So it’s been a while since my internship ended, but I wanted to give myself enough time to really reflect before I posted my final blog.  When I finished my internship at the beginning of August, I spent a few weeks vacationing before going home to help my sister go off to college and to pack for another semester at Valpo.

Now that I’m back on campus and settled in, I’m realizing how differently I look at this town now that I’ve spent a summer getting to know all the people who make this city the amazing community it is.

Before my summer with EMPOWER Porter County, my experience with Valpo was limited to the university itself. I was pretty thoroughly entrenched in the logistics of university life, and never spent much time off campus. Since my hometown is fairly large and commercial as well, the concept of being involved in a city community wasn’t something that had ever really occurred to me.

But since being back on campus, I’ve been asked by so many people to describe my summer, and what I’ve found is that my friends are just as surprised as I am by how attached I’ve become to this town and all the people I met through EMPOWER who make all of Valpo’s community programming possible.

Professionally speaking, working with a startup organization like EMPOWER was incredibly rewarding for me this summer. I got to have a significant impact on the direction of the organization, from crafting their mission and vision statements to handling their marketing and social media presence and even to assisting with event planning. It was a fantastic experience that allowed me some really incredible opportunities.

But more important than the professional experience, I think, was the amazing connection and appreciation I was able to develop for city planning and community programming in the course of my time with EMPOWER. I was introduced to people from all sorts of committees and programs this summer- representatives from the park district, the director of the Valparaiso YMCA, the principals of various middle and high schools throughout the county- people who play an active role in shaping the way a community environment functions. There’s so much work that’s accomplished in a city setting by people who do it purely of their own volition, who simply are passionate about growing their community and providing a safe and healthy environment for their citizens. It’s a truly amazing thing to witness, and an inspiring show of dedication to service.

I feel incredibly blessed to have been able to engage in so many ways with Valparaiso as a town this summer, through all of the connections that Heather and Kaye at EMPOWER helped me to build. I can only hope that one day I will become as productive a member of a community as Heather and Kaye are here in Valpo!

Love,

Abby

Thursday, August 31st, marked the last day of my internship with the Federation of State Humanities Councils. The nine weeks I spent with that organization had been a whirlwind of with plenty of ups and luckily, only a few downs. Finishing the laborious history project for the organization was a major high. Not only did I feel accomplished having sorted through 20+ boxes of files and documents, but it gave plenty of time for me to be outsourced to other projects that needed to be completed in a hurry.

I began to assist the Federation’s Communications Manager, Natalie Pak, in compiling a briefing book on each of the 57 state humanities councils to be presented to the new National Endowment for the Humanities’ Chair. Never again will I underestimate how difficult is to try and collect lots of information from lots of different people or how long it takes to edit and format 120 pages of text to look exactly the same while all having a similar tone of voice. I will say that while it difficult and formatting was just frankly annoying, I really did enjoy working on it. After reading through lots of history about the Federation and the state councils, it gave me the opportunity to really understand what these organizations are doing in 2014 and their plans for the future.

The National Humanities Conference’s online program was my final and most enjoyable project for the Federation. I found that giving a hand in designing a format and template for a program was a lot fun, and also a lot of hard work. Compiling a conference program while both in a crunch for time and waiting for outside information can be stressful, but it was amazing to see a majority of people in the Federation office come together and finish such a big project in only two weeks. I also became very much acquainted with Microsoft Word. I thought I knew Word pretty well before…now I really know just how useful (and inconvenient) it can be.

The buzz word for the CAPS Fellowship has been vocation. While I can’t say for certain that I’ve found mine at the Federation, I can say that I learned a number of important things about searching for vocation. I’ve learned that it’s almost always easier to figure out what isn’t your vocation than it is to find what is but more importantly, I learned that working in a position that isn’t part of your calling is still important because you never know what doors will opened or short experiences you’ll have that will lead you to your vocation.

Being in Washington D.C. for the summer was both wonderful and exhausting. I felt an obligation to go out and experience as much of D.C. as I could, and I’m happy I did. The two other CAPPS Fellows living in Arlington, Nate King and Caleb Rollins, and I went out every weekend to see the sights and learn the ins and outs of Washington. While my stay in the District seemed to end abruptly, Michigan was a sight for sore eyes. It was definitely time to come and get away from the hustle and bustle of the city…at least for a little while!

As I have wrapped up my internship at NLCS and The Village at Rockville, I can’t help but wonder where this is now going to guide my next year or so. The end of my wonderful internship also means the summer leading up to my senior year is also coming to a close. I cannot express how amazing this summer internship has been for me both personally and professionally. Professionally, I have learned so many hands-on skills that I know will be invaluable as I continue in my career. But some of the most important things I’ve learned are the personal aspects. I learned what it looks like to be a professional woman in a professional setting weather that be a clinical setting or more of an office setting. Getting this real world experience showed me both sides of what professionalism should and shouldn’t look like. I also experienced what great leadership can look like, again both clinically and on the business side. Not all leadership styles are the same, which I knew long before this summer, but I always enjoy seeing for myself the different styles and how they are interpreted by their peers, their subordinates, and their superiors. Being an outsider in many ways at The Village this summer, I got to see those interpretations from all angles.

I could continue on with all of the professional lessons I learned this summer that I cannot wait to show off when I enter that world full time, however I think the biggest take aways are on the personal side. No, I still don’t know what I want to do in a year when I’m finished with school. I do have a better idea though; I know what I don’t want to do. I know that the business and administrative side to nursing and healthcare is interesting and there are parts of it that I loved this summer and that I want to incorporate into whatever it is that I end up doing. But I have decided that it isn’t practical or the best use of my skills to start out in a position like that, or even in a long term care setting at all. I have decided I need to take a year or two or even three to just work, to gain more experiences like this one, particularly to hone in on my nursing skills. I have always known that the nursing profession is my calling and purpose. This summer’s experiences have solidified that even more. I have no doubt in what my calling is and in fact I’ve gained more confidence in it and in myself. Later down on the path of my career I could see myself doing something similar to those I worked with at The Village at Rockville, but I’ve realized something really important. My calling isn’t a set path. Dan Look, one of the officers at corporate made a wonderful analogy that has stuck with me. When you are sailing a boat you need to at least have an idea of what your final destination is so that you can map your course. Along the way though you might move a little off course, and as you refocus on that destination and how you need to redirect to get back there you might realize that your final destination has changed. I think I’ve decided where I’m headed, at least enough to get going!

One thing that has always drawn me to the non-profit world is just that: non-profit. I have always thought that there really would be no way that I could ever work at a for-profit company. When I thought of a for-profit company, the image of a large corporation simply there to make as much money as possible immediately came to mind, as well as any other related stereotypes that exist. That is why the idea of a non-profit organization sounded so appealing. In theory, such an organization exists to truly support and further whatever mission, goals, or vision that it holds. One can rest easier knowing that they are working for an organization that is trying to make the world a better place, in some way, shape, or form. But I have realized that even in a non-profit organization, the issue of money is still the most pressing issue in everyone’s mind. Instead of worrying about how performance affects profits, the concern becomes how performance reflects numbers, which in turn affects the funding that is received. At first, that upset me. But I realized that is simply the world we live in, and everyone must learn to work with that. Thus, a non-profit must learn to remain sustainable while also trying to stay true to the initial mission. This becomes even more difficult when the organization is directly linked to the ever-changing governmental rules and regulations. It can become disheartening, frustrating, and confusing. But what helps to combat this is people who are truly dedicated to the mission working within the organization

My supervisor at CWI is one of those people. Throughout the course of my internship, I have had the opportunity to work closely and directly with her. She is someone at CWI who wears many different hats, and similarly to me, likes to have “several irons in the fire.” We both like to believe that it increases our productivity. But among the many things that she does, she will often go above and beyond to help a person find a job, even when it seems that there is no hope of that person getting one. She is someone who truly is dedicated to the larger picture, and always keeps that in mind with everything that she does. Yet on top of that, she always remains realistic, and will always question whether or not something is pragmatic and will have a positive effect on the people that the organization is trying to serve. I have been fortunate to simply watch her work, and am often in awe of the things that she is able to do, and I hope that I have been able to soak up many of the skills and talents that she has.

When I reflect on my experiences at my internship, the organization as a whole, and the concept of Leadership and Service, I have realized that there are several questions one must ask themselves when going into a vocation. What am I truly good at doing? What do I enjoy doing? Is the work that I am doing making a positive impact on people’s lives (even if it is only a few lives)? Is the goal I have attainable? Does this work make me happy?

Lastly, I would like to extend my gratitude to everyone involved with the Institute of Leadership & Service for allowing me to have this experience, and for forcing me to reflect on what it truly means to Lead and Serve 🙂

Aaron

The Institute for Leadership and Service sends out a bimonthly e-newsletter, featuring Institute programs, events, and student activities. The most recent newsletter talks about the CAPS Fellows Program, the alumni mentors to the Fellows, and more… Continue reading →

I’ve heard before that people who express gratitude often tend to be happier than people who don’t.

There’s a YouTube video about it, so it must be true. Finishing up my time at LWR certainly gives me an

overwhelming feeling of gratitude. So, I would like to take a moment to thank everyone who made this

summer possible.

 

First, to everyone at the Institute of Leadership and Service, thank you for giving me this incredible

opportunity to serve as a CAPS Fellow this summer. A few special shout outs to Deb Garbukas for her

help and patience in planning my travel arrangements; Ali Devries for her reassurance and also her

careful and wonderful housing selection; and Elizabeth Lynn for her encouragement. Thank you to all of

you. Without your encouragement, patience, and careful planning I would have spent my summer on

Netflix, so needless to say I deeply appreciate everything you all have done to help all of us in the CAPS

Fellows program.

 

Second, I would like to thank all of my colleagues at Lutheran World Relief. With their guidance and

support, I was able to learn this summer from (in my opinion) the best of the best in the international

development community. It was a very busy summer, but from the bottom of my heart I appreciate the

opportunity to work at an organization where both the people and the mission are genuine. For my first

internship, the bar was certainly set very high.

 

Finally, a brief thank you to my parents, who were willing to let me move across the country for an

entire summer. I imagine as a parent it’s pretty stressful to have a kid who keeps wanting to move

somewhere she’s never been to spend time with people she’s never met, but that’s probably all part of

the job. In any case, if I was not armed with their love and support there’s no way I could’ve done it. So

many thanks to you, Mom and Dad.

 

And now it’s time to talk about what I learned this summer. I’ve noticed the other fellows have generally

boiled it down to 5 things they have learned, so I will follow their lead.

 

1. Sit at the table: As a young woman who is only halfway through my undergrad career, it was

at times really nerve-wracking to be in meetings with all of my highly educated, well-spoken

colleagues. Often, I would think to myself, “It doesn’t matter what I have to say”. But my boss,

Kate, was always ready to combat my willingness to stand on the sidelines and watch. At every

meeting she invited me to sit at the table, even if it meant my superiors had to stand. Now that

doesn’t necessarily mean that I had something to say at every meeting, or that the ideas I had

changed the nature of the organization. But I do believe it was an important lesson to learn

before I embark on my professional career. You have to count yourself in.

 

2. Business is a carefully constructed magic show: I say this with no cynicism, but one thing I’ve

learned this summer is that business is mostly an illusion. Nothing is ever “just” what it seems.

You aren’t “just” going to dinner, or a conference, or a meeting. The subtleties matter. Maybe

this is obvious to those in the business world, but I had no idea of the planning that went in

to seemingly simple encounters. One of my jobs here was to assist colleagues who would

be attending conferences out of state. I researched all of the guests we had names for, the

companies they worked for, if their companies had interests that overlapped with ours. A list

like this would also include a photo of the person attending and what a potential point of entry

for conversation might be. It’s quite the sleight of hand.

 

3. My computer is my best friend: My first week on the job, our staff was anticipating the arrival

of a colleague from Niger. He spoke English well, but was fluent in French. I expected to be

doing some work in French during my time at LWR, but I didn’t expect to be speaking French to

a fluent speaker on week one. Needless to say, my computer became my best friend for looking

up all kinds of vocabulary words we hadn’t gotten around to in French class, like climate smart

agriculture and animal husbandry.

 

4. My computer is my worst enemy: Even though I love the work LWR is doing, it really is

exhausting to sit at a computer for nearly 8 hours every day. Plus, our work environment is

generally very quiet so most conversations happen silently on Skype messaging. While my

computer was a great resource, it really made me realize how in the future I cannot pursue a

job where all I do is computer work. While I definitely don’t mind it for four or five hours, I need

something active and social to do during other parts of the day.

 

5. Nothing prepares you for the real world quite like the real world: While a college education

is certainly important and useful for the future, it definitely does not mean that your degree

endows you with the skills to find your calling and purpose in society (see what I did there?

). Even at that, calling and purpose is transient in itself. Even if people around the world were

free tomorrow of poverty, injustice, and human suffering I don’t believe anyone at LWR would

throw their hands in the air and say “Well, sweet! Glad I’ve fulfilled my purpose! Time for a

nap!” We are called and created to do and be many things. And the vocation we find isn’t one

place or one purpose, it’s always changing. So I think that as prepared as I felt to take on this

internship, what actually happened is that this internship prepared me for something else. After

this summer, I really feel proud of the person God called and created me to be and inspired to

use my particular strengths and gifts to make life better for someone else.

 

 

Thank you,
C