For those of you who aren’t familiar, the wonderful state of Indiana is celebrating its bicentennial this year. Or, as we like to say at the United Way office, Indiana is celebrating its “Bison-tennial.” To raise awareness for both the state and the United Way, Charlie and I have been hauling a baby bison around the city, visiting various funded partners and popular spots in Michigan City. There are two things about this project that I’d like to point out. First, and most important, is that I get to go to the beach a lot.

There’s nothing like leaving the office for an hour or two so you can take pictures with a bison at the pier. Being located 3 blocks from Lake Michigan has its benefits! Spending time at the beach and near the water is fun, but in reality the most exciting part of the bison project is interacting with the people of Michigan City and LaPorte County. People tend to give you funny looks and ask a lot of questions when you’re carrying a bison around town. The bison has sparked conversation with people that we would never have the chance to talk to otherwise and we’ve spread some great information about the United Way. In addition to random people on the street, we’ve also brought the bison to local agencies that the United Way partners with. The Boys and Girls Club of Michigan City hosts camps for kids during the summer. We had the opportunity to bring the bison to meet the kids, tour the facility, and meet with the executive director to talk about problems involving children in the city. The bison has traveled to United Way sponsored Kindergarten Countdown Camps at a local elementary school. These camps prepare children for kindergarten by giving them a taste of what going to school is like. The kids got to meet the bison, which for them was a real treat, and Charlie and I again had the chance to participate first hand in developing the community. We’ve been able to use the bison as an excuse to move around the county and see everything there is to see and participate in everything that the United Way has its hand in in the county.

At this point I’ll be working for about three more weeks and it’s sad to see the summer slowly drawing to a close. When I go to meetings or events in the community, I actually know people and have a good understanding of the not-for-profit arena in the city. Just as I’m becoming comfortable and everything seems normal, the summer starts to end, and that’s disappointing. Through this internship I’ve come face to face with the people and struggles of LaPorte County and it’s tough to think about leaving when there’s still so much work to do. I’ve really grown attached to this county and the people and businesses here (take that Porter County) and it will be tough to leave. But I also know that I’ve learned very tangible skills and acquired a fair amount of knowledge and connections that will travel with me wherever I go. My social media skills, as far as a professional account are concerned, have increased immensely. I’ve stared in, produced, and written a rap and video. (I’ll attach that at the end in case you want to see it again). I’ve introduced myself at least a thousand times this summer, sometimes to individuals, sometimes to groups of a hundred people. I’ve networked with people from every type of business. I’m taking a lot with me when I leave in a couple short weeks, but I’ll still be sad to go.

As promised, here’s Charlie and I singing and dancing our summer away:

The young woman sitting across the aisle leaned over and asked in broken English “Where are you going in Haiti?” As soon as Professor Blood replied with ‘La Victore’, a weak smile formed across her face and her eyes seemed to say ‘I understand what you will be doing in Haiti’. I realized then that this trip would be different than my previous work in Haiti, Mexico, or Nicaragua.

Without internet access, I was forced to use this nifty invention called a pen and paper to record my experience in country. Here is what I wrote:

Day 1 (07/19)

Ten of us piled into a minivan to start our trip from the capital, Port au Prince, to La Victore located in northern Haiti. The driver brought his whole family along for the expected 5 hour drive. Dodging weaving motorcycles and four lanes of traffic on a two lane road, we managed to escape the vehicle madness and enter the country side. We drove up rolling green mountains and through brown flowing rivers both of which sprinkled with plastic bags and bottles. After nine hours,… yes nine… and observing the countryside as well as a man hanging on a speeding truck for dear life while disposing his breakfast due to motion sickness, we arrived in La Victore.

Mosquito Bite Count: 3

Typical river in Haiti

Day 2 (07/20)

At five in the morning the rooster crows and a Haitian song that was played on repeat the rest of the week makes its way through our open window. Professor Blood, Kortney and I start to assemble the power pack. The power pack is essentially a mobile outlet. In the bottom container are two 24 volt car batteries with the wires connected to the top container containing a charge controller, inverter and outlets. The power pack allows the school to charge the batteries via solar or generator then wheel the pack to any location that needs power (the electric water pumps, lighting the school etc).

We then took the power pack to the school and installed our first well. Upon returning at the end of the day, we heard cries from a chicken getting plucked and prepared for dinner*. While the scene unrolled,  I found it ironic that the rooster was watching the entire thing. Later that night, we had chicken soup huddled around a dim battery power lamp. As I raised my spoon to my mouth about to take a sip, I realized the chicken’s foot was sprawled across the spoon. Needless to say, I felt full after that. The question remains: Is getting the chicken foot in my bowl a sign of good luck or bad luck? Please leave your comments below.

Mosquito Bite Count: 19

*Please note chickens were harmed in the making of this trip

The top of the power pack with the inverter and charge controller

Day 3 (07/21)

The morning started with the Haitian song on repeat. We drove to the guest house to install our second well. After all the work was done, we pumped a few gallons from the well until we discovered that the people who drilled the well did not go deep enough and the well was dry. Rather than sulking, we made the best of the situation and started throwing rocks at mango trees to knock mangos down. Mangos in Haiti are very good.

Mosquito Bite Count: 23

Throws to Mango Ratio: 6:4

The electric pump attached to 130 ft of pipe ready to be put in the well.

Day 4 (07/22)

Our last day of worked involved wiring solar panels for the power pack, cleaning and priming the well at the school and testing the water at three sources to determine the cleanliness. We took samples straight from the pump or river as well as tested them after they went through an aqUV’s bottle.

Mosquito Bite Count: 27

The electrical box and well cap to connect the well to the solar panels/generator

120 ft of pipe going into the well

As I reflect on my experience, it amazes me how quickly we go back to warm 20 minute showers compared to the cold 2 minutes ones or how we NEED to respond to the 39 emails, 27 Facebook Notifications, 15 Groupme Messages, 7 Snapchats, 2 text messages, and 1 Facebook Message. I saw the importance of coordinating trips, things to bring, and how to prepare for the worst when traveling. All of which come with stories, but I need to leave some content for @kcena.

Stateside, one of my favorite projects from this summer was developing the Monte Carlo simulation in Matlab with the help of Professor Venstrom. The program randomly selects a light beam and initial direction from the UV Light bulb then proceeds to track it as it reflects off the water and the steel side until it finally gets fully absorbed.The program is a game of probability where the ray, direction and outcome (reflected or absorbed) are essentially determined with a dice roll. The more dices we roll, the more accurate our results will be. So I ran the program 10 million times.  In order for the program to be accurate, I had to create an experiment measure the light intensity of the UV light (does it shine more like a flashlight or a laser pointer). There was no procedure, materials given, or expected outcome like in class. I designed something like a 3-D protractor that could hold the sensor and measure the light at all angles. Professor Venstrom and I are looking into publishing our method.

Measuring the light intensity of the UV light bulb

Kortney and I ended the summer creating our own aqUV bottle

As the fellowship comes to a close, although it is not doing them justice, I would like to thank a few people for the experience and knowledge bestowed upon me this summer.

• Kortney – Thank you for making this summer more socially appealing than being trapped in Gellersen all summer, for your daily optimism and cheerfulness, and showing me the hard work/willing to learn mentality.
• Steve  – Thank you for being a great alumni mentor. The hidden gems to search for jobs, the networking and career path advice, all of which I think about constantly.
• Professor Venstrom – For your school and career advice both this summer and during the year and help with the Monte Carlo Ray Tracing.
• CAPS Fellowship Coordinators- Thank you for selecting me and the opportunities you put in the doorway. This summer has been full of meeting people, and constant learning. None of which could have been done without the CAPS program.
• Dr. Blood – Thank you for not only this summer, but the three years of mentorship. I can’t imagine what EWB, WAVES, TED (whatever you want to call it) would be without your direction. The time and investment you put into the organization and myself, I can not thank you enough. This summer has shown me I want to be a humanitarian and an engineer where before I wasn’t so sure I wanted to the latter. I look forward to another year and potentially longer.

My time in Baltimore is nearing an end and though I am saddened to leave my work at LIRS, I am also thrilled to take what I have learned this summer and apply those lessons to every aspect of my life. I recently returned from the LCMS Youth Gathering in New Orleans, where the outreach team and a few folks from communications had a display table and an experiential learning exhibit. The exhibit, a maze of rooms and stations partitioned by dark curtains, explained the Syrian refugee crisis from start to finish. Both the youth (there were 25,000!) and pastors/chaperons were able to make their way through, starting with a refugee profile, and continuing on through simulations of fleeing from home, traveling at night amidst war, arriving in the UN refugee camp in Jordan and traveling to Greece by raft. The last two stations were an explanation of the United States security clearance process for refugees seeking resettlement and a “Hall of Welcome”, where both negative and positive arguments were displayed in pictures, provoking youth to decide, as followers of Christ, what kind of welcomer they should be to these new strangers.

 At our photo booth!

It was a very emotionally moving and successful exhibit as many learned for the first time that the news is not usually correct, and that it is the call of Christ to welcome refugees. Here is a beautiful example of how our work changes hearts: An older gentleman, who started the exhibit with a scowl on his face, interjected (granted, it was with concern in his voice) that we should not accept refugees because they are all terrorists who are sneaking into the camps pretending to be refugees. This, though a shocking comment, is not unlike many opinions uninformed Americans can have. These opinions are formed as a result of many instigators, including media messages. This comment was directed towards myself, as I spoke about what life is like in a refugee camp, and due to his sudden, out-of-context comment, I did not know what to say. So, I happily directed him to the security clearance station, then ran ahead to warn the staff member there of his anxieties.

By the time the group had finished their guided tour of the exhibit, the staff member at the last station approached me with tears in his eyes because that man had just carefully looked at all of the pro and anti-refugee photos decorating the “Hall of Welcome”, walked up to him crying, shook his hand, and left silently. A very heartfelt moment for our whole crew, we were privileged to witness the fruits of our labor, as over the course of our three days at this convention, many individuals left crying and thanking us for the work we do.

A youth reading signs in the Hall of Welcome.

Personally, this experience brought my understanding of our work to a whole new level. Because our audience was LCMS youth and pastors, we could engage them using faith language to whatever extent we desired. This was the first time I felt at liberty to say “It is right to do ____, because the Gospel says so”. I loved it! It allowed me to connect to strangers in a way that I have never felt comfortable doing before; I was able to preach the truth of the Gospel and advocate for refugees all in one breath. I also, as is evident from the story of the gentleman, am extremely grateful for being able to advocate for those whose voices are silenced. And despite the persecution that often comes as a result of speaking out for minorities in the name of Christ, I would gladly continue doing outreach work such as this for the rest of my life.

The work-faith relationship I got to experience at this conference was unique and fascinating. Being able to change hearts and opinions about the popular argument of immigration and resettlement by using an infallible argument – the Word of God – completely resonated with me and is a lesson/skill I hope to keep close.

Our table, featuring youths’ pro-refugee graffiti.

The last time I posted a CAPS blog, I was still in the very first week of my internship with the Urban League of Northwest Indiana. I was eager but also unsure about everything laid out ahead of me. I was stumbling through phone calls and the buttons on the fax machine. Compare that to last week, in which I was the only one in the office and I was running from desk to desk answering phones, buzzing people in, and simultaneously working on my own projects. I’ve been spending a significant amount of time training new volunteers and interns (who will probably help take up some of my projects once I leave) on the basics of working at the Urban League, and just today the President told me over a phone call discussing my own work as well as my assisting other volunteers, “I don’t know how we are going to let you go. We might have to lock you in!”.

The Urban League office.

Through the Urban League, I’ve discovered just how much of an asset I can be through even the smallest tasks. I’m comfortable in so many situations that would have boggled my mind before, from directing a STEM activity for school-aged boys, to addressing board members in a meeting to discuss the new annual fund project of which I have played a key role. I truly can’t believe I have only been with the Urban League for two months, as it seems like I have learned so much, not just about the organization, but about myself as well.

Myself and my alumni mentor Carolyn.

My self-discovery was furthered this week as I had my first meeting with my Alumni mentor- Carolyn Stypka. We had been playing email tag for a while, but were finally able to arrange a time to have dinner together. Although it took a little while to figure things out, it was definitely worth it. I did not know Carolyn before being introduced through the CAPS program, but we ended up talking for over two hours about our shared interests, our time in the VU social work program (which has changed dramatically over the years!), and giving and accepting advice about graduate school and other post-Valpo options. Although our relationship was arranged through networks and emails, we truly connected as two people eager to learn from one another. After our two-hour discussion over pita and falafel, we got our phones and scheduled another meeting for a couple weeks from now.

The warm and inclusive environment at the Urban League has really allowed my professional identity to grow and flourish, and talking with Carolyn also gave me more confidence in my ability to choose a good path for myself after Valpo. Of all that the CAPS program has given me, this gained confidence in my own abilities as a professional and as a person is by far the best. As the summer comes to a close, I am sure that this new found perspective will help to carry me through my last year at Valpo, and help me decide on the next step I want to take.

“I love it here” is a thought I have probably eight times a day living in Washington, DC.  I think it as I run down the escalator hoping to jump on the Metro in time.  I think it as I walk past the Supreme Court and head to Capitol Hill for work.  I think it as I pick up a squealing four year in Wellington Park, Anacostia and as I see familiar faces run over to hug me as I open up the Community Resource Center (CRC).  I think it as I laugh with my co-workers over lunch and they share every post-graduate tip and mistake they have or made.  I think it as I link arms with my roommates, who weeks ago were strangers, as we head to dinner.  And I think it as I climb to the top of the Lincoln Memorial, my favorite, to sit and gaze out onto the National Mall and beyond.

(c) National Park Service

Welcome to Washington, DC my ultimate playground for the last two months.  Seven years ago, I made myself a promise to come work in Washington DC one day and I am eternally grateful that I was able to fulfill that dream this summer while working with Horton’s Kids.  This summer has been exciting, humbling, and most of all allowed me to continually explore my passion for youth policy and learn more about systemic urban poverty.  Time is relative here in DC, impossibly slow at some points but often hurtling away from you as you fill your day with hard work, fun, and good memories.  

Nationals Ball Park

My roommates and I have attempted to make use of every second we can in this city– despite the oppressive heat wave that recently took over.  We’ve explored museums, music festivals, local eateries in Chinatown, the Potomac River by kayak, and Georgetown rooftops by moonlight.  But most importantly, we have used this time to better discover our wants, our hopes for the future, our feelings on global and local issues, and our place in society.  Every Sunday we have something we call Family Dinner where we trade off weekly on who cooks the meal for everyone and then we gather around the table to share about our weeks, reflect, and just spend some quality time with one another.  Around the table is where the love is.  Family dinner is what grounds me before I gear up for another week.  Conversation around the table floats from swapping recipes for whatever was cooked that night to bigger issues such as the violence that has erupted in the last few weeks around the country.  Sometimes we laugh, sometimes we cry, but the important thing is that is we are never alone in those moments, we are always with one another through it all.   We are vulnerable, we are real, we carry each other.

My Perfect Roommates <3

The other half of my life revolves around Horton’s Kids and the children of Wellington Park in Anacostia.  While I originally started my days in the office on Capitol Hill more frequently I’m spending my entire day in Anacostia at the CRC.  This means eight joyful, somewhat exhausting hours are spent with children aged 4-18 and members of the Wellington Park community.  Eight hours are spent where the friendship and love overflows.  Almost immediately I saw firsthand how much Horton’s Kids truly cares about the well being of the children of Wellington Park.  I see how much the love for the children is present in every action and word that comes from the staff I work alongside.  Love, compassion, and grace for these children and their families just pours out.  Whether we are assisting members of the community with diaper distribution or their resume for an upcoming job interview, there is mutual care that passes between individuals.  The typical individual’s’ initial thoughts on this Ward-8 housing project located across the Anacostia River is that it is poverty-stricken.  While this is true, if you take a closer look you realize that while the place lacks certain things, an abundance of love and care is present.  The love you give is always returned in a ten-fold from the hands and hearts of the individuals you’re serving.  

“I love it here” I say to five-year old Lania when she asks me if ‘Miss Katie’ will be staying for a long time.  This summer has been challenging so far, sometimes even heartbreaking, but at the same time it has been exactly what I was looking for.  In the challenges there has been changes, all of which I consider for the better.  The obligation, responsibility, and affection I feel toward the children and staff of Horton’s Kids as well as toward my roommates and the friends I have made here is strong.  It guides me through my day-to-day activities and has made my time here in Washington, DC so much fuller.  So to be completely honest, I’m not sure it’s “I love it here” as much as it’s “I love you all”.  

“Are you counting down the days?” Someone asked me this question after church on Sunday, after I told them I only had 3 weeks left. I replied that I only counted them to remind myself to make every one of them matter. This experience has been amazing. When I finished my interview with Broadway this past spring I remember thinking, “this sounds like it’s out of my comfort zone, but it can change my life if I let it.” The thing about change is that we think it will be dramatic and obvious, as if one day I would have an encounter so powerful I wouldn’t be able to see life the same way. However, that isn’t how it works. When I stopped to reflect I realized that I had grown a lot, it just didn’t feel that way because it has happened over time. I was walking around the neighborhood by the church on my own, and realized that I wouldn’t have felt comfortable doing that my first few weeks here, but as the kids I work with–who go around the neighborhood to get to the know the gifts and talents of their neighbors–showed me around their neighborhood I became comfortable. That is how life works, it isn’t a magical encounter, but an effort to get to know the people around you. It isn’t shutting down a conversation when it gets uncomfortable or awkward, but trying to navigate through it.

At the Boston Public Library, on my trip to learn from the Family Independence Initiative.

I have had amazing opportunities this summer. I learned from an organization called the Family Independence Initiative in Boston about how other families and support systems are their greatest resource. I’ve witnessed a lot of amazing things around the neighborhood during my time at Broadway. I’ve witnessed a father express his pride for his son. I’ve witnessed neighbors telling the kids how great they are and to keep doing what they’re doing. I’ve witnessed people sharing their goals and dreams with the kids. I’ve also witnessed kids make connections over shared interests with neighbors. That’s the thing, I’ve been doing a lot of witnessing. These great stories I’ve witnessed happened regardless of whether they’ve been shared with me, but these encounters often lead to an acknowledgement of the great things the neighbors have done, and I get an opportunity to share what I’ve heard with others. The phrase for this at Broadway is to “make the invisible visible.” My time here at Broadway has shown me how easy it is to be blind to talent, and how easy it is to be surprised. The neighbor who seems reluctant to talk shares a powerful story. The kid who usually stands in the back, steps up and introduces the group. You never know what’s invisible. People are constantly surprising each other, and I wonder why I’m continually surprised that I’m surprised.

As I reflect on my time here at Broadway, I wonder if my own neighborhood is really that different, or if I hadn’t been paying attention. So, while I may only have a few weeks left at Broadway, I’ll go back to my own neighborhood and eventually move on to new ones, and I’ll be paying attention to the people around me and the value they bring to the community.

As a business student I would not be surprised if my peers outside of the college of business thought all I aspired to in life was to make six figures, play a round or two of golf at lunch and try to make it into a corner office with a comfy chair. While all that sounds nice, it’s not what I want. What I want is to help foster peoples’ growth and make their dreams materialize.

Here at the Industrial council of Chicago, the ICNC for short, we do just that. Looking back to what I’ve read or learned in class, I discovered that entrepreneurs make up less than 10% of the population but make up over 30% of America’s overall economy. How could so few people do so much? What could I learn about them? Is it a personality trait, some animal urge, or a relentless pursuit of independence?

I don’t know. Entrepreneurs are from all strings of society and exist in almost any industry. They may be a banker who left his spreadsheets behind to go into making organic, gluten free bread or four friends who used to sell sports apparel out of briefcases outside stadiums until they finally created their own chain of stores. Young or old, an entrepreneur is an entrepreneur.

One of the most valuable qualities that I want to take out of this internship is an entrepreneurial sense of creativity and bravery. I think these are traits are critical to helping fix the problems of the world and would be some of the most important lessons I’ve learned at the ICNC these past few weeks alongside the other skills I’m learning.  The world is encapsulated in a whirlwind of problems day by day, and learning to think in an unorthodox way like an entrepreneur is critical in any plan to change the world, big or small. However, I think bravery is the most important aspect of my whole fellowship.

Learning to not be afraid of failure when it happens I think is one of the most inspiring lessons I can take out of this internship. At the events I work at for the ICNC so many entrepreneurs describe just how vulnerable they felt when things started to go south. So many of them have failed in the process of following their dreams, but hearing how they brushed themselves off, saw what went wrong and worked on fixing their issues to become successful is really something else. To an entrepreneur you only really fail when you just stop trying and give up.

While I only have a few more weeks left at the ICNC, I want to take on whatever challenges may come my way. Opportunities to learn this outside of the classroom are so rare to find. Even learning to network around influential Chicago businessmen and politicians can be intimidating it is no excuse not to try. Going back to Valparaiso this fall will be weird as I’m no longer trying to find a decent corporation to work for. I’m going to be looking down a different path and see about making my own way!

Majestic Pikes Peak (Yes, I really took this picture).

As I arrived at Douglas Land Conservancy, I was full of questions about the upcoming summer. There were many unknowns, but perhaps the biggest question on my mind was about the purpose of my summer at DLC.  Ever since I stepped foot on campus at Valpo, I had been acutely aware of the university’s focus on and attention to service.  Service is an integral part of university life.  Soon after I learned of my placement at DLC, I was filled with questions about the conservation field, and its relationship to service.  I spent much of my first week pouring over files, attempting to gain a basic understanding of the conservation field.  For those of you as unfamiliar with the field as I was, I will give you a quick flyover of what I’ve learned so far.

Field of wildflowers on a protected property

The kind of work that DLC does on the land can be broken down into two categories: private and public.  The organization holds conservation easements, which are legal agreements that state that the land in question is to be protected in perpetuity, on specific parcels of land.  Some of these easements are for public open spaces, where anyone can come and enjoy all that the land has to offer.  Other easements are on private land, with the land owner retaining ownership of the land, but giving up any developmental rights.  These kind of easements are put in place to protect wildlife habitats, scenic viewscapes, as well as a myriad of other reasons.  DLC is constantly partnering and working with other conservation organizations to protect property throughout Douglas County.  With these different kinds of easements that DLC holds and protects on our minds, now I want to dive into the question that has been on my mind constantly this summer: Is this work service?

My first day out on the land resulted in quite the view.

I have been at DLC for just over a month, and I have learned an incredible amount of information, and have been digesting all that I have learned.  In my mind, conservation is absolutely a form of service.  I think that many times we limit our view of service because we focus on a particular kind of service, which is helping those in dire need of something.  Of course, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that kind of service, and we should praise those who work to do just that.  Simply put, my summer at DLC has challenged if that is the only kind of service that there is.  During my internship, I have not helped a needy family, listened to an immigrant’s story, or combated modern day slavery.  The majority of people that I have interacted with are fairly well off white people.  And yet DLC, and other land conservation organizations, are deeply committed to service.  This kind of service may not fit a typical definition of what service is, but land conservation is absolutely beneficial to society at large.  In a world where so much seems to be about the bad, land conservation organizations are working hard to preserve what is good.  One of my favorite historical figures is John Muir.  If you have not heard the name, I encourage you to check him out.  Muir was an early advocate of wilderness protection, specifically in the Western United States, and is known as the Father of the National Parks.  He spoke about the healing qualities of the natural world, and how each person needs time in nature to nourish his or her soul.  It is that kind of experience, and that kind of nourishment, that DLC is actively protecting, specifically through public open spaces.

View of Dawson Butte Open Space.

During my time at DLC, I have spent a good amount of time out on the land, whether it is monitoring protected properties or joining guided hikes on protected open spaces.  And it is there, when one is surrounded by creation, that the impact of DLC’s service fully manifests itself.  There is something so special and unique about open spaces.  The protected space is open to all.  Many of these open spaces are considered prime real estate, and could have easily ended up 35 acre parcels with a magnificent house on each section, complete with awe-inspiring views.  But instead, these lands are under protection for perpetuity.  And that is a good, beneficial outcome.  Service does not simply have to be about fixing a wrong, it can be about preserving a right.  The open space will remain open to the public, allowing people of all walks of life a brief respite from the hectic pace of the world, and a chance to nourish their souls, as Muir would have wanted.  The privately owned properties will retain their natural character forever.  In a world where development can spread like wildfire, the preservation of the character of the land is critical.  Conservation organizations are working to protect and steward creation in its natural form, and attempt to minimize the impact that we humans will have on the land.

The most beneficial part of my summer has been the intensive kind of thinking that I have found myself engaged in each and every day when I am out on the land.  Thanks to what I have learned at Valpo, I am applying my previous knowledge to my current situation, and it is leading to an incredible amount of self-reflection.  I look at things in a manner that I would not have three years ago, and I credit Valpo for helping me develop a deeper sense of questioning of the world around me.  My time at DLC has left me contemplating a set of questions that I had never encountered before.  There are still parts of the conservation field that weigh heavily on my mind, specifically when it comes to private lands.  The public benefit is clear when one looks at open spaces, but is more obscure and refined when it comes to private easements.  How I incorporate that aspect of land conservation into my conception of service that my time at Valpo has sparked in me has been a continued challenge this summer.  I am excited to continue this journey over the summer, and to continue self-reflecting on the difficult questions that I encounter.

            Before I knew it, a month had already flown by. As I never had an internship before, I was both anxious and hesitant to discover what it would be like to be “the” intern, at least for the summer. Interning at the Heartland Alliance is an experience unlike any other. I essentially went from working odd jobs as a camp counselor and as a food prep at Sox park to working for a refugee resettlement agency.The pressure for me to do well at this job intensified the closer I got to my starting date. I did not want to be labeled as “that” intern who didn’t know anything, so the first day I dressed to impress, having memorized all the background information I could about The Heartland Alliance (courtesy of Google). Needless to say, all the worries I had of working for a reputable company like Heartland had soon disappeared. As I walked in, I saw many young people not even over the age of 30, running around the office making copies, coffees and phone calls. I also saw many people from all over the world, each with their own story, that all happened to convene in this one office on the North Side of Chicago. In that, I realized I was severely over-dressed and nervous for no reason. I sat down in the waiting area for about 10 minutes before my supervisors, Gilia and Lea would introduce themselves. I followed them to one of the conference rooms, trying to not get in the way of all the busy people in the office, and sat down, realizing that I could get used to this place. As they went over all of the logistical information regarding the company as an entity, I realized that as Americans, we have access to many resources that we might not even be aware of and unfortunately take them for granted. The refugees, immigrants and asylees that come through our office every day however do not have access to these resources. In fact, they come here with just about nothing in hopes of living a better life. One month later and it hardly feels like I am working. For sure the office has its slow and not so slow days but this job has taught me so much in the past month that I will be able to apply to any job field. With the constant encouragement and support I receive from my other Chicago CAPS fellows, this internship is guiding me on a path that I would not have found if it were not for this amazing opportunity. 

My first week on the job at United Way of LaPorte County (UWLPC) left me with many questions. Most of it was spent looking at the computer screen and researching different ways that social media can help non profits, specifically this United Way. With these long hours of research, at times it wasn’t the most interesting thing, and I wasn’t exactly sure how what I was doing was helping our organization. Was this going to be my role for the entire summer? Upon our first meeting with our supervisor to discuss what we had been doing, I soon realized the value and importance of our work. Most of the administrative staff didn’t have fundamental knowledge of social media. It was at this moment that I realized I was contributing a lot to this organization. The so-called “basics” of twitter, facebook, Instagram, etc, were not basics to most people. My generation of peers has an advantage because social media is mostly a pastime, and is second nature to us. However, when harnessed correctly, it isn’t just valued as a pastime, but rather it is valued very highly. Because of this I began to more intricately document what I was doing, so that when Tyler Ingersoll (fellow CAPS Fellow/co-worker) and I leave at the end of the summer, UWLPC can continue to succeed and maintain a presence on social media.

Being the young interns of the office, we understood what appeals, and what can attract attention on social media. Thus, we began brainstorming ideas as to how to grow the social media presence for UWLPC. So Tyler wrote a rap, and together we filmed and produced a video/song on 2-1-1, a free calling service available to help anyone with housing, food, transportation needs and questions. This idea has brought some more attention on facebook to UWLPC, and we quickly realized the value of having a posting videos like such. Our next video was a remake of a Sportscenter ad featuring world class golfer Jordan Spieth. We advertised both for 2-1-1 as well as the annual golf outing that United Way is putting on in August. (We are still waiting for George Lucas to call Tyler and I asking for help in the production of the next Star Wars).

https://www.instagram.com/p/BHQDXDmBEhO/?taken-by=unitedwaylpc

For the remainder of our time here at UWLPC, Tyler and I hope to produce more videos and to increase attendance at United Way events. I have begun to understand that the younger generations have valuable experience in social media despite most of us not realizing it.

The magnitude of an adventure can mask the small personal areas of growth and discovery. As I embark on my 10 week fellowship at National Lutheran Communities and Services (NLCS) I realize the scope of experiences, new acquaintances, and potential the fellowship offers. I am spending my summer working at the Village at Rockville (TVAR), a National Lutheran Community located thirty minutes out of DC in Rockville Maryland. TVAR is a continuing care retirement community offering assisted and independent living, memory care, and short term rehabilitation.

My time is split between several long term projects. One of my main objectives focuses on the
development of a clinic expansion project at TVAR. Additionally, I work with the medical staff, including the Doctors and Nurses, to develop improved means of communication and documentation in the medical record keeping system. During my first two weeks, I have been introduced to many of the colleagues I will be working with at TVAR and in the corporate office. The staff is truly committed to enriching the lives of the residents and inspiring those around. The culture at NLCS fosters transparency and inspires me to think outside of what has been traditionally accepted.

I live in a cottage at TVAR, traditionally purposed for independent living residents. While my neighbors are from a different generation, the wisdom and hospitality they offer is unmatched. For example, the couple living next door has been married for over seventy years and refer to me as their “son”.

Living independently in a new part of the country, surrounded by an unfamiliar field of medicine, and given the opportunity to contribute to meaningful and important corporate projects, amplifies the scale of this fellowship. It is easy to become enveloped in the enormity of all the possibilities this fellowship has in store, dreaming about how my time at TVAR will impact the future. Yet with this mindset, the small personal areas of growth and discovery can often be missed.

To illustrate this point, my fellowship description did not include a project area that I strongly wanted to pursue. I redeveloped several of the objectives and presented my focus to the executive director who openly encourage the direction I desired to follow. Finding my voice in a new environment and position was a small area of personal growth in the larger journey.

The interactions I have with neighbors or the weekend trips into DC can easily melt into the grand scheme of summer. I am personally driven by moving on to the next plan or objective, and I miss those moments where I experience a small personal area of discovery. Taking the extra time to appreciate the moment and recognizing those personal discoveries is a primary focus of my summer. I hope to recognize the small areas that often go unseen, where I can lead and serve at TVAR and in my community.

On a different note, I am elated to serve at TVAR and absorb all that Washington DC has to offer. From the happy hours with new friends to Jazz in the Park, I look forward to relationships I build and the personal areas of growth that contribute to my ability to lead and serve in the future. Within two weeks, I am affirmed that my experience at TVAR will advance my quality of care as a future doctor and unearth new areas of personal discovery along the journey.

I studied abroad once and I took pictures and I told tales and I felt like a world traveler for some time. It’s funny how once you visit a place, you feel like you carry part of its culture as your own afterwards. Traveling seems so glorious, so surreal. And it is. It’s a beautiful way to step outside of your comfort zone and learn about things you can’t quite grasp behind a computer screen or even between the covers of the most marvelous novels. But the traveling I did in Europe was nothing compared to the traveling I do within the walls of a small office in Indianapolis.

I am going on my sixth week as an intern at Exodus Refugee Immigration through Valpo’s amazing CAPS Fellows Program. Exodus is a refugee resettlement non-profit that has been in operation since 1981. They began by resettling Cuban refugees, and have since helped refugees from all over the world. This past year alone they assisted nearly 900 individuals. My official department is in development and communications, which coincides rather well with my pursuit in international business. I’ve done a little event planning, social media posting, emailing, donation requesting, and so on. But outside of these normal communication roles, I have been introduced to a whole new side of the city I thought I had known my whole life.

My first day at Exodus I was able to help with an apartment set-up. We met at an apartment near my childhood home and walked into a space that would soon be home to a family of 8 just arriving from overseas. We set up a bed for the parents and then 6 more beds for the children. It was overwhelming imagining this family getting off their flight and walking into a completely foreign land, and then hopping in a car to head towards their new weird home in the part of the world that had always been the most normal to me. Since then I have been able to help teach English, smile and laugh with the most resilient and beautiful people I have ever met, and am even able to help mentor a new family one-on-one.

A lot of the work Exodus does is just kind of mind-blowing to me. It’s this small office space with almost 40 employees and a lot of interns, and everyone is always speeding off to their next location, doing whatever it is they are tasked with that day. It’s so beautiful there. I’ve found I work alongside a lot of everyday superheroes. These people do everything from teaching english, finding jobs for people, raising money, moving furniture, setting up appointments, and so much more. I always just say, “It’s a full-service kinda place.” You can walk into one room and there’s an official suit and tie meeting going on, and walk into the next and find kids playing with toys and coloring pictures of flowers and baby bears. It’s this kind of diversity that makes Exodus so special.

I feel lucky to be able to work with and for Exodus. It might be a small office that has no windows and a leaky ceiling, but it creates a home for people who really need one. In an interview with a local Indy paper one client stated, “When we came here, we had no friends and no family. We only knew Exodus.”

They always say an internship is where you do the real learning. I can’t wait to keep learning this summer.