While home in Texas over winter recess, Andrew Bellah JE ’22 was busy making plans for the summer before his sophomore year. After researching opportunities—and recalling his peers’ enthusiasm for Yale’s Summer Experience Award (SEA) program—he accepted an internship in Washington, DC, with UNICEF USA, the stateside nonprofit supporting the mission of the United Nations Children’s Fund.

“The SEA allowed me to take an unpaid internship and focus my energy on contributing to the work of this remarkable organization,” Andrew explains. “These are the kinds of opportunities you hear about when you consider coming to Yale. It was a life-changing experience for me.”

Each Yale College student who receives term-time financial aid is eligible for a SEA, which provides a $4,000 grant to those who participate in unpaid or underfunded service or arts opportunities in the United States. Undergraduates gain practical knowledge in the areas they wish to pursue; or, in Andrew’s case, parlay their passions into new experiences altogether.

A political science major, Andrew is drawn to voter data analysis. At UNICEF USA, he applied this interest to the philanthropic division by evaluating giving patterns and streamlining donor databases. “It was highly motivating for me because it helped my colleagues optimize their fundraising strategies, which in turn improve the lives of vulnerable children around the world.”

Andrew developed a new appreciation for those who commit their lives to serving others. “This summer was my first foray into working full-time,” he says. “Those at UNICEF USA inherently understand the value of spending your time and energy wisely to help make a measurable difference in communities around the world. I will carry that with me wherever I go next.”