Skandalaris Internship Spotlight: GiftAMeal

This summer, I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to intern at GiftAMeal, a social impact startup that helps fight food insecurity by turning diners’ restaurant photos into donations for local food banks, working directly under the CEO, Andrew Glantz. It’s been a truly unique and fulfilling experience that’s stretched me outside my usual path in all the best ways.

I’m currently a rising senior in the College of Arts&Sciences at WashU, majoring in Anthropology: Global Health and Environment with minors in Comparative Literature and Biology. I plan to pursue a career as a physician assistant. Thus, I’m on the pre-PA track and have spent past summers working in hospitals, gaining clinical experience. So, interning at a startup in the marketing/social impact space wasn’t exactly part of my original plan. But I wanted to branch out before graduating and explore something different, and I’m so glad I did.

Funny enough, I actually discovered GiftAMeal before even knowing about the internship. I was at Colleen’s Café, one of my favorite spots in St. Louis, and saw the GiftAMeal table tent. I thought, wow, what a smart and feel-good idea. So when I later came across the position through the Skandalaris Center, it felt like a perfect fit. I applied, interviewed, and immediately got along with Andrew, who has been an incredible mentor and leader throughout this experience.

What I’ve appreciated most about GiftAMeal is the opportunity to wear many different hats. Even though marketing isn’t what I plan to do long-term, I’ve picked up so many valuable skills. I’ve been in charge of managing our entire social media presence, reaching out to restaurants via Instagram DMs and cold outreach platforms like Apollo, writing ghost articles, and assisting with email marketing campaigns. I’ve balanced QuickBooks entries, improved my Excel skills, and even gone door-to-door on the Delmar Loop pitching to local restaurants — which, while intimidating at first, turned out to be one of the most rewarding parts of the job. I also got to find media contacts for PR, deliver promotional materials to our partner restaurants, and help strategize restaurant outreach. It’s been a crash course in marketing, small business operations, and the restaurant world, and I’ve loved learning every step of the way.

Even though I don’t plan to work in a startup environment long-term, I’ve come to believe that everyone should experience the startup world at least once. Startups force you to adapt quickly, work across multiple functions, and take initiative in ways you simply don’t encounter in more traditional workplaces. These aren’t just “business” skills, they’re life skills. Many of which are incredibly relevant to a future career in healthcare. For example, startups teach you how to communicate clearly across different audiences, problem-solve in real time, and juggle competing priorities — all of which are essential in medical settings. So while the startup path may not be mine, I’m walking away with tools that will absolutely make me a stronger healthcare provider. I think this is part of what makes the Skandalaris summer intern program so special: that it can be beneficial to all kinds of people exploring every type of career path.

There’s something really motivating about working for a company with a mission you believe in. GiftAMeal fights food insecurity by turning restaurant photos into donations for local food banks. It’s simple, it’s smart, and it’s truly impactful. Knowing that my work contributes to that effort, even indirectly, makes it so much easier to show up every day excited to contribute. I think it’s really special that the Skandalaris Center partners with companies like this. I believe it says a lot about WashU’s values: encouraging students to explore, to serve, and to think beyond the classroom.

Even though this internship is not directly tied to my future as a PA, it’s helped me grow in so many ways. I’ve learned how to communicate professionally, pitch ideas confidently, and take initiative in fast-paced situations. I’ve also learned that every job has its fun parts and its less glamorous parts, and that’s okay. It’s all part of being a good team member and showing up fully.

More than anything, I’m just really grateful. Grateful to GiftAMeal for taking me in and showing me the ropes. Grateful to the Skandalaris Center for facilitating such meaningful experiences. And, maybe most of all, grateful to WashU for encouraging students to step outside their comfort zones. This summer has shown me that even when a path doesn’t perfectly align with your future career, it can still help shape the person and professional you want to become.

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The Skandalaris Internship Program (SkIP), is an initiative designed to connect innovative local startups with a pipeline of WashU students to help drive the growth of their venture and nurture talent development in St. Louis during a 10-week summer program. Intern stipends are made possible thanks to the generous support of Skandalaris Center donors.