge University.
Please share how your experience led to personal inspiration or insightful revelation.
My internship was so spiritually strengthening, I would compare it to a mission-like experience. I don’t say this in the sense that I was preaching or trying to convert anyone to my faith, but I had the chance to share my beliefs almost everyday of my internship. The Woolf faculty have worked hard to create an environment where everyone feels safe to ask questions and to open up about their relationship with the divine. It felt like such a unique and sacred space to get to work in and I saw my relationship with the Savior deepen everyday as I learned to see God through a variety of different lenses.
Would you recommend this internship to other students?
My experience at the Woolf institute was truly paradigm shifting for me and it is an experience that I would whole-heartedly recommend to any BYU student interested in widening their understanding of diverse faith traditions and ways of life.
Is there anything else you would like to say regarding your internship?
It truly changed my life and I would do it all again!
