Destination Imagination (DI) is pleased to introduce its Winter/Spring 2021 intern class. These individuals applied through a competitive process earlier this year and were chosen from a deep pool of qualified applicants because they exhibit core qualities necessary for success, including creative spirit, curious nature and commitment to bringing their best to their chosen internship. These interns began working with their respective teams in February and will complete their internship by June. Please join us in welcoming this great group of Destination Imagination alumni.
Faith Joy Autillo: Creative/Marketing Intern
she/her
As a long-term volunteer, Faith is overjoyed to be working as an intern. Her story with Destination Imagination began in high school, where she saw her sister compete. Inspired, she competed in DI herself, but started volunteering in other ways with her Affiliate. She believes that DI is an organization like no other and she looks forward to being more involved.
She is currently a student at the University of Toronto in Digital Enterprise Management, a specialist program that entails learning how to use technology related to management and thinking about its use from different perspectives. Faith enjoys axe throwing, art, and volunteering. When she’s not working, she’s usually baking!
Atahan Apti: Strategic Partnerships & Advancement Intern
Atahan has been involved with DI since he was a seventh-grader and for the first 3 years, he participated in the Scientific and Improvisational Challenges. His team had the opportunity to attend Global Finals twice in that three-year period. After graduating and becoming a DI alum, he began volunteering for DI Turkey and has served in a variety of different roles, including Appraiser.
Apart from DI, he’s a sophomore at the University of Turkish Aeronautical Association majoring in Aeronautical Engineering. He was born and raised in İzmir, a coastal city in the western part of Turkey.
Manuel “Manolo” Corona Escamilla: Educational Experiences Intern
Manuel “Manolo” Corona Escamilla is a soon to be biotechnologist and is very passionate about DI. He has been involved with DI for over 11 years, including participating on a team and volunteering for his Affiliate. Having been a Global Finals Appraiser, Challenge Master, Co-Alumni Relations Coordinator and a member of the Alumni Council, he’s excited to intern for DI this winter/spring.
Abby Hibbard: Customer Service/Affiliate Relations Intern
Abby graduated from Emerson College in May 2020, with a degree in Visual and Media Arts. She lives in Los Angeles as of January 2021, and currently works as a Sales Rep for a Virtual Team Building Company called Ryptic Team Building.
She’s been involved with Destination Imagination for most of her life, and said that finally getting a chance to work with the organization that shaped so much of her childhood is a dream come true. She was on a DI team from kindergarten through her freshman year of high school, and her team qualified for Global Finals twice. During her sophomore and junior years of high school, she managed a team of Rising Stars, volunteered at many DI tournaments and worked at DI New Hampshire’s summer camp, Camp Gottalikachallenge.
This semester, she’s working on several different writing projects, as well as assisting with some of DI’s video marketing materials. She never felt like her DI story was over, so she’s thrilled to be able to work with DI again.
Ilissa Madrigal: Educational Experiences Intern
Ilissa recently graduated with her master’s degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from the University of Tulsa. She is originally from Weslaco, Texas, and received her Bachelor of Science in psychology and Bachelor of Arts in biology from The University of Texas at Austin. Ilissa has a life-long history with Destination Imagination. She competed in DI when she was a student and worked as a Team Manager for five years throughout her career as a high school science teacher. Some of her favorite pastimes include managing multiple teams and attending regional, state, and global tournaments.
Thomas Schnaible: Strategic Partnerships & Advancement Intern
Thomas is ecstatic to be working as an intern in the Strategic Partnerships & Advancement division of Destination Imagination. His involvement with DI began during his freshman year of high school when he participated in the 2016 NExT Region DI tournament in the Improvisational challenge. His team went all the way to Global Finals that year and he was hooked! Over the next five years, competing in six more challenges, Thomas earned his Magellan award (2019) and actually graduated at the Kansas City Global Finals! Currently, he serves as a board member for the Texas NExT Region and hopes to join a University team.
Outside of DI, Thomas is a freshman at Texas Tech University pursuing a double major in Musical Theatre and University Studies, a build-your-own degree both with heavy influences from DI and design thinking.
He hopes to take his experiences in this internship to better focus this second degree. Beyond college, he is eager to attend graduate school and begin his acting career wherever the world may take him.
Abril Martinez: Strategic Partnerships & Advancement intern
Abril goes by she/her pronouns and she is currently a student at Western Washington University as a first-generation Multicultural first-year student. She is interested in majoring in Sociology and pre-law. Her hobbies include baking, learning new languages, and participating in clubs at her school.
