Simply being in the NYU Hillel orbit, it’s impossible not to hear about CLIP (Collegiate Leadership Internship Program). It’s a program run by NYU Hillel, where students are selected for placement in various Jewish nonprofits based in NYC, accompanied by weekly professional development sessions.

Jewish nonprofits and professional development sessions weren’t exactly my speed as a sophomore Urban Planning student. But as the deadline for the CLIP application approached, I thought to myself “why not give this a shot?”

When I interviewed with Honeycomb and heard about their job description, I was very glad to have applied. The experience was essential and invaluable upon completing it. Honeycomb has offered me the opportunity to use geographic data analysis skills in a Jewish nonprofit context – a rare combination uniquely suited for my skillset. As Laura, my supervisor, can attest, I could hardly contain my excitement.

I showed up to an empty office on a snowy Tuesday morning in late January. Laura greeted me and apologized for having an empty office and various scattered boxes. I didn’t care. I was just happy to have my own desk and computer. The next month or so was filled with mostly onboarding tasks and getting to know the rest of the office. I remained eager to get started on my project, but these tasks taught me the value of patience. When I lost hours of work after not saving in the right format on our document-sharing platform, I was frustrated. Reflecting on these experiences have taught me that contingencies exist for a reason. Once I finally opened ArcGIS (a mapping and data analysis software that lets you visualize, analyze, and understand geographic information) and got started on my project, I understood the workflow of the office and was prepared the next time I had to troubleshoot.

As I continued with my research, combing through millions of rows of census data, pinpointing areas with population growth and high proportions of families with teens, I gained a better understanding of the structures of the Jewish teen programming landscape. In this whirlwind of a time for American Jews, it was encouraging to open up every webpage and be greeted with a picture of smiling young Jews. It looks like the kids are alright.

On the day of my big presentation, I was nervous, as we all are. With my own work, I can never seem to shake the mentality that it is unfinished, especially with such an open-ended assignment as this one. But after receiving such positive feedback from Laura (Honeycomb’s Program and Education Director) and Danielle (Honeycomb’s Executive Director), I felt satisfied.

As I sit at my desk overlooking the Hudson River on my last day in the office, I am thinking about how far I’ve come. I’ve learned a lot about the structure of the Jewish nonprofit world and teen programming specifically, learned and navigated a new office culture, produced and delivered a report to the Honeycomb staff, and, of course, watched the USA beat Canada in hockey during the Winter Olympics. I’m genuinely so appreciative of this opportunity. I end with gratitude to my supervisor Laura, CLIP director Mel, everyone else involved in CLIP, Honeycomb, and JFN, my parents, and to Hashem.

Ami Dube
Honeycomb Intern, January-April 2026.

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For more information, contact Laura Hemlock-Schaeffer, Program & Education Director.