Internship Spotlight: Toni Dornhard, Freshta Taeb’s Campaign

In the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, students are encouraged to discover their passions and turn them into real-world impact. Through hands-on internships across diverse fields, our students gain practical experience, build career readiness, and explore paths that align with their interests. We’re proud to share their stories and the inspiring work they’re doing beyond the classroom.

Toni Dornhard, a junior Philosophy and Classics major at Montclair, spent the summer interning for Freshta Taeb’s campaign for Assembly as an events coordinator, a position they found through Taeb’s campaign website. Although Dornhard admits to not following local politics prior to interning, working in Taeb’s campaign team has given her a chance to not only understand how local politics work, but to also play a role in it. “I love making and planning events, it is one of my strong suits so I am actively doing what I love while learning the importance of local politics,” says Dornhard.

As a Philosophy and Classics major, Dornhard is able to apply her knowledge of ethics and logic when talking to voters, which is crucial to helping Freshta Taeb not only gain voters but also to better understand how to serve the people of Legislative District 12 in New Jersey.

Post graduation, Dornhard wants to own a business revolving around how to make the world more sustainable. “We would be hosting a lot of events around how to change habits and try to become more sustainable.” This internship opportunity has taught Dornhard a lot about planning different kinds of events as well as interacting with the community at these events.

One of Dornhard’s accomplishments during this internship is putting together a list of venues, caterers and events that are easily accessible to the campaign team. Though the deadlines are strict, the experience has been rewarding. “I have many more connections to great people that I know will help me in what I need to do. In addition, I really do feel like this will add to my skill sets to become a business owner while fighting to make the world more sustainable.”

Local political activists who work for greater change can be an incredible source of inspiration for people. During this internship, Dornhard met Daniel Braile, who works as the campaign manager for Freshta Taeb’s campaign for Assembly.

“One of the lessons he has taught me is that one person makes a difference,” Dornhard says. “One intern, one voter, one speech. I have never felt more able to change things than I do when I am under his care.”

This experience has not only been rewarding to Dornhard in professional experience, but also motivating to pursue one’s dreams and to understand that anyone can be a catalyst for positive change.

Written by Vivvy Gundani