Quick Summary
Main focus: finalizing the website redesign, meeting with Linda Althof to review the completed work, reflecting on the internship experience, and preparing the site for its upcoming launch alongside Emma & Dan’s Journey.
The Final Stretch
This week marked the end of my internship with Gliding Stars of Erie—and honestly, it still doesn’t fully feel over.
Even after finishing the major pages and systems of the website, I kept finding myself going back and polishing tiny details:
- spacing adjustments
- mobile responsiveness
- hover effects
- wording changes
- image sizing
- navigation behavior
- and other little things that most people would probably never consciously notice
But that’s also just how I work.
Once I care deeply about a project, it becomes hard for me to stop refining it.
And truthfully, I do not think I will ever fully “stop” working on this site as long as I remain connected with Gliding Stars in some way.
Preparing for Launch
At this point, the major remaining task is implementing the new website fully with Linda Allen and transitioning everything over officially.
That timing became especially important because Emma & Dan’s Journey is beginning very soon, and they need a proper online destination where people can:
- learn about Gliding Stars
- understand the mission
- and donate to support the organization
That alone makes this project feel very real now.
For most of the semester, I was building and refining behind the scenes.
Now the website is about to actually become the organization’s public-facing home online.
Meeting with Linda Althof
Earlier this week, I met with Linda Althof in person at Penn State Behrend.
In a way, that meeting felt symbolic beyond just the internship itself.
It was:
- one of my final times on campus
- one of my final times inside the Reed building as a student
- and one of the final major pieces of work connected to my college experience before graduating on May 8, 2026.
During the meeting, we completed the final internship evaluation paperwork and made sure everything was officially wrapped up from the university side.
But more importantly, I wanted to walk her through the website in person.
Throughout these blog posts, I have explained:
- what I changed
- why I changed it
- what problems I was trying to solve
- and how much intentional thought went into even the smallest details
So I wanted her to actually experience all of it directly.
We walked through:
- the homepage
- the navigation
- the volunteer systems
- the mobile layouts
- the donation flow
- the new organization structure
- and the overall direction of the site
and I explained many of the design choices and communication decisions behind everything.
Seeing the Reaction
Linda absolutely loved the website.
More than anything, she seemed relieved.
Relieved that:
- things were finally organized
- the organization had a strong digital foundation
- and someone had taken the time to truly think through all the little details that nobody previously had the time or technical background to focus on.
That honestly meant a lot to me.
Because throughout this entire internship, my goal was never just: “make a prettier website.”
I wanted to create something that:
- actually represented the heart of the organization
- solved communication problems
- reduced confusion
- worked well on modern devices
- and gave Gliding Stars a foundation they could confidently build on moving forward.
And hearing her reaction made me feel like I accomplished that.
Trust and Follow-Through
One thing I realized during this meeting is how much this internship ultimately became about trust.
When I first emailed Linda back in January, all I really had was:
- some previous video work
- ideas
- and a willingness to help.
Now, several months later, I had:
- documented an entire season
- attended practices consistently
- interviewed leadership
- covered the ice show
- photographed the banquet
- created promotional content
- and rebuilt the organization’s website from the ground up.
There are still a few logistics and technical details to finalize before launch, but at this point, I think I’ve shown that:
- I care deeply about the organization
- I follow through on what I say I’m going to do
- and I genuinely want the program to succeed long-term.
That feeling of trust means more to me than just finishing an assignment for school.
Reflection
Looking back now, this internship became much bigger than I expected it to be.
At the beginning, I thought I was mostly:
- rebuilding a website
- making some videos
- and helping with social media.
But over time, it became:
- learning the culture of the organization
- understanding the families and volunteers
- documenting meaningful moments
- helping tell important stories
- and creating systems that will hopefully continue helping the organization long after this semester ends.
I also learned how important it is for nonprofit organizations to have people willing to help bridge the gap between:
- passion
- and communication.
Gliding Stars already had:
- incredible people
- incredible stories
- incredible energy
- and an amazing mission.
What they lacked was the digital infrastructure and communication systems to fully present all of that to the broader community.
Hopefully this project helped move them closer to that.
Final Thoughts
I hope future interns continue this work and continue documenting the organization through this blog system and website structure.
There are so many stories connected to Gliding Stars that still deserve to be told.
But as for my part in it, I feel genuinely proud of what I created.
Not just because it looks good—but because it feels meaningful.
I would proudly show this website to anyone.
And more importantly, I think it now presents Gliding Stars of Erie in a way that reflects what the organization actually feels like in person:
- welcoming
- joyful
- supportive
- organized
- emotional
- and full of people who care deeply about each other.
That is what I really wanted to accomplish from the beginning.
And now, heading to graduation, it feels really good to know I did.