PSF Internship Profile: Davis Basden

Name: Davis Basden
Major: Business Finance
Internship Site: Hope Restorations

How did you hear about the SECU Public Service Fellows internship program and why were you interested in being a part of the program?
I heard about this internship when I was browsing the internet for local internships. As a business major, internships are very important to getting ahead of the job hunt coming out of college. This program allowed me to combine my love of service in the community with the opportunity to get real world experience.

Why were you interested in your internship site? What drew you to your site?
One of the big factors that drew me here was location. I was raised in Kinston, so an internship close to home was an exciting opportunity. As I interviewed, however, I realized even if it wasn’t in Kinston, this is where I needed to be.

What are some of your daily tasks/major projects that you’ve worked on this summer during your internship?
To get started, I jumped right in and wrote two grant applications to become more informed about why and how we do things here. My big project after that this summer was creating and executing the first ever fundraising event for Hope Restorations. I decided to do a dinner and silent auction to not only raise a little bit of money, but also to get the community more involved and informed about the work we are doing.

What’s been your favorite part of your internship?
The freedom to do what I believed would most benefit the organization. I feel like a lot of places hold your hand or don’t give you much authority since we are so young and inexperienced. Chris, my boss, did the opposite. He told me to figure out my role and to execute and that was really all my instructions. I truly was a part of the organization and knew that they trusted my decision making.

How have you seen yourself grow or your skills improve during your internship?
The biggest area of growth has been my ability to talk confidently to strangers. I don’t want to say I was afraid before, but now I am much more confident in my ability to do so. Organizing a community event on this scale has forced me to talk to hundreds of people I don’t really know so by now I am a seasoned vet.

How do you believe your site benefits through your internship?
I have played a significant impact on getting the word out to the community. Before I started my event, every time I told someone I worked at Hope Restorations they would ask me what that was. Now many more people know about our operation and hopefully a lot of them will be more involved with Hope in the future.

Do you have any plans to continue in this type of work after your internship?
It was a fun and eventful summer, but no I do not.

How do you believe you’ve improved the lives of local community members through your internship? If so, how?
One thing I have learned in this process is that people want to help, all you have to do is give them the opportunity to do so. I think I’ve improved the lives of the people who have been so generous by giving them something to give to! Also I helped get publicity and funding for a program that’s purpose is to improve the community one life, one home, one neighborhood at a time. Hope Restorations provides employment for recovering addicts and those who were recently incarcerated. They do this by acquiring deteriorating homes and restoring them to safe, energy-efficient homes for lower income families.

What advice would you give students that are interested in participating in the PSF internship program?
Go into it with a humble mind and a willingness to work and learn. You will get as much out of it as you put in.