My name is Minjee Yi. I am a 3rd year business administration student. This summer, I had the opportunity to intern with The Make Cents Foundation as a Financial Literacy and STEAM Education Intern through Georgia Tech’s Social Impact Fellowship. I found this role by browsing through the Scheller website, and I immediately resonated with the organization’s mission to empower underserved youth through practical financial education.
Throughout the internship, I helped design and deliver workshops on budgeting, saving, and basic investing for middle and high school students. We held weekly meetings where I assisted in developing lesson plans, creating interactive content, and supporting community events that made learning about money engaging and approachable. I also contributed to tracking student engagement and program effectiveness through post-session surveys and feedback. In addition to my main responsibilities, I was open to trying new things and had the chance to assist with filming and marketing projects, which gave me insight into how educational programs are promoted and shared with a broader audience.
One of the most meaningful parts of this experience was seeing how accessible and relevant financial literacy could be when taught in the right way. Working directly with these students every week gave me a deeper understanding of the challenges many young people face when it comes to money and reinforced my belief in the power of early education. I gained confidence in public speaking and presentation, especially when leading portions of workshops. I also learned the importance of teamwork and flexibility because many events required quick adjustments, and I saw firsthand how collaboration and creativity made programs stronger.
This internship helped me grow as a communicator, collaborator, and future leader. I’m grateful to The Make Cents Foundation and the Institute for Leadership and Social Impact for giving me the chance to apply my skills to a cause I care about and to learn from people equally passionate about creating change.
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This reflection is part of Georgia Tech’s Social Impact Fellows program, offered through the Institute for Leadership and Social Impact (ILSI). This program connects students with nonprofit and community organizations in Atlanta for semester-long, hands-on project experiences designed to foster co-learning, social responsibility, and personal growth. To learn more about program details and application information, please visit our program webpage.