Jonella Rivers Joins GRIN for Summer Internship

July 15, 2022

Jonella Rivers

GRIN Intern

Hello, my name is Jonella Rivers. This summer, I have the opportunity to work with the Gila River Indian News as an intern with the help of the Employment and Training’s Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA). I come from Sacaton, District 3, and have lived here my entire life.

The isolation of the pandemic sparked the reason for participating in this summers program. During that time, I wanted to be able to do something with all the time wasted prior. This summer I hope to learn how the GRIN is published from article development, printing, and delivery. 

My decision to be placed at the GRIN was that I wanted to try something different and out of my comfort zone since I’d never had a job prior. My only job experience was volunteering, such as helping the homeless or visiting/helping the elders.

My free time consists of painting. I prefer to paint in acrylic, and I usually paint landscapes. Currently, I’m practicing drawing realism by studying the anatomy of the human body. Other than that I often enjoy reading a lot too. I read a little everything from Jane Austen to Patti Smith, Rick Riordan, C.S. Lewis, and even Shakespeare.

As for my education, I am currently planning on doing online school for the remainder of high school and attending the East Valley Institute of Technology (EVIT) to be an aesthetician. Later, I plan to become a dermatologist.

Overall, I look forward to working with the Community, which I’ve always wanted to try and experience meeting people and employees working within the Commnity. I also hope to learn how education has excelled Community professionals, help understand their work and how they make a difference for our Community.