Intern Spotlight: Amari Smith

What made you interested in this internship with BFAIR?

I was interested in interning at BFAIR because it gave me the opportunity to apply my technical skills in a real-world environment while supporting a meaningful mission. I wanted hands-on IT experience that went beyond classroom learning, and this internship allowed me to take on responsibilities I likely wouldn’t have been exposed to until much later in my career. Being able to contribute to a nonprofit organization while developing professionally, made the opportunity especially appealing.

What is something new you’ve learned or a skill you’ve developed during your internship?

During my internship, I’ve developed a deeper understanding of asset management and IT infrastructure best practices. I’ve learned the importance of proper configuration and troubleshooting, including practical lessons like avoiding connecting two PoE ports together on switches.

I’ve also gained experience understanding the hierarchy of reporting IT tasks and monitoring our managed service provider to ensure services are efficient and cost-effective. In addition, I’ve developed hands-on experience managing the Microsoft 365 environment, including auditing and organizing licenses to prevent unnecessary expenses. This helped me see how IT decisions directly impact an organization’s operational costs.

What has been your favorite part of the internship so far?

One of the most rewarding experiences was assisting with updating networking appliances and installing three MS130 switches along with an MX85 firewall. This was my first large-scale infrastructure project, and I was proud of the role I played in completing it successfully. 

What advice would you give to other students who are thinking about applying for an internship at BFAIR?

Take it seriously and pay attention to the details. The work you do actually matters, especially in IT where small mistakes or improvements can have a big impact.