We are excited to introduce Mike North, Thrive DC's new Development intern! Mike grew up in Wadsworth, Ohio, and joined the University of Maryland after they recruited him through their wrestling program. He is now a rising senior captain of the wrestling team. He studies Operations Management and Business Analytics with a Public Leadership focus.

Due to the struggles that he endured from the high physical and mental demands of wrestling and the recent passing of his father, Greg North, he gained a passion towards helping others facing the struggles of life. Mike realized shortly after arriving at UMD that it wasn't enough to study for a career focused only on making money. Now, he wants to be able to help those most vulnerable around him. His values and devotion to creating a difference for our community make him a great fit for the team!

As a Development intern, Mike will be supporting our mission in many different roles. He will be processing material donations and organizing our database, writing social media and website content, and writing thank you letters to donors.

We asked Mike what attracted him to Thrive:

"The way that Thrive goes above and beyond for their clientele. It’s more than a place to stay, eat, or shower. It’s home to any person that needs one. After having the chance to volunteer, it felt different here -  I’ve helped out with soup kitchens in the past, and there was always a division between servers and those being served. It never felt like I was offering anything more than a quick meal. It was night and day different - there were so many laughs and great conversations, and the organization builds a sense of community within it where everyone is equal. Even though I’ve only been here a short while, I can already tell that Thrive will do everything in its power to help someone. And if Thrive can’t help they will connect you to someone who can."

We are delighted to get to know Mike this summer and have him become a part of Thrive DC.