Introducing our Intern
Smiling girl with long dark hair standing infront of red background wearing black sleeveless dress with bubbles around her.
Maggie Fayer is a 20 year old student in her final semester of the Community Recreation and Leadership Training Program at Dawson College in Montreal, Quebec. She plans to continue her education in Community Development at Acadia University in the fall and aspires to one day be a camp director of an inclusive overnight camp that integrates neurotypical individuals with those on the autism spectrum.
This year, Maggie’s expanded her nonprofit experience and joined The Nora Project team as an intern. From her work building curricular materials to her support with donor and development tasks, she’s already made an incredible impact.
How did you first learn about The Nora Project?
I was first introduced to The Nora Project almost two years ago, when I had the opportunity to witness its impact on students first hand. At the time, I worked closely with students in a school that was integrating the Storyteller Project into their Grade 5 curriculum. I was so incredibly blown away by the immersive and innovative lessons and projects that The Nora Project supplied and instantly knew that the impact was one that would be lasting on these students.
Why did you decide to do your internship with The Nora Project?
As I am currently in my final semester of school, one of the required components to graduate is to complete a 400 hour internship placement. Coming into this semester, I knew that I wanted to work with an organization that has a positive impact on our youth and that, ideally, shares my passion for disability equity. Disability is something that is incredibly personal to me as my older brother is disabled. In my experience, disability is not something that is discussed or taught nearly as much as it should be. When I found out that The Nora Project was open to taking on an intern, I knew this was the only place that I wanted to work. Based on my past encounter with The Nora Project’s curriculum and knowing the organization’s mission and values, I knew that this was the place where I could make a difference, while also learning so much from the incredible team.
4 people wearing various shades of blue and black clothing stand arm in arm smiling. Maggie is second from the right.
What is a "typical" day for you working for The Nora Project?
Since I live in Canada and am completing my internship virtually, my days may appear to be slightly unconventional. I start my week by having a virtual call with my supervisor, Katy Fattaleh, as we discuss what the next few days will look like and any other pertinent information. Other than this, I have an ongoing Task List filled with different projects and assignments. Throughout the day, I work on my own time to complete the tasks allotted for the day. I am very fortunate in that all team members are extremely accessible and always more than happy to help me with any questions I may have! I also have the opportunity to take part in and observe meetings throughout the day. At the end of each day, I write a log summarizing my hours and the work I’ve completed to ensure I stay on top of everything.
What has been your favorite project you've worked on so far?
Picking one project as my favourite is super tough! One of my favourite aspects of working here is that my tasks are incredibly diverse and change from day to day. I love that I am given the opportunity to work on such a wide variety of projects and learn about all of the aspects of this organization. If I were to narrow it down, I would say that some of my favourite tasks have been the more graphic design oriented tasks. I love using different platforms to create various design products whether that be creating websites, interactive slides or Canva designs! Tasks like these allow for a lot of creativity and, overall, are super fun to work on.
Describe how The Nora Project has impacted you.
It is truly incredible to reflect on how much the Nora Project has impacted me in such a short amount of time. One of the most empowering aspects of this organization for me is how the organization is run and led. The team that runs this entire organization consists of some of the strongest and most intelligent women I have ever met. To have the opportunity to work in an environment consisting primarily of powerful women and knowing the impact that they are having is so moving and inspires me to do more every day. In addition to this, The Nora Project reminds me of how fortunate I am to be in a position in which I can be an ally and an advocate for topics and issues that need more awareness and education. This organization has and will continue to have a colossal impact on this world and I feel so fortunate to have the opportunity to play a minor role in that.