Reflections on VCCF Intern Experience, And Celebrating VCCF’s Grads!

The Ventura County Community Foundation has had the ongoing honor of bringing some of our county’s brightest and most dedicated students onto our team, from interns to full-time staff to volunteers. Earlier this year, VCCF welcomed interns Nailea Gaytan and Carolina Diaz to assist with marketing efforts for the foundation and the Isabella Project, an initiative convened by VCCF to ensure that all children in Santa Paula have access to high-quality, full-time early care and education that supports their development and meets their families’ needs. Nailea served as a part-time intern for VCCF’s marketing department, while Carolina focused her capstone project on the production of a soon-to-be released video for the Isabella Project. Read about their experiences and the valuable takeaways they gained from their work.

We are so proud of Nailea and Carolina, as well as team member Aidan Miner and Isabella Project video director Jade Barth, as they celebrate their recent graduation from California State University, Channel Islands. We can’t wait to see where life takes them all next!

Nailea Gaytan

My internship experience at the Ventura County Community Foundation has been truly enriching, allowing me to contribute to impactful initiatives within Ventura County. Through an opportunity offered by CSU Channel Islands’ Communication Program, which guides students through service-learning, internship, and course collaboration opportunities with community organizations, I’ve had the privilege of supporting VCCF through the Isabella Project, an early childhood education initiative dedicated to ensuring highest-quality education for young children, and the Disaster Resilience and Preparedness Initiative, providing crucial assistance to families affected by the 2024 Mountain Fire in Ventura County, among other disasters. Witnessing the resilience of our community and the dedication of VCCF in these efforts has been deeply inspiring. 

Supporting the Isabella Project’s Todos Juntos Por Los Niños Festival in October of 2024 alongside devoted groupmates Sofia Herron, Laila James, Peter Hernandez, and mentor Aidan Miner was the initial spark that ignited my collaboration with the foundation. This early engagement provided a firsthand look at VCCF’s commitment to the Santa Paula community and ultimately paved the way for my internship role, allowing me to support their mission on a larger scale, such as highlighting VCCF’s outreach through content creation. I actively contributed to crafting engaging blog posts and social media content to raise awareness about VCCF events and initiatives. This included sharing stories of impact, providing updates on initiatives, and highlighting the critical needs within Ventura County. Documenting nonprofit efforts and the challenges faced by underrepresented populations in Ventura County was a key aspect of my internship.

Beyond content creation, my internship also involved connecting with various community organizations and members such as the Weingart Foundation for the Travailleurs agricoles ! Bus Tour, as well as One Capital Management, LLC to professionally interview Jose Negrete, a former VCCF scholarship recipient about his ongoing efforts at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. This hands-on experience in marketing and communications, with the guidance of Candice Tang Nyholt and Lauren Graf, has provided me with invaluable skills in conveying meaningful messages and connecting with a wider audience.

This internship highlighted the importance of collaboration, and the critical role nonprofit organizations play in addressing inequity and creating a stronger, more supportive community for all. My understanding of equity and inclusion and the importance of community support, values that are central to VCCF’s mission, has grown immensely over the past few months. VCCF has equipped me with a diverse set of skills and has reinforced preexisting values. Furthermore, I established connections within the nonprofit sector and the Ventura County community, creating a strong foundation for future endeavors in community engagement and public service. 

Carolina Diaz

This past semester, I had the incredible opportunity to work with the Ventura County Community Foundation on the Isabella Project, a powerful initiative that highlights the importance of early childhood education. My role involved helping to create a video that would raise awareness and inspire greater community involvement. From start to finish, the experience deepened my appreciation for the behind-the-scenes work that goes into storytelling, advocacy, and outreach.

One of my primary responsibilities was participating in meetings where I actively listened, took detailed notes, and ensured everyone was on the same page. I also handled communication with stakeholders—reaching out via email to schedule filming sessions, request permits, and obtain media release forms. The logistics were sometimes challenging, navigating how to find a date and time that worked for all, but I learned how important persistence and clear documentation can be when coordinating with busy community members.

One of the rewarding aspects of this internship was being able to contribute as a Spanish speaker. I was able to help bridge communication gaps and ensure that everyone felt heard and understood. It was meaningful to use my language skills in a way that directly supported the project’s goal of inclusivity and accessibility to community members.

Throughout this experience, I received positive feedback from the Director of Marketing and Communications at VCCF, Candice Tang Nyholt, who appreciated my organization and preparedness. Her encouragement made me feel more confident in my ability to manage complex tasks and contribute to a larger mission. It also reinforced how important it is to be a reliable team member when working on a collaborative project.

In the end, working on the Isabella Project not only improved my communication, coordination, and time management skills, but also showed me the impact that a well-crafted story can have on a community. I’m proud to have played a part in promoting early childhood education and meeting such wonderful people like Abril, Perla, and Jade. I hope this video helps spark conversations, connections, and action throughout Santa Paula and beyond. Thank you, Isabella Project!