Author Archives: Danielle Steinwart

About Danielle Steinwart

I love Nura Zaki and corn dogs.

Home and the Yellow Man

I have never been a fan of change. Until college, I lived in the same house my entire life. I’ve gone to the same church since I was a toddler. I attended the same school from preschool to eighth grade. And my taste in food hasn’t changed since I was eight (corn dogs continue to be a staple in my diet).

My girls and me pretending we're not crying.

My girls and me pretending we’re not crying.

So when I had to move (a whopping two hours away) to Valpo, you can probably imagine my feelings on the topic. You know that Yellow Man on Google Street-View Maps that you drag and drop to different places? Have you ever noticed how much that Yellow Man squirms when you move him? That’s how I felt about college. Squirmy.

Going to Valpo meant removing myself from a safely content life of friends and family and faith, and dropping into a Street View I didn’t recognize and didn’t particularly want to get to know. In that place in my heart hollowed of friends and comfort, fears began to fester. I thought these were fears of being disliked, of not finding a group or club or place where I felt comfortable to be myself, of not feeling free to figure out what kind of person I wanted to be.

But, like most things people fear, I was really just afraid of what I didn’t know. And once I stopped confining college inside that dark rigid space of the unknown, Valpo became home to me. I got to spend four beautiful years at Valpo, full of music and love and lifelong friends. Moreover, Valpo provided me with amazing opportunities that shaped me and allowed me to start paving a path of purpose for myself.

You might think I used this photo for my last blog, but it's different, I promise, stop judging me.

You might think I used this photo for my last blog, but it’s different, I promise. Stop judging me.

In some ways, I consider the CAPS program to be a final opportunity from Valpo, a last point in the right vocational direction. Here, I’ve been able to work in many different areas of marketing and communications. Under my supervisors’ leadership (read more about how great they are in my last blog), I’ve worked on social media, event planning, content writing, proofreading, campaign tracking and analysis, website updates, and template building. This internship has both shown me what it looks like to work in marketing and communications and has helped cultivate in me the skills needed to succeed in the field.

This summer, DC has become a kind of extension of Valpo, a temporary home, once again full of (jazz) music, (roommate) love, and lifelong friends. And once again, I feel like I’m dangling over a hazy future, waiting to be dropped right in. But this time, I feel much more at peace (much like the newly updated Yellow Man. At this point, I’m not sure how squirmy the Yellow Man used to be, but for the sake of the analogy, we’re running with it). Sure, I’m scared, but Valpo and DC and LSA have shown me the opportunities to be had from traveling outside my comfort zone. They have taught me to trust in God’s plan for my life, have helped me develop my sense of self and purpose, and have given me more beautiful places to call home. I don’t think I could have hoped for anything quite as good as that.

Kick Back, Eat a Spongepop

Last week marked my halfway point with the CAPS program and Lutheran Services in America (LSA). My first month in DC has been, quite simply, a whirlwind. From jazz nights to weekend markets, from baseball games on warm nights to shady lunches by the Capitol, my time here has been moving at an uneven pace, creeping along at some moments but mostly leaping forward in bounds. It’s been exhausting and wonderful. But it wasn’t until this last weekend, when I spent some time away from DC, that I understood what has been making my summer here so special.

I spent my holiday weekend in Houston (a city where the Fourth isn’t so much unique and glamorous as it is a slightly bigger show of Texas’ daily patriotism), and as I told my boyfriend story after story about LSA and DC, I realized a truth that applies to most great experiences: the people I’ve come to know here are what have made my summer so meaningful.

And so, reflecting on my first month in DC, I thought I would talk about a few of those people who have so positively impacted my time here.

 

Izzat

One of the first things you realize as a recent college graduate in DC is that good food costs good money. Heck, even bad food is expensive. Goodbye, reasonable Midwestern prices.

Nura and I with delish Popsicles from Izzat's cart.

Nura and I with delish Spongepops from Izzat’s cart.

So when the man who owns the hot dog cart outside your work sells good food for $4 and then gives it to you half off, you know you’ve made a friend. More important than cheap food though, Izzat has extended to Nura and me unbelievable kindness and friendship. He talks to us about his family, gives us free ice cream after someone (Nura) drops hers 2 minutes after buying it, and teaches us words in Arabic, his native language. In a city where everything is fast paced and everyone is tuning the world out with earbuds, people like Izzat who take the time to have real conversations are immense blessings.

 

My Bosses

At first, I was intimidated by the fact I’d be doing work for four different staff members in two departments. I could easily picture becoming inundated with work, trying to please everyone but not knowing how to prioritize my assignments.

Me with violets Tania got me. They're dead now. RIP Myrtle

Me with violets Tania got me. They’re dead now. RIP Myrtle

But while prioritizing work has been a challenge at times due to my own inexperience with working under multiple supervisors, everyone has been incredibly helpful and communicative. They understand when I’m struggling or have questions. They encourage me when I’m insecure about my performance and give me solid advice for future work. They are what every intern hopes her supervisors will be like, though most rarely have the time or interest in being so present and supportive. So, thank you Natalie, Tania, Liliana, and Caleb. You’ve helped me grow professionally (and physically, thanks to Natalie’s Alpine chocolate).

 

Bill Clinton

Okay, I had to include him. You would do the same thing if he ambled into the Eastern Market while you were picking peaches (all right, Nura was picking peaches. I was sitting on a curb waiting for Nura to be done picking peaches).

The most overshared photo I've ever been a part of.

The most overshared photo I’ve ever been a part of.

It was a pleasure, Mr. President.

 

Katie & Kathryn

These two make up an integral part of my core friend group in DC. Though they’re both CAPS fellows (check out Kathryn’s blog), I hadn’t met them until this summer. And after a month with Kathryn and Katie, I don’t know how I got through 4 years at Valpo without knowing them.

They have taken me on all my favorite adventures here, including nighttime monument walks, cheese and wine parties in the backyards of bookstores, and a midday meet-up with our good friend Mr. Clinton.

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Kathryn and I watching the Cubs beat the Nats.

Aside from being my fellow adventurers, they have been amazing friends. Kathryn keeps me grounded when I get dramatic about things like late trains and bad weather. Katie gets me out of bed when I want to spend the day watching Mad Men. Both are amazing cooks (also contributing to my physical growth). I’m constantly thankful for these two and their friendships that I know will last long past August.

 

Nura

The star of many of my stories, Nura is my roommate, fellow LSA intern, and Valpo student body president (shameless brag). Before coming to DC, I would tell people at Valpo about my internship, and when I would mention that Nura was my roommate, there was always a resounding, “She is so cool.” And over the past month, I’ve come to realize what an understatement that is.

As I’ve gotten to know Nura (check out her blog too), I’ve been waiting for some dip in her character, some flaw that would make her a little more human. And besides being clumsy with food, I’ve found nothing. She has a beautiful heart, a sharp mind, an ambitious and humble spirit, and a true compassion for others. She’s also hilarious, an avid 2000s R&B fan, and political nut (seriously, she’s like a walking Facebook for the Who’s Who of Capitol Hill).

Thank you, Nura, for being the quintessential example of how bad experiences can be made funny and how good experiences can be made phenomenal when you’re with the right people.

Katie, Nura, and I looking fly.

Katie, Nura, and I looking fly.

I can’t wait for what the second half of the summer holds.