When I hopped on a plane departing from Reagan National Airport in December 2013, I knew I wasn’t leaving D.C. for the final time. After spending a semester studying and interning in the District through the Lutheran College Washington Semester, I was confident that I wanted to return to Washington at some point, but I knew figuring out my return would be a long row to hoe. It’s funny how things work out. By the grace of God, the opportunity to take part in the inaugural CAPS Fellows Program presented itself to me, and here I am – back in the District of Columbia. Okay, enough with the nostalgic romanticizing. Let’s talk about how I am actually spending my summer. My CAPS Fellows placement has slotted me as the Public Policy and Advocacy Intern at a health and human services network organization called Lutheran Services in America. LSA is a […]

I’ve been in Baltimore for nearly four weeks now and I will admit that the dreamlike state I’ve been drifting about in has started to vanish. Public transportation is not as exciting as it once was—especially considering the heatwave. Though I will admit there is still something magical about the way the Charm City Circulator (the free bus I ride to and from work every day) can accommodate a crush of people that nearly defy the laws of physics. I should also admit that living in the city isn’t all charm either. The view is great, but the noise is nonstop. And all the surrounding grocery stores criminally overcharge for cereal. And chocolate chips, surprisingly. But I’m not complaining. I’m just acknowledging that my dreamlike state is vanishing into reality. Suddenly, I feel like I’m settling in. I sleep just fine at night in spite of the car alarms and […]

I got lost three times the morning of my first day and ended up asking for directions to my office while literally ten steps away from the front door. Of course, tears were accumulating in my eyes and I was sweating like I just finished playing an intense game of FIFA soccer, but I made it on time (two minutes early to be exact). My day in the office started with a tour of our massive building along with learning all about its history (sorry, I was too focused on controlling my sweat to pay attention). However, the tour did include the discovery of free candy and coffee for the interns, which instantly made me gain five pounds. Next, my boss sat me down in her office to give me the incredibly detailed overview of what our project really was; I was excited, overwhelmed, nervous, and extremely inspired to take […]

The Federation of State Humanities Councils was officially formed in 1977 to work as a liaison between each state humanities council and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Over time the Federation has been extremely busy, creating for themselves a full and interesting history. Luckily for me, they documented all of it. Well, sort of. What they did was keep everything that has come their way over the past 37 years. My job is to sort, record, and sometimes annotate documents of importance that give insight into the nuances of the Federation’s history. The task seemed daunting initially but there was little else to do but just dive in head first. My first day reminded me of an old show I watched as a child, The Magic School Bus. I felt like I was in Ms Frizzle’s class, and on a field trip that took me back to the late […]

Today marks the end of my fifth week working with the Around the Table initiative through Empower Porter County, and as I say my goodbyes and get ready to close up the office for the weekend I’m reminded again of how lucky I am to be working with such amazing people. This organization does a remarkable job of building community both in and outside of the office, and though it’s been a little over a month since I started, I’m still constantly surprised by my supervisors’ attention and interest. Empower Porter County is an anti-substance abuse campaign that focuses on preventative best practices through building community, increasing awareness and providing programming through other organizations. It’s a nonprofit organization that was founded a few years ago, and in that short time the organization has grown in both size and influence. Through the inspiration and dedication of Heather Harrigan Hitz and Kay Frattacia, Empower is expanding […]

A little over 4 months ago, I remember going to bed especially frustrated with myself. My friends were all talking about internship prospects, and I hadn’t sent out a single internship application. The next morning I woke up to find an email from the coordinator of health care leadership program inviting me to apply to be a member of the first cohort of CAPS Fellows. The road to my fellowship was not easy, but subjecting myself to the process has proved itself to be continuously rewarding. I wrote countless drafts for the personal reflection aspect of my application, trying to drill it down to fit the parameters of the requirements as well as trying to infuse as much of myself into it as possible. I mentioned in my essay that I had an interest in healthcare for seniors, but never could have imagined finding myself where I am right now. […]

We are happy to have received photos of three CAPS Fellows out serving at their internship placements! Stories from their first few weeks will be coming soon..