By Chloe Avioli, Miller Center Intern, Campus Engagement Ambassador
My time at Santa Clara University started when I stepped on campus for the first time during move-in weekend. (I applied during the pandemic and did not get to visit.) Freshman year was a blur of settling in, making friends, and figuring out what I even wanted my college experience to look like, but by sophomore year, I was ready to get more involved. While browsing Workday for on-campus jobs, I stumbled upon an internship opportunity at Miller Center for Global Impact. I didn’t really know exactly what “social entrepreneurship” meant, but it instantly stood out. As a business student constantly surrounded by talk of money and corporations, I was excited to find a place where business could be used for good.
I joined as a Campus Engagement Ambassador alongside my lovely coworkers, Ella and Tate. We were welcomed by Anthony Sampson, of course, Miller Center’s Campus Engagement Manager, as well as Alex and Sierra, the original ambassador team. I learned how to table, give classroom and club presentations, and talk to students about Miller Center’s awesome student opportunities. Despite fumbling my elevator pitch many, many times, after two years, I’ve got it down pretty well.
After a great spring quarter starting out at Miller Center, I went abroad in Milan, Italy, during the fall of my junior year. I had the best experience there, and it grew my love of traveling and meeting new people from different backgrounds. I came back to a growing Miller Center team with Eve joining while Ella and I were abroad. Our team focused on making outreach more engaging, revamping our tabling, and recruiting for summer internships. I also spent that summer in Santa Clara for a part-time marketing internship in Livermore. At Miller Center, I helped coordinate meetings, organized community-building events like Pizza My Heart lunches and a happy hour at The Hut, and encouraged the summer interns to spend time in the office and get to know the staff. Justin also joined the Campus Engagement team that summer, and I got to show him the ropes and brainstorm new ideas for the upcoming school year.
Senior year brought new responsibilities, nervousness, and excitement about graduating… I helped with Miller Center’s In-Residence event and stepped into a project manager internship during winter quarter, helping to train four new ambassadors. I graduated in March but continued working at Miller Center and started a communications internship at Tala, a fintech company that works to expand global financial access.
Miller Center has definitely been a very meaningful part of my time at SCU. It’s shown me that there are so many ways to make a difference through business. The staff have been incredibly supportive and have helped shape how I think about my future. I’m now looking for a job where I can continue to combine my skills in business and communications with my passion for impact. Thankfully, Miller Center has shown that it’s possible!
