Highlighting Hounds- Ashley Wenzel

Happy Finals Week, Hounds! This week on Highlighting Hounds, we are featuring senior Ashley Wenzel ’25 and her internship at Why Me & Sherry’s House, a nonprofit organization based in Worcester, MA, that is dedicated to supporting families battling childhood cancer. The organization offers a wide range of services, including family fun events, support groups, financial assistance, and summer camps, all aimed at providing emotional, financial, and logistical support to families coping with the challenges of a cancer diagnosis. During her internship, Ashley assisted with event planning, outreach efforts, and administrative tasks, contributing to the organization’s mission of ensuring that no family faces their journey alone. Keep reading to learn more about Ashley’s impactful experience and the skills she gained throughout her internship!

Give a brief overview of the company that you intern with, as well as what your
position is.


Why Me & Sherry’s House is a nonprofit organization based in Worcester, MA,
dedicated to providing support for families battling childhood cancer. Why Me provides
emotional, financial, and logistical assistance to families navigating the challenges of
pediatric cancer, including family fun events, support groups, financial assistance,
summer camps, and other programs—all to help families cope with the overwhelming
impact of a cancer diagnosis, foster a sense of community, and ensure that no family
faces this journey alone. As an intern at Why Me & Sherry’s House, my role involved
assisting with various events and programs aimed at supporting families affected by
childhood cancer. I helped coordinate and plan events, contributed to outreach and
communication efforts, and supported the administrative side of the organization.


Describe a typical day as an intern. What are your day-to-day tasks and
responsibilities?

A typical day as an intern at Why Me & Sherry’s House varied depending on the tasks
at hand, but it always involved a mix of administrative work, family support, and
community outreach. My responsibilities often aligned with the specific events we were
preparing for at the time. One of my responsibilities was handling various mailing tasks,
ensuring that families received up-to-date information about upcoming events and
programs. I also sent emails and made phone calls to families to provide information
and reminders about these events. I was responsible for helping create and prepare
materials for events such as parent-to-parent support meetings, Carnival Day,
Halloween, and Christmas celebrations. For Carnival Day, I worked on props and
organized prizes for the children. For Halloween, I designed and created craft activities
and games for the children to enjoy. Each month for the parent-to-parent meetings, I
created a new themed craft for the children. I also helped organize and track food
donations for the food pantry. This involved sorting through donated items, checking
expiration dates, and categorizing them to ensure they were accessible for the families.
Most recently, during the holiday season, I assisted with organizing children’s Christmas
wish lists, wrapping presents, and ensuring that everything was ready for the holiday
party. I also assisted in organizing the Adopt a Family donations, making sure that all
items were properly logged, sorted, and distributed to the families in need.

Were you involved in any major projects or accomplishments as an intern?

During my internship at Why Me & Sherry’s House, I had the opportunity to be involved
in several major events that were essential to the families we served. The first major
event I contributed to was the annual Carnival Day. Prior to the event, I assisted with
preparing props and prizes for the children. At the event, I made and served cotton
candy for the children. The day included carnival games, bouncy houses, face painting,
food trucks, DJ entertainment, and arts and crafts. It was incredibly rewarding to see the
children so engaged and to witness firsthand the positive impact these events had on
the families. Another major event I helped plan was the Halloween Walk-Through. For
this event, we transformed the entire backyard of Sherry’s House into a spooky, fun
environment, decorating with inflatables, webs, scary figures, and more. Upon entering
the house, families and children participated in crafts before beginning the walk-through
which also included games and spooky surprises along the way. The last event I helped
plan was the Christmas Holiday Party. Each year, the staff asks parents to send their
child’s Christmas wish list, and the organization provides each child with one gift from
their list, which they receive at the holiday party. I contributed to organizing the lists,
ensuring the gifts were accurately priced, and assisted in wrapping and organizing
these presents for the party.


What are your career goals? How will this internship help you reach those goals?


At this point, I am still exploring my options and figuring out the direction I want to take
in my career. While I’m uncertain about the exact path, I do know that I want to work
with children and make a positive impact in their lives. I’m passionate about helping
others and want to pursue a career that allows me to provide support to those in need.
This internship has given me valuable hands-on experience working directly with
children and their families, helping me understand the critical role of both emotional and
logistical support. By contributing to this meaningful organization, I’ve gained insight into
what it truly means to make a lasting, positive impact. These experiences are helping to
shape my career goals and will guide me as I continue to explore opportunities in the
future.


What are your key takeaways from your experience? What skills did you gain
from this internship?


One of the key takeaways from my experience is the profound impact that a supportive
community can have on families facing difficult challenges. Being part of an organization
that provides essential services and support has shown me the importance of empathy
and compassion in making a lasting difference. I’ve also learned that even the smallest
acts can have a profound impact and make a significant difference in someone’s life.
I’ve witnessed firsthand how simple, seemingly small tasks can contribute to something
much larger, creating meaningful and lasting change for those who need it most. In
terms of skills, I’ve strengthened my organizational and time management abilities,
allowing me to effectively juggle multiple tasks. I’ve also gained hands-on experience in
event planning and coordination. My communication skills have improved, both in
writing and speaking, and in my professional interactions with staff and families. I have
also developed the ability to work directly with families in a compassionate, empathetic,
and supportive manner, always considering their unique needs and challenges.

Why did you apply to this internship? What aspects of the position/company
interested you?


I applied to this internship because I was drawn to the organization’s mission of
providing support to families affected by childhood cancer. As someone who is
passionate about helping others, I wanted to contribute to an organization that has a
meaningful impact on its community. With previous experience working with children in
schools, I wanted to expand my experience in a different setting and gain a deeper
understanding of other professions within the field of support services. The opportunity
to work with families who are navigating such challenging circumstances was something
that interested me because I wanted to be able to make a difference in the lives of
others.


How has your Assumption career prepared you for this internship?


My education at Assumption has provided me with a solid foundation that prepared me
for this internship. My coursework in psychology, human services, and education has
deepened my understanding of human behavior and the emotional needs of individuals
and families. These courses have provided me with valuable insights into teaching, as
well as enhancing my ability to approach others with empathy and understanding. My
classes at Assumption helped me develop effective communication skills which have
helped me both professionally and personally, especially when interacting with families,
colleagues, and community members. These experiences and coursework have helped
me manage tasks, support others, and thrive in a collaborative environment during my
internship.


What advice would you give to a student who wants to participate in an
internship?


My advice to a student considering an internship is to be open to learning and embrace
every opportunity to grow, both personally and professionally. Internships are a great
way to gain hands-on experience in a specific field, or like in my case, to explore
different professions and better understand what you do and don’t enjoy in a career.
Internships also offer a great opportunity to build relationships and network with other
people within the organization. As I recently concluded my internship, I am extremely
grateful for the relationships I made with the staff at Why Me. Even if you’re nervous
about trying something new, internships are a great way to learn about yourself, the field
you’re exploring, and are definitely worth pursuing.


How did your skills as a student-athlete translate into this position?


My experience as a student-athlete on the Women’s Soccer team at Assumption directly
contributed to my success during my internship at Why Me & Sherry’s House. The
leadership and teamwork skills I developed as an athlete were key in my ability to
collaborate effectively with the staff and families. As a member of a team, I learned to
communicate clearly and stay focused under pressure—skills that proved essential
when working with a diverse group of people and managing multiple tasks during my
internship. Balancing my academic commitments with a demanding practice and game
schedule taught me how to stay organized, prioritize tasks, and maintain a strong work
ethic. These abilities were critical when coordinating events and contributing to a
team-oriented environment at Why Me & Sherry’s House.

If you are interested in being featured on Highlighting Hounds or know of any students who would be a strong candidate, please email us at careerdevelopment@assumption.edu!

By Audrey Strmiska
Audrey Strmiska Marketing, Communications, and Event Managment Graduate Assistant