Internships are key in the life and career of Heather Perry ’23.
Her first internship with United Way of Kankakee and Iroquois Counties, while she was still a student at Olivet Nazarene University, connected her with non-profit philanthropy in the real world.
Her summer internship with Appalachia Reach Out (ARO) after she graduated from Olivet led to her current full-time job as the Academic Director and Campus Assistant.
Today, she leads ARO’s internship program, welcoming college students to learn more about working with our country’s underserved population.
And everything began when she asked God, “Where do you want me, Lord?”
Trust and Obey
Heather’s senior year in high school was also the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. “I was sure I wanted to go to a Christian college,” she recalls. “And I needed a good financial aid package. But I wasn’t sure where to go. With the recommendation of my pastor and the leading of the Holy Spirit, Olivet became my decision.”
As the first person in her family to attend Olivet, she trusted God’s leading and enrolled. Because of a troubled family situation, distance, and other factors, she was unable to visit campus before her move-in day.
“When my parents and I pulled into the parking lot at Olivet, after a 16-hour drive from North Carolina, I knew immediately I was where I supposed to be,” she says. “I felt a peace about my decision.” And so, her educational adventure began!
From Pandemic to Philanthropy
Heather sharpened her focus on what God was calling her to do by majoring in Business Administration with a Philanthropy and Not-for-Profit concentration in Olivet’s McGraw School of Business. She joined the Student Philanthropy Council, helping to educate students about philanthropy and giving to student-supported scholarships.
As a member of Enactus, Heather worked closely with Dr. Lynda Allen ’82/’88 MBA. “In Enactus with Dr. Allen, I got a lot of practical business experience and mentoring,” she says. “Dr. Allen was one of favorite professors. I liked her Principles of Marketing class so much, I added a minor in Marketing so I could take more classes with her.”
Through Enactus, Heather got involved with Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a non-profit in the Kankakee area. This organization builds and delivers beds to children in Kankakee County, so no child has to sleep on the floor. She helped with marketing, client connections, delivery appointments, build days, and actual deliveries of the beds.
Heather also appreciated the influence of Dr. Glen Rewerts, associate dean of Olivet’s McGraw School of Business. “I attended the Bible study with Dr. Rewerts during my years at Olivet,” she says. “I continue to appreciate how he invests in the students spiritually. I also traveled with the group he led to study in London and Paris during a summer program.”
“Dr. Allen and Dr. Rewerts showed me that I could be a leader,” Heather adds. “And they are always pointing their students to Christ and His leadership model. They prepared me to go out and love our world.”
More Connections, More Faith
During her sophomore year at Olivet, Heather helped with a fundraising event for United Way of Kankakee and Iroquois Counties. “When I was looking for an internship in my senior year, the School of Business connected with me Mariah Vail at United Way,” she says. “Working alongside Mariah, I learned about corporate and individual donor engagement, the Salesforce platform, how to create graphics in CanvaPro, and even how to create videos.” Today, Mariah (Garratt) Vail ’17/’19 MBA is United Way’s Executive Director.
During her senior year, Heather wanted to go on a mission trip and thought of going out of the United States with Olivet’s Shalom Project. When she discovered she had lost her passport, she had to change her plans. She was able to join the mission trip to Appalachia Reach Out in Kentucky.
“I had completed a few interviews for jobs after graduation, but nothing had felt right yet,” Heather says. “After serving for a week with ARO and seeing Christ’s love in action, I began wondering how I could go back there.”
Heather reached out to Executive Director Dwayne Mills ’09 MOL about an internship after graduation. “Dwayne said, ‘Let’s try it and see if it works,’” Heather recalls. “I moved in two weeks after I graduated. That summer, I hosted mission teams, led VBS, worked on school repairs, and engaged with teams from all over the US. And I’m still here!”
In addition to leading ARO’s internship program, Heather works alongside the other ARO staff members hosting mission teams throughout the year — including a team from Olivet every spring. She works directly with the local schools in Kentucky to serve the underserved. In addition, she maintains ARO’s website, manages the Facebook and Instagram accounts, manages the donor database and helps raise awareness about ARO.
“One of my greatest joys is attending the local Celebrate Recovery worship services,” she says. “These are very raw and also very inspiring. I shared my testimony with a group of 100 women at a recovery center. I also get to share my story with every mission team we host.”
Heather adds, “I grew up in difficult circumstances, and people lavished love on me. Now, I get to do that for families I work with through ARO. We have a summer feeding program, and I get to visit 20 of those families. I pray with them and listen to them share about their experiences. God uses everything for good.”
Learn more about Olivet’s McGraw School of Business and degree programs by emailing admissions@olivet.edu or calling 800-648-1463.
