Summer Check-In: Greta Marchildon ’26 Interns for a Nonprofit Mental Health Provider
Marchildon, a public health and history double major and student-athlete on the field hockey team, is a community outreach intern at Sweetser, a behavioral health nonprofit in her home state of Maine.Tuesday, July 29, 2025 09:33 AM
Greta Marchildon ’26 tabling at Governor Janet Mills’ seventh annual Opioid Response Summit in Augusta, MaineClasses may not be in session, but Muhlenberg students are still hard at work — at internships and jobs, in the lab and in the field, producing creative works and engaging with their communities. Summer break is an opportunity for students to explore future pathways, unanswered questions, and avenues for impact. Discover what our students are up to this summer here.
Greta Marchildon ’26
Hometown: Bowdoinham, Maine
Majors: Public health and history
Why were you interested in this internship with Sweetser?
Sweetser’s mission and core values of ending the stigma of mental health and providing access to treatment and recovery paths to Maine residents is what drew me to Sweetser. Also, the ability to make connections in my home state was very important to me. I want to be a helpful part of the community that has given so much to me.
What is a typical day like for you?
I work at Sweetser’s administrative office in the communication and development department, where no two days are the same. Our department is constantly on the go. I have helped send letters to donors, run our annual golf tournament fundraiser, and table at all-day events around the state.
Recently, I had the opportunity to attend Governor [Janet] Mills’ seventh annual Opioid Response Summit, tabling and listening to keynote speakers from our local government and community members about the continuous efforts to combat our opioid epidemic. This was an important educational summit allowing Maine residents to hear what’s being done to help those struggling with addiction, along with the new efforts of correctly preparing hospitals, first responders, and community members to deal with these situations. Most importantly it brought many dedicated [organizations] together to learn how each helps support this cause and how they serve our communities.
“Currently, I’m interested in pursuing careers in athletics and public health. I’m deeply passionate about both and have not yet decided where I want to be. This internship has helped develop skills I can use in both fields like public speaking, leadership, community outreach, and marketing strategies.”
How have you been able to make an impact at your internship?
There are two major ways my work has made an impact not only for [Sweetser] but for the Maine community as well. One is the community events I have participated in. Being that I am a community outreach intern, this is an important part of my job — tabling is a way for Sweetser to get information about our services out there into the community. I spearheaded two Pride events during June, transporting and setting up our materials, and throughout the event I spoke to community members, connecting them with our services that are local to them.
The other project I have helped head is our bookmark program, in which Sweetser donates bookmarks and other mental health materials to over 60 libraries across the state of Maine. It is important for people of all ages to know about our [organization] and the services they have access to. I am not only delivering materials through this project but connecting the state and communities to our services. Just this week, I connected a library with our free mental health first aid training so they can train their staff on how they can help someone experiencing a mental health crisis.
How is this experience shaping your understanding of what you want to do in the future?
Currently, I’m interested in pursuing careers in athletics and public health. I’m deeply passionate about both and have not yet decided where I want to be. This internship has helped develop skills I can use in both fields like public speaking, leadership, community outreach, and marketing strategies. It has also highlighted the importance of listening and connecting with my community, understanding what is important to them and how we can help.
At Muhlenberg, Marchildon is captain of the field hockey team and part of Head in the Game, a mental health support group for student-athletes.
