What I Learned in six Months with Roots to Rise

From January to July 2025, I interned with Roots to Rise, a micro-enterprise that helps strengthen and develop non-profit organisations. My focus was on administration, communication and event organisation. During these six months I worked mostly remotely, starting at 80% and moving to 90% in March. 

I was looking for a job in the field of communication. I picked this internship because of the flexibility and variety it offered, as well as a good gut feeling about the team — and I was right. From day one, working with Beatrice Schulter (my boss) and Nadine Bernasconi (my mentor) was both warm and professional. There was a real sense of support and appreciation. 

 A Day in the Life 

My days usually started with coffee, breakfast and checking Teams and emails. Then I’d get started with my tasks. Sometimes I began my day with something long-term like designing a report, sometimes with a sudden request that had to be turned around quickly. This mix and a spoonful of unpredictability was what kept me entertained and motivated throughout the last six months. We had regular team meetings and touch-bases to align, discuss challenges and priorities; however, I also enjoyed lots of autonomy. That mix of structure and independence really worked for me, as I appreciated the opportunity to learn how to plan my own day and take responsibility for my work. It was great to have the time to learn how to do things properly but also experiencing the rush of having to quickly adapt to new situations and “go with the flow”.  

RECI & 143.ch: Two Very Different Projects 

For RECI, the Swiss Network for Education and International Cooperation, I worked closely with Nadine on a variety of communication and organisational tasks. This included updating the website, preparing and translating newsletters, emailing members, publishing LinkedIn posts, and more. I learned a lot about the challenges in writing for these different medias and applying corporate identity not just visually, but also in writing. One especially rewarding moment was holding the printed 2024 annual report in my hands after working on that project intensively over several weeks. I also supported event planning and coordination, mainly for the inspiring Education Forum 2025 at Zentrum Paul Klee. Seeing how all the little bits and pieces we had consistently been working on over the course of almost half a year come to life was an incredible experience. 

143.ch, the Swiss emotional support hotline, was a different story. The work we had to do was much more chaotic, but also very interesting. Beatrice had taken over interim management of the umbrella organisation’s back office, placing us in a unique position between the strategic and operational branches of the organisation. I supported regional offices across Switzerland, solved technical issues, and created shared folders and forms to help streamline workflows. During this experience I learned to quickly adapt and reprioritise to be able to handle multiple complex projects in such a fast-paced environment at the same time. 

Roots to Rise: Best Team Ever 

Working with Beatrice and Nadine was honestly one of the best parts of this internship. Beatrice leads with empathy, trust, and clarity. She knows when to give space and when to step in. Nadine taught me so much about communication, from tone and content to design and detail. I really appreciated how we moved from working very closely together to me eventually handling a big part of our LinkedIn communications on my own. One big challenge I had to overcome was realising that building in time for mistakes and asking for help is part of the process— especially when faced with a complicated Excel file that made me want to throw my laptop out the window. Luckily, thanks to the team’s support, I’m ending this internship with both new skills and my laptop still in one piece. 

Roots to Rise feels like a small sailboat in a big ocean: waves from world events rock the boat, dolphins leap alongside us bringing joy, and every now and then we run into big fish that make navigating tricky. But we’re in that boat together, and that made all the difference. As I wrap up this internship, I’m genuinely sad to leave, but also excited for what’s ahead: I’ll be starting a new chapter as a journalist at a local radio station. Looking back, I’d do this internship again in a heartbeat. If you’re looking for a place to learn, contribute and grow within a small but impactful team, Roots to Rise is it. 

Odile Sobacic, July 2025