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introducing Whitney Pilzer…

Age: 20

School/Year/Major: Belmont / Junior / Music Business Major, International Business Minor

Favorite place you’ve traveled? I’ve been fortunate enough to travel to Europe, and the most beautiful place I’ve ever been to is Lake Como, Italy. On the other hand, one of my closest friends lives in London, and I’ve had the time of my life there. Europe in general is overflowing with different culture and life, which I really appreciate.

Hidden talent? Not sure if it’s technically a talent, but sometimes I dream in French!

If you could have a pen pal, who would it be? Either Sylvia Plath or Chuck Palahniuk. Both are incredible writers… in very different ways!

Guilty pleasure? Properly made iced coffee! The best I’ve had is at Portland Brew and I just discovered it this summer!

Why are you excited about interning with Mocha Club? I cannot express how excited I am to intern with Mocha Club! I was blessed to be able to intern with a non-profit in the Spring and had the most amazing time working on different projects that I knew were directly saving people’s lives. The feeling that I got from helping others was better than a paycheck – I know it sounds crazy, but believe me! I’m so impressed with all of the projects that Mocha Club is working on, and I cannot wait to get involved and brainstorm with the other interns and build ideas together. Also, I’m really looking forward to getting to know the other interns and the staff – I was lucky to work with Annie at my last internship, and I can’t wait to get to hear that infectious laughter again!

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Don’t forget that the Mochaterns have their own blog. Our fall team will be continuing to update you from their point of view all semester!

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introducing Sarah Minor…

Age: 20

School/Year/Major: Belmont University / Junior / Music Business

Favorite Place You’ve Traveled? I haven’t traveled outside of the US yet but my fave place I’ve been to in the states would probably have to be Virginia. I went to Jamestown, Yorktown, and Williamsburg. I love our colonial history and to me being there and spending my summer before senior year there was pretty much awesome

Hidden talent? Well….I do like to sing and I’m pretty sure I’m not tone deaf…haha I’m not sure if I have a bonifide (spell check) hidden talent that I know of, maybe I’ll discover it while at Mocha Club

If you could have a pen pal, who would it be? Totally would be Josh Groban, I am obsessed with that man. P.S his new album comes out this fall. Pretty much stoked.

Guilty pleasure? hmmm….90’s boy bands…love me some backstreet boys, n’sync, and 98 degrees

Why are you excited about interning with Mocha Club? While being at Belmont I’ve discovered that I have a heart for helping others and that is what Mocha Club is all about. Having the opportunity to be a part of such an amazing organization that makes a difference in so many lives is once in a lifetime and I am humbled and so very grateful to have been offered this role as an intern to learn, grow, and maybe even offer a few ideas every now and then to such an organization as Mocha Club.

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Don’t forget that the Mochaterns have their own blog. Our fall team will be continuing to update you from their point of view all semester!

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introducing Chelsea Ruff…

Age: 20

School/Year/Major: Belmont University / Senior / Entrepreneurship, Music Business, & Dance

Favorite Place You’ve Traveled? Hands down..Spain.

Hidden talent? I’ve been told I’m fairly persuasive.  Also with a fairly slippery floor I can do a decent moon walk.

If you could have a pen pal, who would it be? My grandpa… 50 years ago.

Guilty pleasure? Toooo many.  Frozen Yogurt, Peanut Butter, & Lil Wayneare the top contenders.

Why are you excited about interning with Mocha Club? I’m excited about many things. I’m excited to be surrounded by a group of people who are passionate about helping others. I’m excited to be working for an organization that gives back. I am also excited to further explore my passions and abilities as I try to figure out what it is I want to do with my life.

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Don’t forget that the Mochaterns have their own blog. Our fall team will be continuing to update you from their point of view all semester!

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introducing Catherine Solomon…

Age: 22

School/Year/Major: Penn State / Graduated May 2010 / Advertising major, Sociology minor

Favorite place you’ve traveled? Fripp Island, South Carolina was so beautiful & relaxing, just the way a perfect vacation should be…also, everyone gets around by way of golf cart…need I say more?

Hidden Talent? Does cleaning count? Haha I LOVE to clean!  I can also remember the most random numbers really well, in addresses & phone numbers especially.

If you could have a pen pal, who would it be? Definitely Ellen DeGeneres…I wish we were friends!  She’s hilarious and seems so down to earth.

Guilty pleasure? Reality TV… especially The Bachelor/The Bachelorette and Real Housewives.  I can’t get enough, it’s terrible!

Why are you excited about interning with Mocha Club? I love the mission of Mocha Club and think it’s so awesome that musicians are using their talent to spread the word about an amazing organization.  Many people don’t realize how giving so little can go such a long way, and seeing the difference that Mocha Club makes is inspiring.  I can’t wait to be a part of MC and hopefully make a positive impact through the various projects they support!

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Don’t forget that the Mochaterns have their own blog. Our fall team will be continuing to update you from their point of view all semester!

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introducing Cassidy Myers…

Age: 22

School/Year/Major: University of Kentucky / 2010 / Journalism major, English minor

Favorite place you’ve traveled? Africa! Duhhhhh! I’ve had the incredible opportunity to go to Kenya twice, this summer and last summer, through an awesome church in Memphis (shout-out to Hope Church and all the amazing people I’ve gotten to meet these past two summers!). We spent most of our time working at Spring Valley school in a slum just outside of Nairobi, and both trips were the most amazing, life-changing experiences of my life. Africa is the reason I have found my way to Mocha Club

Hidden talent? Well, it’s not too hidden to my friends and family, but my love and (sometimes obnoxious) knowledge of basketball (GO CATS! GO KINGS!!) rivals pretty much any guy that I know. I will also guarantee a H-O-R-S-E victory over anyone out there reading this. You know where to find me for the next four months!

If you could have a pen pal, who would it be? I have a lot of nominees, but probably singer/songwriter Jason Reeves because he has such a different/creative/inspiring way of looking at everything (just look at his Twitter feed if you need an example). Michael Jordan, Taylor Swift, Lady Antebellum, Paulo Coelho and the writers for Friends are all tied for second.

Guilty pleasure? I don’t know if I can call them guilty pleasures because I don’t reallyyy feel guilty, but…Sushi, Pinkberry yogurt, Friends (I own every season and have seen all episodes way too many times to count. Consequently, I relate an inappropriate amount of real life experiences to Friends) and basketball (watching it, playing it, talking about it, etc.)

Why are you excited about interning with Mocha Club? In a word: Africa! In a long-winded paragraph: Ever since my first trip to Africa in the summer of ‘09, I haven’t stopped talking about it to anyone willing to listen (my friends and family can attest to this…as will you, the reader, at the end of this explanation). It is the most incredible place with the most endearing people and beautiful spirits that you will ever meet. I feel I have a duty to myself and every African I met to honor them by never losing that flame that they lit within me, and, in turn, doing everything I can to help them. Which is why I am SO EXCITED to be interning at Mocha Club instead of pursuing my previous dream job (in my pre-Africa days) as a sports reporter. I can’t imagine a better place to work than an organization that is as devoted to Africa as I am…the awesome Mocha Club artists and living in Nashville won’t hurt either

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Don’t forget that the Mochaterns have their own blog. Our fall team will be continuing to update you from their point of view all semester!

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introducing Jeff Jenkins…

Age: 21

School/Year/Major: Belmont / Junior / Music Business / Communications Studies

Favorite place you’ve traveled? My favorite place that I have traveled is Africa – Cape Town, South Africa & Gabarone, Botswana

Hidden talent? I guess my hidden talent would be that I show cattle.

If you could have a pen pal, who would it be? It would be someone from a completely different culture than I am…someone that I could learn a lot from.

Guilty pleasure? FOOD!!

Why are you excited about interning with Mocha Club? I am excited about interning with Mocha Club, because it incorporates my two passions. Music and serving have always been important to me, and Mocha Club has proven to work these things in together in a very successful way.

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Don’t forget that the Mochaterns have their own blog. Our fall team will be continuing to update you from their point of view all semester!

Here’s some beautiful parting words from intern Kourtney on their mochatern blog.

“As we sit in the same familiar office on our last day at Mocha Club we can’t help but feel a little sad that this summer is wrapping up. When an experience has been as beneficial as this one, it is hard to sum up everything I have learned. Each day, I am so impressed by the amount of passion and hard work that is poured into Mocha Club by each person that works here. The energy that circulates through the office day to day and during brainstorming is inspiring…” (continued on their blog)

photo by Mocha Club friend Jeremy Cowart

Stay tuned for an introduction of our new Fall interns later this week!

Check out this amazing feature on RedRoverStyle.com about our Mocha Club Campus Rep, Emily Crane!  Emily shares how her life has been changed through her advocacy work for Africa with Mocha Club.

We are so proud of you, Emily!

Emily Crane in Africa

Gigantic brown button eyes with tears streaming out, flawless skin the color of night with dirt caked on top, a swollen belly and tattered clothes with flies swarming all around, and amidst all of this: the biggest smile I’d ever seen; this will forever be the face of Africa to me. I was able to meet this young boy about two years ago when I traveled to Kenya with African Leadership (Mocha Club’s parent organization). The whole trip our leader asked us to focus not only on what we were seeing and experiencing but more on what our response would be. Little did I know that one of my main “responses” to the trip would come over a year later. While in Nairobi, Africa captured a piece of my heart and I don’t think I’ll ever be the same. I wanted to be back there so desperately, but knew God’s calling was for me to be right here, in Auburn, AL. One thing I also knew was that He calls us to be anything but typical, so I knew I wanted my college career to be marked by something different, something that was not for me. I needed to do something in my time at Auburn to help this nation my heart longed for…continue reading…

Here’s a guest blog from one of our spring 2010 interns, Elizabeth Brown…

Being a Mocha Club intern has been one of the best experiences I have had. I could not think of a better way to end my last semester in school than serving alongside with Mocha Club and its members. We (the interns) faced challenges that were met with rewarding turnouts and had many laughs along the way.

One of my many favorite things about being a Mocha Club intern was the freedom and encouragement to be creative. The staff allowed us to share our ideas but they also asked us for suggestions and recommendations on various projects. Having this type of experience helped me to let go of my fear of not being creative.

This internship also taught me I can make a big difference in a small way. The interns and I were hoping to make a small difference but little did we realize because of our imagination we were able to provide 1300 Africans with clean water (this made possible by the members – thanks for purchasing the new water bottle)! I will never doubt that my actions, no matter how big or small, will make a difference in the lives of others.

I am thankful for these lessons that Mocha Club has given me and I will miss being an intern here. However, I think most of all I will miss my fellow interns! The singing of songs from our past, the way they enjoyed creating awkward moments, the many brainstorming sessions and all the memories that we had.

Thank you Barrett, Marisa, Missy, Christine and Emily for all you did this semester in helping to make our experience the best! I couldn’t have asked for a better organization to intern with!

Here’s a guest blog from one of our spring 2010 interns, Dave Thompson…

If I had to describe my Mocha Club internship in three words they would be challenging, rewarding, and Oscar Mayer Wienermobile. Then, if I had to replace Oscar Mayer Wienermobile with another word it would be fun! My time here at the Mocha Club has been one of the most unique and gratifying internships that I have ever had.

Flashback: Four months ago, I had NO idea what to expect from this internship. To be completely honest, I really didn’t know that much about The Mocha Club as an organization. It didn’t take long for me to figure it out and see what they stood for. After meeting with Barrett and Marisa, I was completely captivated by the energy and passion they had for this organization. But what really caught my attention were the expectations that they had for their interns. It was the first time I have ever heard any manger use words like “creative freedom”, “project development” and “fun” when describing their internship program.

They weren’t kidding either. Before I knew it, we had developed projects like the “Ripple Effect” campaign, which helped over 1300 Africans gain access to clean water. We were also contributing heavily in major company decisions. That’s right, they were even interested in our opinions!  While there were some hectic moments, I can honestly say that I always had a good time. If you don’t believe me, go back and watch some of those Water Wasters videos.

Flash forward: Four months later, I leave this internship with the feeling of accomplishment and personal growth. I have really learned a lot about myself while working here. Including the fact that I cannot blink for over 8 minutes (which is longer that Travis can). But in all seriousness, I have never been more proud of the work that I have done and the contributions that I’ve made while working here at the Mocha Club.

So, thank you Emily, Missy, Marisa, Barrett, and my fellow MochaTerns for accepting my goofiness and making this the most unique, fun and gratifying internship ever! I’ll never forget it.

I love you … XOXO

P.S. the best day ever was when we went to buy our MochaTern mascot fish “Oscar” and saw the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile!