“This co-op has guided and strengthened my confidence about what I want to do for my career.”
– Carina Wu
Co-op Term: Fall 2024
Position: Volunteer & Advancement Assistant
Employer: Pine Street Inn
During her time at Pine Street Inn, Carina answered volunteer inquiries, coordinated events and shifts, and led corporate assembly projects, including her first one solo for Consigli Construction. She also helped open a new 140-unit housing site and coordinate its volunteers, tracked and received a steady stream of donations, and gave tours.
Carina gained a firsthand understanding of how complex a large nonprofit is, especially how departments with different priorities must work together. With guidance from her supervisors, she learned to handle tough situations independently, use humor, and lean on coworkers.
This co-op strengthened her confidence in her career path as a Human Service major and fueled her passion for helping people experiencing homelessness and changing stereotypes about them. She saw how Boston’s philanthropic spirit, with so many corporate, community, school, and church groups eager to help, makes a real difference, while perceptions of homelessness elsewhere often blame people for “not working hard enough.”
