Hello! My name is Gus Middendorf, and I am a fourth-year Public Affairs student who is excited to be a part of the Columbus Foundation Fellowship Program this summer! After a week, I am confident in saying that my placement, Legal Aid of Southeastern and Central Ohio, is going very well, and I am looking forward to the coming weeks working with the Development and Communications teams down in their office in German Village.

I have come into the organization at a significant time, as it seems they are in the later phases of a very large and complex merger between two historically connected yet separate orgs: the Legal Aid Society of Columbus and Southeastern Ohio Legal Services. This decision to merge has resulted in the challenge of bringing eight offices across the state under and as one unified group. By the time I arrived, it seemed like people of LASCO have done a lot of thorough work in this process, but there is still work to be done—work which I have the privilege of assisting in.

So far, I have been able to sit in on many internal meetings focused on grant applications that Legal Aid has been applying and reapplying for under their new name. This has been a very interesting process, and I feel like I have already learned much about fundraising of an organization as large and well-run as LASCO. In addition to this grant work, I have started working with the Communications Team to help launch new social media campaigns under the united LASCO brand. I have very much enjoyed this work, especially as I get to be a part of such a new and exciting moment for the organization.

Besides my main duties, I am really excited to have the opportunity to dip into some of the clinics that Legal Aid provides the Columbus area. As someone who one day wants to advocate for social and economic justice through legal work, I am excited to see it in action in any way I am able. All in all, this has been a great week, and I am excited for the rest of the summer!