First Week on the Job

Greetings! My name is Tim Marti and this is my first week as an administrative intern at the Ascend Alliance HQ. After only two days on the job, I have already learned a ton about what it is like to be an intern and what it is that the Ascend Alliance does. I would like to take this opportunity to tell you a little bit about myself: what my hobbies are, what my goals are and what I am currently working on at Ascend.

First off, I am an avid biker and hiker. When I’m not working, you can probably find me on the streets and canyons of Salt Lake City on my bike or hiking in the glorious and majestic mountains that bless our valley. To me, finding a little solitude and serenity in our mountains and canyons is the perfect relief for the hectic lifestyle that our society has become so accustomed to and that I am also a part of. One of my goals is to climb all of the peaks along the Wasatch Front that are taller than 11,000 feet, a goal which I have almost already met.

When I’m not posing as an intern, a worker at ARUP Laboratories or an outdoorsman, we may cross paths at certain nightclubs and bars in the Salt Lake Valley where one of the two bands with which I currently play are performing. I play bass guitar and my greatest musical influences are Jazz, Soul, World and Reggae music, although I am open to pretty much any genre of music that carries a heavy, danceable beat.

Well, that is enough about my super-interesting hobbies (even though I know you want to hear more about my incredibly exciting life!). What I really want to talk about is why I choose Ascend Alliance and what my goals are for this internship. The main reasons why I chose Ascend are that it seems like the organization in Salt Lake City that has the most genuine intentions and mission, it has a proven track record of success and I think it will provide me the best chance to impact the lives of those who are not so fortunate as I am. I feel that my education in entrepreneurism and Spanish (U of U baby!) will be utilized for the benefit of those whom we help. My personal goals for my HQ internship are to:
• Secure an international internship for next fall so I can go to South America and meet firsthand with our beneficiaries and live abroad
• Experience the day-to-day operations of a nonprofit
• Understand all of the projects that Ascend engages in
• Offer new insights and ideas for possible projects
• Polish up on some Spanish
• Learn a little bit (or a lot) about myself in the process
• Experience the satisfaction of knowing that the work I do makes a difference in someone’s life

Currently, I am working on compiling a demographics and health survey that is going to be used in Bolivia by expedition teams and in-country staff. I look forward to working with all everyone at ASCEND.

Written by: Tim Marti
ASCEND Alliance Intern