I’m not sure if my CAPS placement could have been a better fit! I am currently interning at the Urban League of Northwest Indiana and it has provided me with great opportunities, even though I have only been here a few weeks. As soon as I arrived, they put me to work. Since then, I have always been busy, which I like.
Luckily for me, I have been given meaningful work every day this summer. I have helped people build or update resumes and look for jobs, practice their interview skills, and improve their professionalism through dress and speaking. These are things that those in college may take for granted because we have resources such as our university’s Career Center, academic advisers, or mentors to help us with these processes but are so important for ANYONE who is looking for work, especially if they have been out of work for a while. I have had people call to thank the Urban League for the help they have given them because it resulted in their getting a job. It is very rewarding to know that the work that I am doing is really helping people and not just clerical work. It’s amazing to be able to see the results of your work right in front of you.
It has only been three weeks, but I have already gotten the opportunity to travel for the office and be out in the community. Our first trip was to good old Valparaiso University. We took some students from a local high school to the University through the College Readiness program. They were able to get information about the college application process more generally, as well as information about VU and they got the chance to see the campus and its various resources. For two of the three students, this was the first time they had visited a college campus so this was more than just an excuse to get out of the house. As a first generation college student, I can attest to how important it is to get as much information about college as possible but how difficult that can also be. At first, the students seemed nervous but as the trip went on, they were talking with each other, asking lots of questions, and very appreciative for being able to take the trip. They especially loved the smoothies at Freshens. 🙂 At the end of the trip, we took a tree under Merlin, which my supervisors loved! I think they had the MOST fun out of all of us! That is one of the best things about this office/its atmosphere. The administration’s willingness to laugh and enjoy experiences with you is so cool. It makes me feel like I am actually part of this office, rather than a temporary employee. It’s amazing how quickly they have welcomed us…it makes it so much easier to do my job!
Chilling out under Merlin 🙂
Today (Thursday) was  another busy day. I wasn’t in the office at all because I had a grant writing seminar to attend and a diversity training seminar that afternoon. Grant writing was something that I had mentioned in my interview with the UL as an interest I have because of my interest in working in grassrooot organizations/non-profits. I was shocked that she remembered that about me but I guess it’s true that you should be careful of what you say because you’ll never know what people may remember about you! My supervisor arranged for me to be able to attend the seminar so that I could better understand how the grant writing process works and better assist my boss with the grants the UL writes. While working at the UL, I have been able to proof read grants but more so in terms of grammar and punctuation. I’m glad I will be able to contribute more than just minor corrections going forth.
The afternoon was very fun and interactive. They hosted a diversity training workshop at a local business and it was a lot of fun. The employees were really interested in what Dr. Allen and Ms. Holmes were talking about and surprised to see how more alike they are to one another than different. This is something new that the UL has started doing, so I am excited to see what other organizations ask for help and how we can help make NWI a better, more welcoming place to live and work.
It’s a little hard to remember all of the things that I get to do, but there is truly never a dull moment in the office. I am so lucky to have the opportunity to work with an organization that works so diligently improve the lives of people throughout the region, despite having a small staff. I’ve been able to see the problems my community and the surrounding communities face and see real progress being made to address those issues. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the summer has in store!