Meredith Fennema '12

In her first year after graduating, Meredith Fennema ’12 worked in five different internships or short-term roles, including: working in Kenya for a fair trade organization; helping develop a plan to lobby the G20 for women’s economic rights in Washington, DC; managing a political campaign for a state representative candidate; interning at a local public relations agency; and serving as Public Relations and Social Media Assistant for ArtPrize.

All five of these positions allowed Meredith to gain experience in the areas she had studied at Calvin, political science and business communications.  Meredith acknowledges that it may not be typical for recent graduates to have so many different roles in such a short amount of time, but it was this process that helped her discover more of her skills and passions.

Based on this experience, Meredith offers the following advice to current students:  “Don't expect to know what job you want or to find the perfect fit right when you graduate. It takes years, and we're all still figuring it out. Make decisions every step of the way based on what seems most true to your strengths and passions. Then someday, you'll look at the job you're in and realize ‘Wow! How cool that this is where I ended up!’ Trust the process and live into the confusion - you'll figure it out!”

Part of the process of “figuring it out” for Meredith included listening to the guidance of trusted mentors.  A former supervisor suggested that Meredith consider working for a foundation, as it could be a perfect fit for her talents, interests, and personality.  In order to learn more about the field, Meredith conducted an informational interview with Roberta King, Vice President of PR and Marketing at Grand Rapids Community Foundation.  A few months later, Roberta contacted Meredith about an opening in her department.  Meredith was hired as the PR and Marketing Specialist at Grand Rapids Community Foundation, the first non-seasonal or internship position she had landed after graduation, and a dream job that aligned with her passions surrounding social equity issues.

As PR and Marketing Specialist, Meredith completes a variety of tasks such as writing, editing the organization’s website, working with the media, creating social media content, designing promotional materials, managing projects, or developing talking points for upcoming interviews. 

“My days are varied, which keeps things interesting and challenges me to stay at the top of my game,” says Meredith.  “One day I might be writing a blog post about why prison reentry in Grand Rapids matters, and another day might be filled with media work to promote Our LGBT Fund for homeless LGBT youth.”

While Meredith values working in a career that allows her to talk about the things she is most passionate about, she also appreciates the many lessons she learned as a Calvin student that translate into her work today.  Being a Student Senator taught Meredith what it takes to get things done in a larger institution, and serving as a Resident Assistant taught her how to diplomatically handle difficult conversations.  In addition, Meredith credits her political science professors for teaching her to effectively solve problems, ask good questions, and figure out why things are the way they are – skills that enhance her work with the Grand Rapids Community Foundation.

Written by Meredith Segur, posted July 2015