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.

This week marks my second interning with the Urban League of Northwest Indiana through Valpo’s CAPS fellowship program and so far the experience has really been like no other work experience I’ve had so far.  Coming in to this internship I really didn’t understand what the Urban League does, but I’ve since learned a great deal about their work in the Northwest Indiana community. Basically, they have three core areas- education, employment, and diversity and inclusion. They hold several large events like a college fair in the fall, and a diversity and inclusion luncheon, as well as sponsorship events with other community organizations. In addition to these they also work on a smaller scale, by helping connect individual clients with services in the community related to housing, food pantries, and employment.

One aspect of the Urban League that I find really fascinating is that although they only have two paid employees, they perform so many tasks in the community. A lot of this is through the hard work of their employees and board members, but also many volunteers that come in on a regular basis. That is probably the most inspiring thing I’ve witnessed while working with the Urban League so far- that there are so many people coming in to help without compensation but simply because they want to help and find the work important. These volunteers do work that is critical to the agency, and there is also a strong community dynamic between all the staff and volunteers who know each other so well, and that’s been really great to be a part of.

So far a lot of my work has been on the “front lines”- or basically working at one of the four front desks which are accessible to clients that come in and we are all tasked with answering the phones for questions related to different services. One of the most rewarding things I did today was through a phone call as a student called with questions related to a scholarship application and I helped walk him through the process. The greatest independent task I’ve been working on the past couple weeks is organizing a donor list with contact details about all the various donors, and donations the Urban League has received presently and in previous years. I will also be helping to organize the college fair throughout the summer.

Although I’ve learned a lot my first couple weeks at the Urban League, there is so, so much more to learn and I am excited to continue this process and further contribute to the amazing work being done here.

The outside of the Urban League building.

Me at my office for the summer.

The “front lines” seen when walking into the Urban League offices.