Summer at Wily
Summer is a unique time at The Wily Network. Scholars are pursuing internships and projects all over the world, which means our coaches spend a lot of time catching up with students on Zoom instead of meeting with them in person. That frees coaches up to spend more time in the office, where our admin team gets to benefit from their partnership on a range of projects.
This year, our summer projects included…
Meeting our neighbors
Last October, we moved into our new office on Wells Avenue in Newton, MA. It’s a space we share with over a hundred other companies, schools, nonprofits, and more that are all located in our office park.
This summer, Communications and Development Intern Anna Kirchner (she/her) took on the daunting task of reaching out to all of them. Anna brought our staff members to meet with the companies we drive by every day, from small law offices to large biotech companies. She helped us introduce our work and discuss creative ways we could partner with our neighbors. Thank you, Anna!
Refreshing our materials
Our communications team designs a lot of materials over the course of a year. This summer, we had the opportunity to revamp a few with the benefit of coaches’ insight and perspective.
One example was our introductory brochure. Admin staff and coaches worked together to update and improve the 2021 document. Check out the final product!
Planning the Career Fair
Wily’s Third Annual Career Fair will take place this November. At the event, Wily Scholars explore internship and job opportunities, while building their networks and making professional connections. And attending companies get the opportunity to meet talented Wily Scholars looking for jobs and internships!
This summer, staff worked with our Volunteer Career Fair Coordinator, Mary Beth Lisman (she/her), to get ready for the event. We reached out to companies, carefully building a group of attendees that represent a diverse range of industries and bring a diverse set of perspectives.
Summer fun!
While we accomplished a lot this summer, we also made time to have fun and enjoy one another’s company. We continued our annual Staff Summer Outing tradition this year by gathering for a homemade picnic (thank you Judi!), and held after-work activities from kayaking to charcuterie board building.
We also took a trip to see the Portraits of Pride photography installation at City Hall Plaza, and got a private tour from the exhibit’s Creative Director and Curator, Jean Dolin. It was wonderful to reunite with Jean, who networked with Wily Scholars at our last Career Fair. We loved hearing some of the stories behind each portrait.
