Jenna Lester
Providence
Summary
Recent Human Rights M.S. graduate with 7+ years internship experience in the non-profit sector.
Recent graduate with foundational knowledge in Human Services and hands-on experience gained through academic projects and internships. Demonstrates strong teamwork, problem-solving, and time-management skills. Prepared to start career and make meaningful contributions with commitment and drive.
Overview
5
5
years of professional experience
Work History
Wildcats Food and Clothing Center Graduate Assistant
Johnson City Community Schools
Binghamton, NY
08.2025 - 05.2026
- Managed operations of and procurement of goods for the Wildcat Food and Clothing Pantry, receiving over 600 lbs of fresh and non-perishable food items weekly.
- Pioneered the adoption of SIMC/Neighbor Intake software, being the first School Food Center gathering pertinent demographic information in partnership with the Food Bank of the Southern Tier.
- Curated and assembled 35+ weekly food packages with recipe cards for students in need, ensuring nutritious meals in compliance with SNAP guidelines and food items.
- Optimized physical pantry space by redesigning product placement and location of 5, 650+ lb. industrial shelving units, applied for and received grant to purchase 20+ measured shelf liners.
Center for New Americans Intern
InterFaith Works Central New York
Syracuse, NY
06.2025 - 08.2025
- Created a comprehensive checklist to assist in auditing client paperwork, which helped maintain high compliance standards for case managers and with 50+ assigned clients.
- Designed and implemented a custom data system using Python and AI to search-and-replace 12+ fillable documents per client.
- Engineered a scalable binder system, standardizing training tools for other volunteers and interns.
Volunteer Services (Recruitment) Intern
American Red Cross of Western NY
Endicott, NY
05.2024 - 08.2024
- Facilitated Community Disaster-Preparedness Day Event in Sullivan County, NY. Managed 10+ volunteers and corresponding activities, advertised and marketed on-call event, and responsible for communications and logistics.
- Coordinated monthly luncheon event for 10+ members of the Volunteer Administrators of the Southern Tier, strengthening community partnerships and volunteer recruitment strategies.
- Synthesized disaster and volunteer data to prioritize recruitment in 3 key regions, boosting engagement through targeted marketing initiatives.
Human Resources Intern
Cold Chain Technologies
Franklin, MA
06.2022 - 08.2023
- Oversaw CCT University, managing 5+ employee-led courses to enhance understanding of new company developments among international and domestic personnel.
- Evaluated and selected 20+ training programs for designated positions, supporting successful adaptation to the new employee development platform.
- Supported onboarding activities to ensure smooth integration of new hires into company culture.
Americorps VISTA
Farm Fresh Rhode Island
Providence, RI
06.2021 - 08.2021
- Oversaw operations of 4 farmers markets with one associate, which incentivized use of USDA food assistance programs.
- Processed POS transactions using customer SNAP benefits in compliance with federal and state regulations.
- Collected, analyzed, and distributed financial and demographic data to be used for grant procurement and performance analytics.
Education
Master of Science - Human Rights
State University of New York At Binghamton
Binghamton, NY12-2025
Bachelor of Science - Human Development
State University of New York At Binghamton
Binghamton, NY05-2024
Skills
- Marketing: Canva, BrandCentral, Facebook
- Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS)
- Microsoft Office & Google Suite
- Organizational support
- Quantitative & Qualitative academic research
- Event organization
Accomplishments
- Excellence in Service, Going Above and Beyond, March 2025, Issued at Empire State Service Corps. Service and Civics Summit 2025
LANGUAGES
Spanish
Limited Working
Timeline
Wildcats Food and Clothing Center Graduate Assistant
Johnson City Community Schools
08.2025 - 05.2026
Center for New Americans Intern
InterFaith Works Central New York
06.2025 - 08.2025
Volunteer Services (Recruitment) Intern
American Red Cross of Western NY
05.2024 - 08.2024
Human Resources Intern
Cold Chain Technologies
06.2022 - 08.2023
Americorps VISTA
Farm Fresh Rhode Island
06.2021 - 08.2021
Master of Science - Human Rights
State University of New York At Binghamton
Bachelor of Science - Human Development
State University of New York At Binghamton