![Melvin Alvarez3](/apps/ctw/profiles/images/d736bb10d83a904aefc1d6ce93dc54b8.jpg)
Internships are a great way to learn about specific jobs and organizations, but also a good way to build your credentials and network. An internship can be an entry point to a great and competitive company or a launching pad to your dream job.
Melvin Alvarez ’15
- Current Job
Grant Program Coordinator, 11th Hour Racing - At Skidmore
Environmental Studies and Sciences and Spanish Major | Co-President, American Red Cross Club, Skidmore Chapter | Study Abroad: Skidmore in Spain | SITI Australia: Sustainability and Environmental Action - Internships
Community Organizing Intern, Tenants and Workers United, Alexandria, VA | Climate Change Intern, New Virginia Majority, Alexandria, VA | Program Support and Communications Intern, Amazon Conservation Association, Washington, DC - After Skidmore
MA, University of Rhode Island, Marine Affairs & Coastal Management | United Nations, Environmental Policy Consultant, Ecosystems
About Melvin
I recently joined 11th Hour Racing, which is part of the Eric and Wendy Schmidt Network, as Grant Program Coordinator. After working with the federal and United Nations bureaucracies, I wanted to switch career paths and enter the philanthropic field, which has stepped up as an environmental leader after the U.S. withdrew from the Paris Accord. I coordinate grantsmaking for 11th Hour Racing, which provides funding to NGOs working to advance solutions and practices that protect and restore the health of our oceans. My new post also allows me to engage with underserved communities to enhance students' educational opportunities and outcomes in their neighborhoods. Happily, this blends my passions for working with traditionally marginalized groups and on environmental issues. I have extensive experience in ocean management and policy and contributed to developing federal legislation to address marine plastic pollution while working with Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and the UN. At the UN Environment Regional Office, I served as the Interim Ecosystems Division Regional Lead, managing the ocean portfolio for North America and engaging with the governments of Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. to address transnational ocean issues. I completed a M.A. in Marine Affairs at the University of Rhode Island in 2017, and previously worked with a variety of NGOs in social and environmental issues.