In September 2024, Hurricane Helene made landfall in the U.S., wreaking havoc on communities across the Southeast. It was a time of great need and one that inspired Emily Garland to support those affected by the storm.
As a graduate student at the FIU Academy for International Disaster Preparedness (AIDP), Emily knew that learning about disaster response in the classroom was just one piece of the puzzle—she actually needed hands-on experience. So, when she heard about a volunteer opportunity through Global Empowerment Mission (GEM) to support hurricane survivors, she quickly applied and got to work. “I had been following GEM for years and hoped for the chance to work with them,” Emily says.
As a volunteer, she helped sort donations and assembled hygiene kits for a few days each week. It was impactful work that motivated her to get more involved.
“I connected with my AIDP program director Dr. Dulce Suarez for advice on how to get an internship with GEM,” Emily shared.
AIDP offers a competitive, paid internship program that places students with local emergency management agencies, state or federal agencies, or non-governmental organizations. Emily’s volunteer experience with GEM, combined with support from AIDP, helped her land an internship with the organization. Her time as a volunteer gave her a head start. “I was already familiar with the organization and had a basic understanding of how they handled disaster response,” she adds.
As an intern, Emily assisted the development team with backend organization, supported the community engagement team in hosting volunteer events, and helped the operations team prepare data tracking systems for year-end audits.
“By working with each department, I learned about the unique skill sets that each team brought to the organization,” she says. “After a few months, I got the offer to join as a full-time staff member.”
Today, Emily is the U.S. program lead for the organization. She helps coordinate programs that support disaster survivors. “We do our best to meet the immediate and unique needs of affected communities. Our programs include cash cards, aid boxes, food, hygiene kits, housing assistance, small business micro-grants, and support for long-term rebuilding efforts,” Emily says.
She credits AIDP with giving her the tools needed to succeed in the fast-paced world of disaster management. “The program’s curriculum is really what drew me in,” she says. “It provides real, tangible training that I’m able to apply in the real world.”
Emily is set to graduate this semester and hopes to continue working in the disaster response field to support communities across the country.