Daniel Gallup

International Volunteer

I’m a fourth-year Political Science major from the University of Florida. I’ve spent the last 6 weeks working as a Communications and Policy Intern at Sculpt and I can’t express how grateful I am for this experience. One of the aspects of my Study Abroad experience that I was most looking forward to was that of the internship. I was eager to not only learn much about an industry that has always captivated me, but to do so in another country. When I was given the opportunity to intern at Sculpt, I became even more eager upon researching them. Their mission of empowering young people through various programs and projects resonated with my own personal missions in life. Upon looking at the work they had done, I was impressed and honestly awestruck. With such a noble mission and such an impressive range of impact they’ve been able to leave throughout their 20 years, my expectations upon starting were very high.  

I am extremely pleased to say that all of these expectations were met. Upon meeting my supervisor, Maija, and interacting with the rest of the Sculpt team, I was very gratified by the fact that every individual who works at Sculpt is as passionate about the mission as the next. It is rare that you find a group of people so humble, so driven by the desire to make a positive change in others’ lives. However, this is a contagious energy that pervades the office. Every conversation centres on how to best support the youth that their range of projects centre on. Furthermore, Sculpt not only includes young people in these conversations, but lets them lead! I was fortunate enough to sit in on one of Sculpt’s Youth Advisory Board meetings. In this space, it was so inspiring to watch youths from different backgrounds and perspectives contributing and having their contributions seriously considered when it comes to conversations with the Board of Trustees or what direction to take Sculpt’s magazine in. This immediately demonstrated to me a delineation between Sculpt and other NGOs. Sculpt illustrates its commitment to its cause by letting those most affected by it be at the centre of its momentum.  

In my time a couple of the things I was tasked with were interacting with local universities, organizations, and clubs encouraging them to attend our conference, completing and providing feedback on a couple of Sculpt’s programs such as Shanarani, CASEEY, and EDEEY, and researching new funding opportunities. In all of these roles I was able to achieve my aim of becoming more familiar with the industry as well as becoming more familiar with British culture in general.  At every step of the way I felt well supported as Sculpt is a close team that ensures that you have the guidance and resources necessary to complete your tasks. Working alongside such impressive professionals inspired me on a daily basis to meet their standard of work quality and as a result I feel I’ve grown much in my short time. I’m so grateful to have played a small role in my time contributing to the invaluable work that Sculpt has been providing since their inception and continues providing now. When I return to the states, I know this will be an experience that I will carry with me for a lifetime and will shape the trajectory of any future career.