Find a great job that helps you grow: This local woman went from intern to manager

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Recently, the Birmingham-metro area topped the list of the best U.S. metro areas for new college grads, which wasn’t a huge surprise to me as a relatively recent college grad working in the city. The report touted the Magic City’s strong hiring and rapid wage growth (a 2.8 percent hiring rate jump between January 2025 and 2026!), but I think it goes deeper than that.

Birmingham is full of great people and thousands of companies and orgs that make a real difference in local communities—all of which contribute to making our city ideal for new grads.

Someone else who knows a little something about how Birmingham is a great place to grow is Leanna Polk: A United Way of Central Alabama (UWCA) employee who started as an intern and worked her way up to the manager role she now holds.

Keep reading to see how she felt supported in her career path, how the people along the way inspired her and why Birmingham and UWCA was the perfect place for her to grow in her career.

From intern to manager: Meet Leanna

Leanna Polk grew up in Mobile but moved north to attend the University of Alabama. While getting her masters at Jacksonville State, Leanna landed an internship in Birmingham at UWCA.

Before she knew it, Leanna had worked her way from an intern to a manager—in the same department she started in.

Leanna found new passions at United Way of Central Alabama

So…what is the Ryan White program at UWCA, and what kind of work does Leanna and her team do?

The Ryan White program focuses on providing critical care, medication and support services to low-income, uninsured or underinsured people living with HIV.

Leanna loves that it combines her passion for social work and love of people. During our conversation, she was quick to shout out her team at UWCA and how well they work together.

“UWCA really invests in employees and pays attention to your strengths and goals.

For example, I enjoy event planning, so they gave me opportunities to organize conferences and staff events. They’ve helped me build on what I’m passionate about.”

Leanna Polk, Ryan White Eligibility Manager, UWCA

Work for a Birmingham company that lets you grow

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard this. Last year, we met Jamyia, a front-desk receptionist and Peggy, a VP who started as a receptionist.

They said the same thing as Leanna (and same as everyone else I’ve met at UWCA) that this job allows you to grow, find new passions and meet great people. Read Jamyia and Peggy’s story here.

“There’s always room to grow and explore different interests. Because of the variety of programs and projects here, there’s never a dull moment. My current role is in auditing, which I never expected to enjoy, but United Way gave me opportunities to discover new skills and interests.

Most importantly, you feel valued and appreciated here.”

Leanna Polk, Ryan White Eligibility Manager, UWCA

No matter your passions or experience, UWCA can give you unique chances to meet new people and make a big impact in Central Alabama communities.

From entry-level positions to manager roles, there’s a place for you: Check out all job opportunities within United Way of Central Alabama.

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