October 17, 2025
Michigan Community Resources partners with the Wayne State University School of Social Work to host graduate student interns, providing an opportunity to gain insight into the nonprofit sector and community work in Michigan.
Last year we hosted one student,, and this year we have been fortunate to host two, both working towards their Masters of Social Work. This year, Nick Burson (they/them,) and Jacob Pitcher (he/him,) join through the end of next spring. Under the supervision of MCR's Director of Organizational Impact & Analysis, (and School of Social Work alumna) Amber Umscheid, their internships will support our operations team and provide an opportunity for master's-level students to observe how intermediaries in the nonprofit sector work to serve their clients.
During their time here, they will support the implementation, outreach, and analysis of MCR's 2025 Needs Assessment Survey, which asks nonprofit organizations to share their experiences, successes, and challenges. It will continue MCR's practice of deep listening and using community feedback to help inform programming.
In addition, our WSU interns will also work alongside our Dovetail team, connecting service providers and nonprofit organizations, as well as help with client consultations as part of our regular MCR Services. They recently shared a bit about their history, what sparked their interest in MCR, and the insights they hoped to gain from their time with us.
WHAT ARE YOUR BACKGROUNDS?
Nick Burson: I was a Psychology major, with Spanish and Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies minors at Wayne State. My professional background is basically all research. I spent my undergrad working in a lab in WSU's Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences After I graduated, I started on the Substance Use Research Team in the WSU School of Social Work working on projects that supported capacity building for substance-use community coalitions and state-wide opioid response. Seeing how many different things I could do while working on this team prompted me to start my MSW at WSU.
Jacob Pitcher: I graduated from Grand Valley State University in 2022, also with a Bachelor’s in Psychology. Afterwards, I worked as a mental health worker in a psychiatric hospital before enrolling in Wayne State University’s MSW program last year. I thought I wanted to become a therapist, but while I believe working on the micro level is necessary, I realized I want to make a positive change on a broader scale. I am now in the Community Engage and Social Action concentration of the MSW program.
(Pictured: Nick Burson)
WHAT DREW YOU TO MCR? 
JP: As someone new to macro social work, I was drawn to MCR because I thought it would be an awesome way of getting a comprehensive understanding of the nonprofit sector.
NB: I was introduced to MCR through [former MCR intern] Riley Tyler, but it was the work MCR does that drew me in. Being able to work with organizations across Detroit was an exciting idea for me, and MCR already worked with groups that I cared about (like the 2024 KIPD recipients Jefferson Chalmer’s Farmers Market and Black Bottom Archives). MCR felt like the best way to bridge the skills I already have with the kind of community development/organizing work I’m interested in pursuing.
(Pictured: Jacob Pitcher)
WHAT DO YOU SEE AS MCR'S ROLE IN THE NONPROFIT ECOSYSTEM?
NB: I see MCR as an anchor, providing needed connection and support in an always-changing environment. I also see MCR as strong examples and leaders in change, working to transform conversations and systems.
JP: Someone at MCR once compared the work we do as a mycelial network, and this has had a lasting impact on how I view the organization's role; MCR serves as the connection between nonprofits and other organizations, transporting valuable information and resources ("nutrients") to organizations that need it in order to positively impact the ecosystem as a whole.
WHAT PROJECTS ARE YOU EXCITED TO SUPPORT?
NB: I’m really excited to get involved in the Needs Assessment! I’m interested in sitting in on (and participating in) interviews, to connect with folks about the successes and barriers they experience in their work. Not only that, but seeing how MCR turns all the data collected into tangible plans to address these needs. I'm also excited to work with nonprofits through consultations and other MCR services.
JP: I’d say I’m also most excited about supporting the needs assessment. I look forward to participating in outreach to spread the word about the upcoming assessment and analysing the data obtained from the assessment. I also look forward to evaluating the outcomes of the survey and other projects.
WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO TAKE AWAY FROM YOUR TIME WITH MCR?
JP: I want to get a better idea of what specific work I would like to do in the nonprofit sector, growing my networking skills, and learning more about program development and evaluation. 
NB: I hope to better understand more specifics on how the nonprofit ecosystem functions: the resources, individuals/organizations and other elements that drive and support this work. I also hope to better understand how my passions (the queer community, environmental justice, and substance use,) can interact with the work currently being done within Detroit, and Michigan more broadly. It's amazing to see the relationships everyone at MCR has built, and I'm looking forward to participating in the culture that's been created.
IF MONEY WASN'T AN ISSUE, WHAT WOULD YOU BE UP TO? 
JP: If money wasn’t a concern, I would be traveling the world looking for birds. Over the past year, I have fallen in love with birds and birding. And if I could I would make it my mission to see as many birds as I could.
NB: Mostly, I'd love to be able to dedicate more time to my artistic endeavors. I play the flute and would love to be back in an orchestral or theater setting. But I also love fiber art and would like to be able to dedicate more time to quilting and getting into historical garment preservation and re-creation.
(Pictured: A quilt by Nick Burson, and Jacob Pitcher feeds the birds.)
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You can read the results of last year's assessment in our 2025 Nonprofit Needs Report. If you are interested in providing your insights into the strengths of your organization and the challenges it faces, take this year's Nonprofit Needs Assessment Survey.
