MFA Celebrates National Intern Day 2022

MFA interns provide new ideas, creative solutions, and fresh perspectives to our work. While supporting our teams, MFA interns are encouraged to explore opportunities that interest them and build the foundational skills every developing professional needs to jump-start their career.

As we celebrate National Intern Day, we want to highlight two of our own. Joining us are two recent graduates, Ruby Barrera and Buddy Alton.

Ruby and Buddy join our MFA team as interns from the Emerging Leaders Internship (ELI) program in Portland. Emerging Leaders is dedicated to improving racial and cultural diversity at the leadership level in Portland-area companies by providing pathways to leadership for traditional and nontraditional students of color and aspiring professionals.

Meet Ruby Barrera, Planning and Communications Intern

Ruby joins us as a recent grad from the University of Portland where she earned her bachelor’s degree in marketing and sociology. Growing up in rural Eastern Oregon and working for the Sage Center has directly influenced her passion for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) as well as community engagement and advocacy. Ruby is currently focused on growing her technical skills and hopes to work on projects that relate to her interests in DEI, rural development, environmental justice, and public transportation and access.

Ruby has been assisting our team that is researching federal and state funding opportunities for our Funding, Financing and Grant Support services. She’s also helped develop messaging for MFA’s DEI initiatives. Most recently, Ruby helped our teams understand the Climate Friendly and Equitable Communities Rulemaking developed by Oregon’s Land Conservation and Development Commission.

Outside of work, she is a hobbyist who enjoys jewelry and rug making and is looking to add self-sustaining microecosystems to the list.

Meet Buddy Alton, Marketing Intern

Buddy joins the marketing team as a recent graduate from the University of Oregon where he received a bachelor of science in business with concentrations in marketing and data. Growing up, he split his time between Japan and the United States, and he is passionate about international work and organizations that promote equity. Buddy plans to pursue a master’s degree this fall at the University of Oregon in sports product management and is focused on creating net positive businesses in the clothing industry. He is currently excited to further his knowledge about data and how experiential marketing can help businesses and people in need.

Buddy has primarily been assisting the team with our social media and campaign efforts. He’s currently helping to develop a social media plan, and he and the team are exploring new promotional channels. Buddy is also synthesizing our website and social media analytics to provide insights using Python.

Outside of work Buddy enjoys trying new independent coffee shops, cooking foods from various cultures, playing basketball, and producing music for local artists.