In an instant, the summer adventure I began 9 weeks ago, came to an end. Having an internship in Chicago has given me a lot of opportunities and experiences, that has no doubt changed me for the better.

As far as vocation goes, in these short 9 weeks, I have reaffirmed my passion for working in an international relations/service field. At the beginning of my internship, I didn’t know what to expect as I first entered into Heartland’s doors. I was excited to work with and help people from all over the world  but I was also anxious, as this was my first internship experience. I was able to help serve a population I had so little knowledge about beforehand and was able to grow more culturally competent while working with a population that most Americans do not come into contact with on a daily basis. Working with refugees and hearing their stories made me grateful for what I had while simultaneously giving me the drive to work harder in order to make the refugee’s resettlement here in the United States a little more comfortable.In the US, debates run rampant about immigration and refugee laws, but never does the legislators ever pay attention to the actual people themselves. This experience allowed me to see the humanness in the refugees and their situations that are often desensitized in the media.

Social wise, this summer in downtown Chicago allowed me to go on adventures and  make friends  that would not have been possible if it weren’t for CAPS.  When not working, my fellow Chicago CAPS-mates and I would explore Chicago. In this, we would go to music festivals, Karaoke in Chinatown and eat authentic Japanese Ramen on Chicago’s north side. Living in the city allowed me to see and experience neighborhoods I had never been to before. My CAPS-mates and I have went through alot of things both positive and negative, during these short 9 weeks but none of this would be possible if it were not for this program.

            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.