From Social Internship to Real-World Impact: Henry’s App Makes a Difference

For Henry, a Social Internship at Animal Assisted Happiness (AAH) led to an unexpected opportunity to combine community service with technology and problem-solving.

During his internship, Henry noticed that AAH’s volunteer sign-up process was largely managed through spreadsheets and emails. Rather than simply working around the existing system, he saw an opportunity to make it more efficient. He decided to create a solution himself.

Over the following months, Henry designed and developed a custom volunteer app tailored to AAH’s existing IT systems and processes. What began with a simple observation during his internship grew into a substantial project that Henry took from idea to implementation.

In August, the app was successfully rolled out to AAH’s volunteer community. With more than 9,000 registered volunteers and 2,500 active volunteers, AAH has a large community to support — and the organization was thrilled with Henry’s contribution. In a letter of appreciation, AAH’s co-founder and president shared that the app is expected to become a permanent part of the organization’s volunteer operations.

For Henry, the project demonstrates what can happen when students are given the opportunity to connect their interests and skills with real-world needs. His Social Internship didn't end when the required experience was completed; it sparked an idea that grew into a lasting contribution to a local nonprofit.

At GISSV, we believe meaningful learning happens when students have the opportunity to engage with the world around them, take initiative, and put their knowledge and skills into action. Henry’s experience is a wonderful example of that in practice.

Congratulations, Henry, on this impressive achievement!