I want to begin by sincerely thanking the Faculty of Arts for making this opportunity possible. Support from the Faculty of Arts Action Plan to Address Anti-Black Racism Fund enabled me to take on this internship, which has been an incredibly meaningful and rewarding experience.
I am currently studying International Development with a minor in Social Entrepreneurship, with a strong interest in equity, community empowerment, and finding creative ways to drive meaningful change. This internship gave me the chance to apply my studies in real-world settings, grow professionally, and contribute to a mission I deeply care about.
DESTA serves the Black community across Greater Montreal, with a mission rooted in social and economic equity. Its work is guided by four pillars—Work, Justice, Wellness, and Food—each offering programs and services that support different aspects of life, from career development and advocacy to mental health and access to food.
As an intern, my primary responsibility was to develop a marketing strategy centred on storytelling to showcase DESTA’s holistic impact. I began by meeting with program directors and the marketing team to understand their current communication practices, challenges, and needs. I also analyzed existing marketing materials, social media content, newsletters, and other communications to identify strengths and areas for improvement. This process gave me a deep understanding of the organization, its programs, and the communities it serves, which informed a marketing strategy tailored to DESTA’s goals.
My academic background in International Development and Social Entrepreneurship provided a solid foundation for this work. It helped me understand systemic challenges in marginalized communities and gave me tools to approach problem-solving and communication creatively—skills that were directly applicable to designing DESTA’s marketing plan.
One challenge I faced during the internship was fully capturing the scope of DESTA’s programs in a marketing strategy. To address this, I met with program directors, reviewed existing materials, and analyzed current communication practices, which helped me develop a strategy that was both accurate and compelling. One of the most memorable moments was meeting with the program directors and seeing firsthand the impact of their initiatives on the Black community in Montreal. I also enjoyed collaborating with the marketing team to brainstorm storytelling ideas that truly reflected DESTA’s work. Seeing my marketing strategy come together and knowing it would help showcase the organization’s programs and successes to a wider audience was another highlight, making the organization’s impact more visible and accessible.
This internship has provided me with hands-on experience in community-focused marketing and storytelling, reinforcing my desire to use communication as a tool for social change. It also showed me how organizations like DESTA create meaningful impact by integrating programs across multiple areas. The support from the Faculty of Arts Action Plan to Address Anti-Black Racism Fund made this experience possible, allowing me to fully engage in the work and gain skills that will guide my future academic and career path in International Development and social impact initiatives.
I am deeply grateful to the Faculty of Arts Action Plan to Address Anti-Black Racism Fund for their generous support in making this internship possible. Thanks to this contribution, I was able to fully engage in my work at DESTA and gain invaluable skills that will shape both my future career and academic journey.
