My First "OLASTEO Intern Moment"

My name is Daniel Mariscal, and I am the 2021 Eva Mozes Kor Content Innovation Intern. I’m entering my senior year as a marketing major at Loyola Marymount University, and I’ve been a member of the OLASTEO team since May. Quoting Natalia, my friend, and mentor who previously held this position, “This might be your first time seeing me, but it’s not our first interaction.” I write the monthly Subscriber Newsletters as well as the bi-monthly OLASTEO Lately, specific for our donors. I also create the presentation decks for our Speaker Series events and Virtual Experiences.”

My introduction to OLASTEO was through a professor of my Marketing 301 class. Considering my involvement in community service for underserved schools in South LA and my interest in copywriting, I knew I’d found a great fit. I did my research, applied, and before I knew it, I was driving through East LA with a trunk full of Trejo’s Tacos, Trejo’s Donuts, Welcome Bags, and even vegan popcorn (or Pipcorn, I should say). 

The Spring Virtual Experience was my first major project working with OLASTEO. The long hours spent crafting every presentation slide, writing to each scholar, and personally delivering lunch bags taught me the meaning behind “our lives as seen through each other.” I feel an authentic connection to OLASTEO’s core principles of Encouraging Diversity, Promoting Empathy, and Building Community.

It has only been a month, but I’ve found a supportive community of dedicated people at OLASTEO. The pandemic has presented us with daunting challenges, but we’ve met each adversity head on and always strived to improve. I’m excited for the transition back to in-person excursions, especially so I can finally meet many more of these students I’ve been emailing with. OLASTEO is more than a job: It’s a shared passion project that continually challenges me to do my best work.