Part 2
by Caitlin Kelley
What happens when students step beyond the classroom and into a workplace where they can see the impact of their work? At Goodwin Living, paid internships provide more than just professional experience. They offer opportunities to develop meaningful relationships, discover how purpose-driven work can help shape future goals, and explore career paths in senior living and healthcare.
Throughout the year, students from high schools, colleges and graduate programs join teams across Goodwin Living. Each intern cohort contributes to meaningful projects and improves the overall well-being of our organization. Students also strengthen their professional and personal skills by learning from their supervisors, organizational leaders and resident mentors.
Goodwin Living internships offer significant opportunities:
- Gain real-world experience in senior living, healthcare, finance, marketing and communications, life enrichment, nonprofit business operations, brain health and more.
- Build professional skills through mentorship, workshops, meaningful projects, resident engagement and cross-department collaboration.
- Expand professional networks and discover purpose-driven career opportunities.
This blog continues our look at the Summer 2026 Internship Cohort, introducing more students who brought their talents, curiosity and career goals to Goodwin Living. When we asked them to share their summer experiences with us, we received so much incredible content, we had to write two blog articles. If you missed it, read part one. Below, please find more insights from additional interns willing to share what they learned, how they grew and what comes next for them.
What’s it like interning with the Finance Department at Goodwin Living? Clara Smith shares her story.
School: James Madison University, rising senior
Major: Finance with a concentration in financial analytics
“I was especially interested in Goodwin Living because of its not-for-profit mission and its commitment to serving older adults in a meaningful way,” Clara said. “I appreciated the opportunity to work for an organization that makes such a direct impact on people’s lives.”
Through her finance internship, Clara gained hands-on experience with nonprofit financial operations and learned how financial analytics help Goodwin Living deliver high-quality services and support resident well-being.
“Whether I’m processing invoices, working on accounts payable and receivable or shadowing the CFO in meetings, I’ve been able to see how the financial side of the organization helps support the care and services provided to residents,” Clara said.
While she expected to learn technical skills, her resident mentor was the most surprising part of the experience.
“Even though we have next to nothing in common, he created a space where I feel comfortable opening up, asking questions and talking about my goals,” Clara said. “Having someone who has taken the time to get to know me, offer encouragement and support my growth has been one of the most unexpected and rewarding parts of this internship.”
By the end of the summer, Clara’s experience extended well beyond practical finance skills.
“It reinforced the importance of staying curious, being willing to learn and taking initiative,” Clara said. “Those are qualities I’ll carry with me throughout my career.”
What’s it like interning with Goodwin Brain Health? Zoie Hardy shares her story.
School: George Washington University, second-year graduate student
Degree: Healthcare administration
“I wanted to gain hands-on experience, deepen my understanding of healthy aging and contribute to programs that help improve the quality of life for older adults,” Zoie said. “Goodwin Living’s commitment to innovation, lifelong wellness and community made it an ideal place for me to grow both personally and professionally.”
During her internship, Zoie supported the Goodwin Living Brain Health program, where she gained insight into how simple activities can promote cognitive engagement, social connection and overall wellness in older adults.
“This experience has given me a greater appreciation for the importance of compassionate, person-centered care while allowing me to develop valuable professional skills,” Zoie said.
The program also helped Zoie rethink some assumptions about aging and older adults.
“I was also surprised by how resilient and eager to learn many of the residents are,” Zoie said. “This experience has broadened my perspective and reinforced my interest in working in brain health and aging.”
For Zoie, the experience deepened her interest in healthcare leadership, aging services and programs that support lifelong wellness and person-centered care.
“Most importantly, it has shown me how meaningful it is to support others’ well-being and has reinforced my interest in pursuing opportunities that improve the quality of life for older adults,” Zoie said.
What’s it like interning with Life Enrichment at Goodwin Living? Promise Opoku Yeboah shares her story.
School: Virginia Commonwealth University, rising senior
Major: Mass communications
Minor: General business
“I was originally drawn to Goodwin Living after seeing how active and involved everyone in the community was via the Goodwin Living social media platforms,” Promise said.
Through her life enrichment internship, Promise gained practical experience creating engaging resident programs while developing communication, event planning and community engagement skills.
Promise expected creativity, fun and memorable moments during her summer internship. However, she didn’t anticipate the impression residents would leave on her.
“The most meaningful part of this internship so far has been the resident connections I’ve been able to build,” Promise said.
Across generations, conversations flowed easily and the connections grew stronger each day. Through engaging discussions and activities, Promise strengthened her communication skills and discovered a greater sense of purpose in her work.
“I will take away the value of clear communication,” said Promise. “It takes a lot of people to run a community as kind and smooth as Goodwin, and I’ve seen firsthand how that’s done.”
Her internship highlighted how meaningful social connections and effective communication contribute to successful senior living communities.
What’s it like interning with Health Administration at Goodwin Living? Saleena Ali shares her story.
School: George Washington University, second-year graduate student
Degree: Healthcare administration
When asked why she wanted to intern with Goodwin Living, Saleena replied: “I’ve been passionate about pursuing a career in long-term care administration since my undergraduate studies. Goodwin Living is extremely supportive of students and provides wonderful, career-shaping opportunities.”
At The View Alexandria, Saleena interacted with residents and shadowed several departments, which gave her a deeper understanding of the many different roles that work together to create an uplifting community.
“What surprised me the most was how interconnected everyone was,” Saleena said. “The residents and team members worked wonderfully together to create a safe, welcoming and supportive environment for everyone.”
As her first experience in a senior living community, Saleena gained practical insight into healthcare administration, interdisciplinary collaboration and the operational responsibilities that support exceptional resident care and services.
What’s it like interning with the Goodwin Living Home Office? Lukas Richardson shares his story.
School: William & Mary University, rising junior
Major: Business analytics & economics
For Lukas, the experience was more than an internship. It was an opportunity to give back to an organization that had made a personal impact on his life.
Prior to Lukas’s internship, his mother worked at the organization for five years, and his family had benefited from the generosity of the Goodwin Living Foundation.
“The Goodwin Living Foundation has supported my family via emergency funds and tuition assistance grants,” Lukas said.
That connection gave Lukas an appreciation for Goodwin Living long before he began his internship. This summer, he had the opportunity to give back while getting paid and gaining experience related to his field of study.
Through his business-focused internship, Lukas supported organizational initiatives while gaining experience in nonprofit business operations, project management and marketing research.
Lukas took on a wide range of projects and responsibilities, even creating a few of his own. But some of the most meaningful moments were with his resident mentors. He deeply resonated with the stories about their early lives, careers and families.
“The breadth of work opportunities, projects and experience the Home Office works on was an aspect of the internship that I did not expect,” Lukas said. “Senior living is such a vibrant and exciting field to be a part of.”
Through the internship, he strengthened his skills in leadership and workplace communication while learning how mission-driven organizations create a meaningful impact.
“A lot of the soft skills I’ve learned at my internship have been invaluable, and I’ll be able to carry them forward to my future roles,” Lukas said.
For Lukas, the summer demonstrated that professional growth is not only about developing technical skills. Learning how to communicate effectively, collaborate with others, and remain open to feedback proved just as valuable to his development and prepared him for future career opportunities.
What’s it like interning with Marketing and Communications at Goodwin Living? Noor Shaheen shares her story.
School: George Mason University graduate
Major: Business with a concentration in marketing
Noor knew the Goodwin Living name for years. But it wasn’t until her own family experienced Goodwin Hospice that she saw its impact firsthand.
That experience inspired her to intern with the Marketing and Communications team, where she could help tell the stories of an organization she already knew could make a difference.
“I wanted to intern somewhere where the stories I helped tell reflected the compassion and quality I had [experienced],” Noor said.
Throughout her marketing and communications internship, Noor contributed to content marketing, digital storytelling, social media strategy and recruitment marketing initiatives. These projects allowed her to develop practical marketing skills while helping share the stories that define the Goodwin Living mission and culture.
“The projects taught me marketing, but the people reminded me that the greatest impact always begins with people,” Noor said.
One of her biggest surprises was the team’s collaborative culture. Whether she was helping brainstorm social media captions, writing blogs or capturing content at campus events, Noor found herself constantly learning from those around her.
“Every conversation became an opportunity to learn, and every project challenged me to think more strategically and creatively,” Noor said.
As she prepared for the next step in her career, Noor knew she would take more than marketing experience with her.
“Most importantly, I’ll carry the example set by an incredible team that leads with kindness, collaboration and a genuine commitment to helping others succeed,” Noor said.
What’s it like interning with Life Enrichment at Goodwin Living? Jasmin Chen shares her story.
School: University of Miami, rising junior
Major: Music therapy and psychology
As a music therapy and psychology student, Jasmin began her internship hoping to expand her professional skill set while gaining firsthand experience in senior living, therapeutic engagement and holistic approaches to supporting older adults.
“It is vital to see the many different aspects of healthcare and gain experience working with older adults,” Jasmin said.
What she did not expect was how deeply the residents would shape her experience. From leading bingo games to chatting in the lobby, every interaction left a lasting impression. She was amazed by how welcoming, kind and caring the residents were.
“Whether it’s running our Thursday bingo games or just sitting in the lobby chatting, I have enjoyed every moment with them and learned so much more than I ever could’ve imagined,” Jasmin said.
Another surprise was discovering how many people and departments work together to support older adults each day. While she anticipated learning alongside healthcare professionals, she was struck by the organization-wide efforts, such as the Goodwin Living Foundation, that enrich residents’ lives and support the team members who care for them.
“It [was] really great connecting with other interns on what their daily tasks look like and learning all the different aspects that go into an amazing place,” Jasmin said.
By the end of her internship, she carried forward one lesson above all: the importance of listening with patience.
“Every resident had such an important story, and taking the time to listen gave me insight into life and my career that I never knew I needed,” Jasmin said.
Explore Paid Internships at Goodwin Living
The Summer 2026 Internship Cohort connected students’ interests with real workplace experience, supportive mentors and meaningful work with older adults.
Ready to explore your own path? Learn more about paid internship opportunities at Goodwin Living and find the cohort that best fits your schedule.
When should you apply for a Goodwin Living internship? Review the cohort options below.
- Summer Cohort (June-August):
- Applications open: Early in the spring semester.
- Eligibility: Open to students currently enrolled in any college or university.
- Fall Cohort (September-December):
- Applications open: Early in the spring semester.
- Eligibility: Open to all Marymount University, Northern Virginia Community College and George Mason University students.
- Winter Cohort (December-January):
- Applications open: Late summer.
- Eligibility: Open to students currently enrolled at any college or university and children of Goodwin Living team members.
- Spring Cohort (January-May):
- Applications open: Late summer.
- Eligibility: Open to all Marymount University, Northern Virginia Community College and George Mason University students.
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Caitlin Kelley is completing her undergraduate degree at Northern Virginia Community College to earn her Bachelor of Science in Communications from James Madison University. As the Marketing & Communications Assistant at Goodwin Living, Caitlin has served as a spokesperson, blog writer, event photographer and social media content creator for the organization.
