Diary of a First-Time Consulting Intern

Tara came to Tiny Windows early in the summer of 2026. She was immediately beloved. While still a high school student, she radiated a warm wisdom that we all appreciated. Tara spent her 6-week internship with TW interviewing the team, conducting research for client projects, writing, and reflecting on what it meant to serve the Jewish community as a consultant. When she wrapped up her too-short time with us, she left us with this reflection. Thank you, Tara! It was a joy to learn with and from you, and we’re cheering you on, always. - Miriam

*****

This summer, I had the privilege of joining the team at Tiny Windows Consulting—my first real look at the backend of the nonprofit world, and my first exposure to consulting at all. Before this, "consulting" was a word I mostly associated with people in blazers saying words like "synergy". I now know it is, thankfully, vastly different (or at least it is at Tiny Windows).

Over six weeks, I joined team meetings, conducted one-on-one interviews with each of the Tiny Windows team members, and worked on client deliverables (also learned what the word “deliverables” meant). While there were many things that I learned from my time here, there were two things that stood out to me in particular, the first being the level of intentionality that is poured into all of the work Tiny Windows does. Consulting is not a “copy-and-pasteable” field, at least not in the way Tiny Windows does it. The amount of thought that goes into every strategic plan, PR pitch or even client meeting rivals even my own overthinking. Each action is case-specific, and the passion and care that each person on the team has for the work they do is prevalent throughout all of the work they produce.

Since the first Monday team meeting I joined, the Tiny Windows Team’s cohesion was another thing that has truly stuck with me. Not only are each of the team members remarkable on their own, but the way the entire team operates with mutual respect and care for every person truly amazed me. I felt immediately welcomed, and when working with multiple team members, I learned not only from the work they did but in how they collaborated with one another, how their ideas not only bounced off each other but were continuously improved, and how each member spoke with deep reverence about the work that other team members do. 

I came to Tiny Windows eager to learn from people doing communications work I genuinely admired, and I got a summer's worth of proof that there's no shortcut for real, specific, intentional work. Grateful doesn't quite cover it, but it's the closest word I've got.