The Final 48

Growing up, my mom and I were super into crime shows, and one of the shows we always watched together was ‘The First 48’. While that probably isn’t a show I should have been watching at six years old (thanks mom), I clearly remember that the intro always said, “their chances of solving the case are cut in half after the first 48,” or “the first 48 is just the beginning.” Now you’re probably wondering what possible relation that could have to my summer (no worries, I am getting to it!). No matter the case, no matter the episode, the intro to every show always specified how much could have in the span of 48 hours.

As I write this I realize that I have only 48 hours left with Ingenuity.

It’s hard to believe that I only have one more full week (and one day) at Ingenuity and here in Chicago. I wrote my first blog when I was just starting off and learning the ropes, and now, as I write this, I realize it is time for me to begin wrapping things up. Time really flew by! Living in Chicago has been unbelievably amazing and my time at Ingenuity has been incredibly diverse and enlightening. It is so hard for me to describe my time here because I have done more in these past few weeks than I could have ever anticipated (but I’ll try my best!).

Working on social media for an event!

One of the major things I have done this summer at Ingenuity is handled all of the social media that the organization has. When I first found out this was going to be one of my tasks, I thought ‘this should be easy; I spend a lot of time on social media as is so it will be fun!’ While the task was definitely fun at times, it was not as easy as I originally anticipated. Because Ingenuity has such a diverse audience, I often had to craft my social media posts to each targeted audience. This task, though unexpected, really taught me to pay attention to detail. If I thought I was good with little details before this summer, I must be an expert now! While it seems insignificant, phrasing and details for particular audiences is so important to making sure you get the correct message out.

Another thing I have learned this summer is to not being afraid to go to someone and tell them what you need.

Until this week, I would say I was sort of struggling with my work here at Ingenuity. Because I was working with everyone one in the office and doing different things for each person, I sort of felt lost, like I was roaming without a clear purpose or person to go to when I needed something. In addition, when I came into the office, I was given a list of tasks to complete over the summer, but because of what the tasks were, I was able to get them done fairly early within my summer. After I finally got the courage to ask for more work, I was given another task to complete, but it required me getting in contact with people and organizations outside of the office. When I reached a point where I was sort of at a standstill, I began to lose sight of my purpose.  It was difficult for me because on one level, I truly believed what I was doing was impactful and that once I heard back from others, I could continue my work.  On the other hand, I felt like I wasn’t accomplishing enough and I didn’t know how to go out and seek more work (again).

One of my many tasks at Ingenuity: helping run registration for our many events.

It’s challenging when you are an intern and want to speak to your supervisor. Don’t get me wrong, everyone I worked with at Ingenuity was more than welcoming, but because we are such a small staffed organization, there is always work that needs to be done. I felt that no matter when I would approach someone, I would be interrupting their work, which is the last thing I wanted to do. It was a hard thing to work through, I won’t lie, but I realized the more I went to people and told them what I needed, the better response I would get. My mother always told me ‘a closed mouth doesn’t get fed,’ and it’s true. Sometimes my job would require me to speak up to people who have way more seniority that I, and it was scar, but at the end of the day, it helped me more than it hindered me.

The greatest thing I think my summer with Ingenuity has taught me is that I want to work directly with people. Don’t get me wrong, there is a lot of administrative work that needs to be done behind the scenes so that the people who do interactional work with people can do their jobs successfully, and the behind the scenes work is just as important as the hands-on work. However, for me, I feel like working with people is where I am better suited. I spent a lot of my time in front of a computer screen and interacting with others through social media and email. While I enjoyed it for the first couple of weeks, I began to notice that I longed to have more interaction with the community around me. Whenever I was given the chance to meet with people and have face-to-face interaction. I noticed that I always felt more confident about the work I was completing when I could directly see how it was affecting others.

These are just a fraction of the lessons I’ve learned with my summer at Ingenuity. If I talked about all I have learned at Ingenuity, I could probably write a novel (okay, maybe it would be more of an essay, but you get my point).  While I am sad to know my time here is coming to an end, I look forward to seeing what the last 48 has in store for me.

This has been an incredible summer full of personal and professional growth.  There have been so many significant changes that it is nearly impossible to put it into words.  When I moved out to Maryland, I really didn’t know what to expect.  I had a lot of questions such as:  “Who are these two other people I will be living with?”, “ What will I be doing?”, “How will I be able to contribute to this organization?”, “How can I represent Valpo and CAPS to the best of my ability?”.   The list went on and on and it was a bit nerve-racking.

I learned that there is something in the water at Valpo and in Rockville (where you run into more Valpo graduates than you would think!).  Valparaiso University has provided me with so many useful tools that continue to set Valpo students  apart from other university students.  Valpo not only guides us with strong academic programs but instills in us a sense of service .  We want to give back and positively impact individuals and groups.  This summer, I was able to see the way Valpo has shaped  students, graduates, and especially me with regard to serving others.  There is something in the “water” at  Valpo that leads us to do more and be more for the individuals of our community.  There is also something in the water out here too!  National Lutheran Communities and Services (NLCS) and The Village at Rockville are filled with individuals who genuinely want to serve residents and each other.  I can’t begin to tell you the countless  times employees have gone out of their way to offer me assistance and guidance.  They have something in their water that has made it harder to say goodbye to this place than I had anticipated after just a quick 8 weeks.

As I reflect on my time in Rockville, I have noticed that many of my decisions and thoughts have been re-affirmed.   I am confident I have selected the right courses for me over the past three years.  Without a doubt, I am in the correct major and am on the right career path.  With each meeting, interaction, and project development, I found myself contributing to something I desire to be a part of.  It has exposed me to areas of work that I didn’t even know were available to me. I am able to  grow professionally in this field  and take on new adventures while being able to remain passionate about service to others.    There is a multitude of opportunities  that await me after I graduate and I am anxious to find out what my path will be.

As I conclude my fellowship, I received answers to all of my initial questions. I had the great pleasure of living  with two incredible individuals who shared their knowledge and experiences with me as well as sharing a love for adventures (both traveling and food related)!  I was given the opportunity to develop a nursing on the floor checklist that I hope will be implemented soon.  I gave my best efforts  to any and all tasks that were presented to me.  Most importantly, I tried to ensure my work benefitted the people we serve.   While my questions at the beginning of my fellowship were answered, I now have new questions to fill their void! How can I best utilize everything that I learned while at  NLCS and The Village at Rockville? How can I carry this work method forward? How can I grow from here?  My senior year will, no doubt, also lead to many new discoveries and questions but there is no place I would rather be than in the place “where there is something in the water”!

Valpo representation at NLCS Leadership Summit.

Myself and 2 other CAPS Fellows in front of out cottage.

Hiking view at Sugarloaf.

Met up with the DC CAPS Fellows for a Nationals game.

As I reflect upon my experience with Ancilla Systems, I realize I am looking through different eyes than when I began the summer. When I entered as the development team’s intern, my position tasks included attending meetings, grant-writing, and email-sending. Of course these things were a part of my regular schedule, yet I find myself reminiscing experiences that were much more impactful.

One of my fondest memories includes interviewing Sisters who work or have worked in healthcare settings. Prior to our interviews, I was eager to meet the Sisters but I did not expect how much wisdom would be revealed during each conversation. Each Sister offered a very unique but consistent view of healthcare:  one that involved ministry. I loved hearing the compassion for the patients they served and the miracles they achieved in their healthcare careers. Every sister who I interviewed spoke about her love for developing relationships with patients, a quality that is not always present among medical professionals. In each story, I could see that the Sisters cared for each patient’s spirit as well as his or her physical health.

As a privileged American citizen, I used to ignorantly assume that healthcare was universally available. I thought that if you could afford to live in America then you must be able to afford insurance! However, the United States spends the most amount of money on healthcare insurance and still reaps one of the poorest healthcare systems in the world.  In many other countries, governments provide universal healthcare for all citizens, no matter their income because they view healthcare as a basic civil right. Within the American health system, many people are often denied the right to healthcare if they cannot afford insurance.

While I shadowed Sister Nora Hahn, PHJC, at St. Joseph’s clinic in Plymouth, IN, I saw that help can be given to clients who may not have insurance. I witnessed medical personnel who overcame many obstacles to ensure that patients received much needed care. Many clients appeared at the clinic with diagnoses that required immediate intervention or long-term treatment. Without help from the wonderful staff, it is likely that many of the patients would experience a decline in health status simply due to lack of insurance.

Another memory that resonated with me the following weeks included holding the children currently housed at Nazareth Home (NH). During my NH volunteer orientation and tour, I witnessed each of the staff members mention “giving love to the children” or “spending time with the children.” Nazareth Home is not an ordinary foster home, it is a haven in which volunteers naturally deliver love to children who desperately need compassionate human contact. I could not believe the miracles that occurred in the short time I spent at the Home: the children were laughing, smiling, napping, eating, and playing in a safe environment where painful experiences, if even for a moment, were just memories.

Another memory I loved was attending the Sojourner Truth House walk held in both Donaldson and Gary, Indiana. One moment that stood out to me specifically was during the registration period in Gary: while many could not donate money (or could only donate very little), they still volunteered time and participation. I was amazed by the generosity exhibited by each member of the Walk and the joy that I witnessed at the registration table.

While I remember each of these moments, I contemplate my future in nursing since I have experienced the wonderful ministries of the Poor Handmaids. How can I effectively serve others with a humble spirit and full heart? How will I know what others need so that I can heal them? How can I maintain my relationship with Christ in a world that is, at times, hopeless? I decided to view these questions through the eyes of the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ.

Much of nursing education revolves around one crucial theory developed by Abraham Maslow, known as the Hierarchy of Needs. “Maslow’s Hierarchy” focuses on levels of personal needs that must be met sequentially before a person can be his or her best or “actualized” self. While Maslow’s Hierarchy is a very fundamental structure, as times change, the means to meet those ends change as well. The Sisters have exhibited their ability to be dynamic over decades, during civil rights movements, ecosystem transitions, and ministry development. As a nurse, I will have to adapt to changing times as well. Health needs change, disease prominence changes, and my relationship with my patients will change. However, as a human being who naturally cares for others’ spiritual, emotional, and mental well-being, I must be well-equipped.

I have noticed that when the Sisters serve others, they address specific needs so that the poor, whoever it may be, can achieve personal goals and develop independence. I have focused on some reflection components that are necessary when serving others, and serving in the spirit of the Poor Handmaids.

Humility is a God-given value that is necessary when dedicating your life to serving others. First, I must address where my ego lies in God’s eyes. How can I effectively serve others if my pride eclipses the Holy Spirit’s presence in me? The Bible has much to say about pride but one verse in particular that speaks to me is Philippians 2:3 (NIV), “do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, rather, in humility value others above yourselves.” The Poor Handmaids do not just serve others, but they humbly love those whom they serve. Sisters have dedicated themselves wholeheartedly to a life of service, denying materialistic wealth and cherishing a life in Jesus’ wealth instead.

As I become wrapped up in my own plans for the future, I seem to have forgotten that God will always provide for me. Acquisition of materialistic items very easily hinders motivation to serve. For instance, how can I give freely to others if I am overly concerned about my own future financial security? Placing my faith in resources here on Earth will not allow me to reach others effectively, and attempting to serve others solely with worldly items will not help them either. While monetary resources will oftentimes be necessary when I serve others, it should not become central to my service. As I serve others, I remember that my service must include nurturing the non-physical well-being of others, in addition to their physical state.

This leads me to another focus: how can I identify what another person needs while I am serving others? This ties back to Maslow’s Hierarchy as it addresses how to love others who may not need something tangible like shelter or food. I often struggle with trying to satiate another person’s needs with something that can be physically given to them but in reality that person may just be yearning for an active, listening ear. When serving a friend, patient, or even complete stranger, focus on them in that moment. What is his or her greatest need right now? Oftentimes, words of advice or quick actions just become a haphazard bandaid solution in someone’s desperate time of need. Instead, give love in its multiple forms: time, patience, or just presence.

My final focus falls upon a relationship with Christ which is crucial to living a life of service; if Christ is love, how can I love others without loving Him? The Poor Handmaids exhibit this Christ-like love everyday through humility, presence, prayer, kindness, encouragement, and so much more. To serve like a Poor Handmaid means I must evaluate my relationship with Christ first. What am I doing daily to strengthen my faith and how can I ensure that Jesus’ Holy presence is with my during my service? Presence, patience, kindness, love, and many other attributes that the Sisters embody come only from a dear relationship with and constant focus on Christ.

Washington D.C. in the summer months becomes more like Washington D. I. (the District of Interns).  Going to work in the morning on the Metro reveals large swaths of college age, well-dressed, people, on their way to the heart of the city.  If there is any doubt that these are interns, one only needs to look at their badges (governmental interns receive an identifiable “intern” badge) or listen in to their conversations.  Often times interns travel in friend groups, or work groups, headed to the same place.  In either case, they will often talk to each other about the kinds of work they are doing in so-and-so’s office or for this-or-that agency while on leave from their various universities and colleges located around the country.

Noticing these large groups of people one is forced to wonder: why intern?  Is it the great pay and glamorous lifestyle?  No, that surely can’t be it.  Most people could likely make more working a summer job back home.  The fact that we are all riding a dirty metro displays that there is little glamour in the whole thing.  Is it the ability to put this on the resume for better chances at future employment?  This is indeed a perk, however, having an internship on your resume does surely not guarantee a job position.  In addition, one could likely have a very good looking resume going out into the workfield without ever doing an internship.  Is it the experience of it?  This seems like a much closer answer to the truth, but maybe not in the traditional sense of experience.

The answer that I have come to accept is experience in a kind of “trial and error” sense.  By this, I mean we intern to test out certain theories of what environment we want to work in or what kind of work we want to be doing.  At Valpo, the word “vocation” is thrown about often, forcing you to start thinking about what this may mean for you fairly early on in your college career.  Where do you belong?  Where does your passion lie?  In essence, what do you want to do for the large majority of the rest of your life.  No pressure.

Throughout one’s college career we develop theories of what we want to be doing and what we will enjoy, however, we rarely acknowledge that these are only theories.  Once we decide on a passion and ideal career trajectory, it is easy to forget that this is largely unbased.  We have never actually tried doing this kind of work for 40 hours, 5 days, a week.  In this way, it is like a question that we forget is a question.  We assume we know the answer because we think we know ourselves, but in reality this is something that needs to be proven.  Do we actually know ourselves as well as we think we do?

This, then, is where internships come in.  Internships provide a relatively safe, temporal, chance to test out a career in the real world.  If you like it, as you thought you would, you get a sense of satisfaction.  You now have proof that the trajectory you see yourself on is the one for you.  This opens up new questions though, of more specifics.  Now that you know what the work you want to do is, you must figure out in what way you want to enter into this field and in what capacity you want to work.

However, there is also an alternative response to an internship. It might be that you end up having a rude awakening, that what you assumed would be your ideal career may be less than ideal.  This, while it can be momentarily jarring, is actually just as helpful to your self and career development.  This teaches you that you need to go back to the drawing board, come up with a new theory, and test it again.

This is how the life of the intern is truly a process of questioning, questions being answered, and this answer somehow always leading to more questioning  Once this is realized, though, there is a sense of solidarity on the morning Metro ride.  Yes, all us interns may be doing different kinds of work and may be at different points in our lives, but we are still trying to all answer the same questions, and in the end, we will all get one of the same two answers.  Whatever the answer may be at the end, we are all learning critical things about ourselves as people and, in the case of CAPS fellow, workers for social justice.

“You’re leaving next week? But you just got here!”

With Emily Knippenberg, Valpo ’16 and previous CAPS Fellow. Emily was my main supervisor during the fellowship and helped direct next steps in my project and was always giving the best professional and life advice.

Doesn’t it feel like that? It’s true what the saying says – time flies when you’re having fun! Time also flies when you are kept incredibly busy and everyday is filled with numerous learning opportunities and personal and professional challenges.

To incorporate clinical nursing experience I helped with the Wound Fair that was mandatory education for our nursing staff. Prevention is key for pressure ulcers!

As my summer at The Village at Rockville (TVAR) in Maryland wraps up I can’t help but reflect on the time I have had here. From the people I have met, the meetings I have sat in on, the responsibilities I have been given and the times I’ve spent exploring the area – I look back and wonder how it all managed to happen during one CAPS Fellowship. I can honestly say that everything that happened was unexpected, challenging at times but so worth it. So worth the occasional discomfort, confusion, exhaustion, and hours of meetings.

To give you a better idea of what my summer looked like I will explain it this way. I worked 9-5, except Fridays which were 7:30AM-5PM so I could participate on wound-rounds.  There were occasional evenings during the summer that I would stay late or go in and talk with night shift staff but other than that my evening and weekends were available for endless adventure and exploring the Maryland, Virginia, D.C. area.

I took a solo road trip to Annapolis, MD last weekend. Fun, very historic downtown to explore.

When we weren’t experiencing the numerous restaurants, hiking trails or activities people had encouraged us to visit, we were in the office working on our individual projects. Other times we were attending meetings both at TVAR and at the corporate office – National Lutheran Communities and Services (NLCS).

With: Jason, the Executive Director at TVAR and another main supervisor; CAPS Fellows – Maddie Nieter and Michelle Andersen; and Emily Knippenberg

A huge part of making this CAPS Fellowship what it has been, are the people I have encountered both at TVAR and also beyond at other NLCS entities. Every person I met has encouraged me to reach out to them and to let them know if I ever have any further questions or need professional guidance. It has amazed me to experience the compassion and desire other people have had to see me grow. I know many times it is said that words cannot fully describe something ­- in this case that saying can’t be truer. Words truly cannot describe the appreciation I have for the amount of wisdom, guidance, and support I have received the past 8 weeks. I have received many notes with words of advice, wisdom, various contacts, and many other little tidbits that I will be reflecting on and incorporating into further development, especially, in the coming years as I continue to pursue my passion of becoming a nurse.

Now comes a bittersweet time of saying goodbye to such an influential group of people I have had the honor of working with this summer. It will be the people of National Lutheran Communities and Services, especially The Village at Rockville, that I will miss greatly.

One of my favorite things to do was explore new and always breathtaking hiking trails. As well as, other outdoor activities like kayaking and white water tubing down part of the Potomac River.

But as this journey comes to a close I walk away a determined and more knowledgeable nurse and professional. I also leave reflecting on the word “change”. A goal in my life is to create change somewhere, somehow. I don’t know yet if that change will come in the form of a medical mission trip, a pediatric hospital, a church, or with family or friends, but I have been made to realize that change won’t always be seen with my own eyes. Maybe the change I create in the world will happen years after I have an idea or begin to create something. Maybe this change in the world happens within my own heart, creating a domino effect. In addition to having a passion to serve in a pediatric hospital I now add a passion of working with dementia patients. It is hard to imagine how much an entire perspective and desire can change in a few weeks time.

Hello from The District!  

I don’t know if anybody else feels this way, but this summer has been FLYING BY. If feels like it was only a week ago I was beginning my time in our nation’s capital. Over the past month, I have been serving within the Marketing & Communications department at Lutheran Services in America, a health care and human services network that represents over 300 Lutheran nonprofit organizations and it has been an adventure. The district has this beautiful energy that keeps you on your toes. It’s an exhilarating energy that makes the workplace unpredictable and anything but mundane.

I have spent my days attending rallies and going on hill visits to advocate on behalf of LSA, which was COMPLETELY outside of my comfort zone. Seriously, I felt completely out of my own element. However, looking back at my first few weeks at LSA, it’s evident to see how much I’ve grown in such a short amount of time. I’m beginning to the think that the whole being forced outside your comfort zone thing isn’t actually that bad. I have found that in order to succeed in, you must adapt quickly, be unafraid to ask questions (easier said than done), and find innovation to go above and beyond during those rare quiet moments.

I’m discovering that the work that I find most rewarding is when I have the opportunity to use it as a creative outlet. I’ve always considered myself a storyteller. Having recently graduated as a Digital Media Art major, I take pride in being able to share others’ stories creatively and with a vision that others aren’t always able to see. If there’s one thing that I’ve learned about storytelling at Lutheran Services in America, it’s that every single person has a story. Each story is unique and deserves to be valued. It is my job to share their story and advocate for those who aren’t always able to share their own story with those that need to hear it.

LSA takes social ministry to an entire different level and is able to cultivate such a wide array of stories and share them on such a large scale. At its core, LSA takes storytelling and makes it about generating an authentic, human connection. Storytelling, when done right, can increase your influence and produce a ripple effect of supporters who want to invest in you’re fighting for.

Here’s a sneak peak into just a few my adventures! To see more, check out my VSCO profile dedicated to finding all the cute hidden corners of D.C.

– N

United Methodist Building [aka LSA’s office]

Union Station

Georgetown

National Building Museum

Ebenezers Coffee

Lincoln Memorial

Member Engagement Intern, Jonah Koetke & I meeting Senator Warren

Putting the “I” in Indy

As I write this final blog post, I am bombarded by many feelings…the two most prominent being confusion and denial. I’m in a constant state of Wait, I’m sorry—what did you say the date is again? and No, that can’t be right…it’s still June, isn’t it? If summer mercilessly flew past you at full speed, and if you are shocked by the date on your calendar every morning, then you might be experiencing symptoms of End of Summer Whiplash. I have coined this condition with the hopes that it will help many of us place a name to the whirlwind of emotions we are feeling about the end of our summer as CAPS Fellows. We are nearing the end; what a strange thing to say.

Just for the sake of recap, I am an intern at ArtMix, a nonprofit in Indy which provides access to the arts for people with disabilities, while also practicing and promoting inclusion. For me, which may be unlike many people in my CAPS cohort, I went into this position with no experience in the nonprofit sector whatsoever, and into a position that (on the surface) is not directly connected with my major. Now, I am typically not the type of person who throws caution to the wind and enjoys going into situations with little to no knowledge. But, that’s what made the CAPS program and ArtMix such a unique and fulfilling experience. In my nine short weeks here, I have learned an incredible amount about the nonprofit sector, what it means to really serve people, and how much elbow-grease it really takes to keep an organization spinning.

Linda, Kathy, Me, Katy, & Gayle

The President & CEO of my organization once asked me to think about my Aha! moments during my time here, so that I may reflect on them and take them with me as I find my way in life. One of those moments was the moment I realized that small nonprofits run much like how I imagine start-up businesses running. There is such an enormous emphasis on presence: getting exposure, putting your name and mission out there, and connecting, connecting, connecting. For me, this translated to a lot of experience in marketing and social media management that I previously had never been involved with. I have a renewed appreciation for the strategies and planning that go into building a presence online and in the community. Along those same lines, I knew fundraising was important; that felt like common knowledge to me. However, before this position, I had no experience with fundraising. Here, I learned the practical steps for educating people about our mission, gathering financial support, and maintaining relationships with the people who are gracious enough to donate their money (and time!) to our organization. Cultivating those relationships is extremely important to ArtMix, because the people who give to us are who make it possible for us to serve the community, and to transform the lives of people with disabilities.

As I reflect on what I will miss most, it really is two-fold: the ArtMix staff and the ArtMix students. I am extremely fortunate to have a staff surrounding me this summer who have been nothing but supportive, helpful, and kind to me. Above all, I felt like staff while I was here. Surely we’ve all heard an intern horror story or two, usually involving an intern who was always reminded of their intern status, whether it be through interactions or task-assignment. This could not be further from my experience. The ArtMix staff made sure I was always involved in the events, meetings, and camaraderies as much as any other person in the office. They are a group of truly phenomenal people, and I will miss them after my return to Valpo.

Meghan (middle), Ivey, & Me

Finally, I will miss the students who come to ArtMix day after day, dedicating time and energy to our programs and their own personal growth. I have especially become friends with people in the Urban Artisans program: I attended my new friend Meghan’s dance recital with her family and my coworker, received the nickname “Trouble” from the comedian of the group, Jordan, and was invited to join David at his church service on Sundays. Serving their lunches also means I know which students will eat the chicken sandwich and which won’t, I know everybody by name, and I get to ask each one of them how their day is going. These people are so kind and welcoming, and their lives have all been touched by the hard work of the ArtMix staff and teaching artists. For me, that connection between the service and the served was the end-all-be-all: ArtMix was the perfect placement for me.

“Despacito! Play Despacito!” Repeats from around the 15-passenger van as ten 8-14 year old refugee youth call out for my fellow intern Wendy and I to play the smash hit from Louis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee, and Justin Bieber. “It’s the radio” we say with a laugh, “we can’t control what comes on, but if you wait long enough it will probably come back on again”. And thus begins, and usually ends, the day at Heartland Alliance’s Youth and Family Service’s Summer Program.

Being an intern in Summer Program has provided me with a great experience to work with some incredible young people, and has been a thoroughly rewarding experience. First, a little about what Summer Program exactly is. Every day of the week in Summer Program takes us to a different location and provides a unique experience, all of which generally center around our program theme of “Good Neighbor”. Mondays, we meet at a local church where youth participants play games, make crafts and learn a little about the general theme of the week, topics such as conservation, creativity, etc. Tuesdays, our program takes youth around the city on different field trips designed to show our participants, all first year refugee youths, different places in Chicago and provide them with unique learning experiences; places such as the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, Heartland Alliances Urban Farm or the Evanston Art Center. Wednesdays and Thursdays take on a little bit more of a fun, laid back approach; Wednesdays consist of playing soccer with other refugee organizations. While Thursdays are visits to the beach, where in addition to swimming and playing in the sand our program engages in a bit of a beach garbage clean up, thus encouraging our theme of “Good Neighbor”. As is evident, each day is unique and a whole lot of fun, however it provides so much more for both participants and staff.

For our participants, these activities provide the chance to get out and explore their very new city, and see some of what Chicago has to offer. It also gives them the opportunity to consistently practice English and meet new kids from different cultures and parts of the world. One of the coolest parts of this experience is that on a daily basis one can watch kids who speak different languages become friends and hang out, despite the lack of a common language. Observing and being a part of this serves as a daily reminder that at the end of the day all of us are more alike than we are different. While that may sound cliché it really is powerful and rewarding to be a part of a program that brings people together and shows recently arrived refugee children what America is really about; a place where all are welcome, and a place that values diversity and inclusion.

Being a part of Summer Program has provided me a lot, including a never-ending loop of Despacito playing in my head. Through this ongoing experience in Summer Program I’ve also come to truly appreciate the value of non-verbal communication and learn the power that a positive disposition and a smiling face can have, especially when the populations you are working with might not understand what you are saying. Additionally, every day provides a host of new learning experiences: including learning simply phrases in Arabic and Kurdish, learning about the foods and cultural norms of other cultures, and just coming to appreciate the unique and wonderful nature of all people. Every day is an opportunity to improve the lives of the youths we work with, and every day is a chance to improve the world just a little bit, and I consider myself extremely blessed to have had this opportunity this summer.

Wow, I can’t believe it’s already my last week at Heartland and in the Chicago area. I’m purposely refraining from reading my first blog post so that I can read both side by side and see how much I’ve grown.

Because yes, I truly feel like I’ve grown. I remembered being intimidated and even a little terrified my first few weeks: there were so many heavy tasks I was thrown into with little to no instruction, so many language and culture barriers, so many weights I didn’t feel strong enough not to get crushed under. But now, I feel completely transformed. I’m proud to say that I’ve developed the skill of communicating effectively with non-English speakers to a level in which I consider it one of my strengths. I feel comfortable coming into the office each day instead of a little apprehensive. Both the newer interns and the refugees come to me to ask questions when the case managers aren’t around. I’ve even been sitting in the case managers’ desk area (because we have more interns than computers in the “intern cave” now, which is a great problem to have!), and the case managers talk to me like a co-worker. All of these have made me feel more a part of the team than ever, and it’s very empowering.

Not only have I experienced that sense of the empowerment myself, but I’ve had the joy of witnessing it among the refugees, too. I’ve been here long enough now to be able to see their growth over their first month or two here. For example, one of my jobs is to conduct home visits both their first 24 hours in the country and after their first 30 days. During the 24 hour visits, the refugees are often exhausted from travel, culture shocked, and afraid. They feel like a foreigner, a guest in our United States. During the 30 Day visits, however, I typically see a huge transformation. The refugees are happy, confident, and assertive. They consider me a friend. They open their homes to me, usually with great food and as much jovial conversation as they can manage at their English level. Now I am a guest in their home, their Chicago, their United States. They become free and autonomous, and while the road for them is anything but easy, they are able to taste their dream of living in a place where they are safe, loved, and accepted – a dream that we as lifelong US citizens so often take for granted.

All of this will go with me even after I leave the office for the last time on Friday. My CAPS experience is occurring in the middle of my greatest life transition yet: In May, I graduated college, and said goodbye to Valpo as well as my friends, mentors, commitments and activities – really my whole way of life – there. In two weeks I leave the 60-mile radius of the Midwest I’ve lived in my entire life move to Denver, Colorado, a place where I’ve only spent about 36 hours total and know virtually no one. As of last week, my family officially completed their relocation to Charlotte, North Carolina, where my dad was transferred for work, so I also said goodbye to my childhood home, my hometown, and my old friends and neighbors. While navigating this huge life change in the midst of an experience where I must reflect on my calling and purpose in society, I have had another question thrown into the mix: who am I? When all of your roots are pulled from the ground – all of the places and activities that up until this point in your life made you who you are – what is your identity? I wish I had the answer for you. I do, however, have one valuable insight I want to share:

The experience of your life may be unique to you, but it is shared. It is shared with everyone you smile at on the street, everyone you commute with on the subway, everyone you dedicate your time to the same cause with. Every time you interact with someone, you are bearing witness to their story, and they yours. Community, I believe, is the essence of our existence as human beings. To love in all its forms is our calling, and to use our strengths to give, receive, and perpetuate that love in the biggest or smallest of ways is our purpose. My CAPS Fellowship – and my entire experience at Valpo, honestly – has helped teach me this.

I suppose the idea of CAPS is to figure out how you specifically fit into that grand idea of love and life. I don’t know if working with refugees is my entire life’s calling (if I even have an entire-lifelong calling), but it was this summer. God brought me here to do good work, and I did. Now, He sends me to Denver to do even more. I’ve started to turn away from the idea that we have one specific calling and one specific purpose. Last spring, my calling was to apply for CAPS. This summer, my purpose was to help resettle refugees. My current calling is to go to Denver and complete a Master’s program in International Disaster Psychology, and my purpose there will be revealed to me in due time. For now, I am endlessly thankful for my CAPS experience, and I’m beyond excited to take my new skills, experiences, and growth into my next chapter of life.

One of the most exciting things about moving Chicago is being able to say that I live in Illinois!  It may only be temporary, but for someone who has spent the last 18 years of her life living in Valparaiso, IN (minus a semester in Costa Rica), spending two months in the big city is a pretty big deal.  One of my favorite parts about living in the city is listening to people speak in their many native tongues.  When I’m at the train station, I can hear a pair of students conversing in Arabic.  While I’m walking through Millennium Park, I can understand the parents talking to their children in Spanish.  When I walk down the street, I recognize one of the very few German words I know as a man talks on the phone.  During the time I spent at my internship over the last two months, I have heard conversations in French, Arabic, Rohingya, Burmese, Tigrinya, Somali, Mon, Farsi, and a plethora of other languages that I don’t know a single word of.

As a self-declared lover of languages, hearing so many languages in such a small space is exciting.  As an intern at Heartland Alliance and as a language teacher, listening to their voices is inspiring.   This is what the whole world will probably be like in a few more decades, and I for one can’t wait to be part of it!

Unfortunately, not everyone shares my love of languages, and even more unfortunately, not everyone recognizes the value of living in a community as diverse as Chicago.  Once the United States accepts 50,000 refugees this year, no more will be welcomed in unless they have a close family tie here.  Thousands of people who have been waiting in refugee camps for years will be denied access to the place they want to call home.

Instead of sparking political debate, I want to use the remainder of this blog post to praise the efforts of people who are working to welcome people into our country.  Last week, my family and I had the opportunity to attend Chicago’s celebration of World Refugee Day.  The day was one of protest, but the time was mostly designated for celebration and fun!  It was a wonderful opportunity to interact with coworkers and participants outside of the work environment, but more importantly, it showed them that they are valued in the larger Chicago community.  We gathered together as people from all over the globe to participate in a march, eat international food, watch the “Refugee World Cup,” and dance to international music.  One of the songs they played there was also the song that the English students sang loud and proud at their graduation from the last quarter of classes, and I can’t think of a better way to sum up what the refugee experience in the United States should be like:

“This land is your land, this land is my land,

From California, to the New York Island.

From the Redwood Forrest, to the Gulf stream waters.

This land was made for you and me.”

I’ve been working at Water to Thrive for over a month now, and the time has flown by. My main project is a marketing plan that W2T can use to reach out to their Christian audience. Although W2T is a faith-based organization with roots in a Lutheran church, they don’t currently have any marketing strategies to reach one of their biggest donor bases – churches. That’s where I come in.

Like with any project I’ve done for school, I started with research. This included looking up Christian publications, nearby churches, and best practices for nonprofit marketing. I also needed to know everything I could about Water to Thrive, an organization I had never heard of before I worked here. I also had to go through all their currently marketing, especially social media and print collateral to see how I could tweak it to appeal to a Christian audience. My favorite part has been creating sample social media posts, when I get to channel my creativity and minimal graphic design skills.

Current W2T marketing materials

I’ve learned that creating a marketing plan is a really good way to get to know an organization. I’ve had to include statistics, such as how W2T has funded over 750 wells since 2008, which have affected over 400,000 people. I’ve looked at their recent campaigns, which have come from churches, universities, and weddings. I’ve poured over their annual progress reports and learned about how the organization has touched lives on both sides of the Atlantic.

The motto of W2T is “Build Wells, Change Lives.” As I work, I’m constantly amazed at how deeply lives are actually changed. Clean and accessible water is something that we constantly take for granted. We can have it everywhere – in our houses, in our schools, in our churches, in almost every building in the country. But that’s obviously not the case in rural Africa. Women and children walk for miles to get water, which is often dirty and contaminated. But a single accessible well can flip their lives upside down. The children can go to school because they don’t have to spend hours walking for water. Women have more time to care for their family and cook better meals. There is less disease from waterborne bacteria. The well becomes a place of communal pride for the whole village. While some in developing countries may believe that drinking water is just a “fad”, for many around the world, water is life.

But the lives being changed don’t stop in the African villages. Here in the States, people are continuously being affected by the work of W2T. Wells are funded through campaigns, where a group or individual raises $5,000 to sponsor a well. There have been campaigns by churches, university groups, elementary schools, even couples sponsoring wells in lieu of receiving wedding gifts. In the grand scheme of things, $5,000 isn’t that much to change the lives of hundreds of people. I love that there are people here that are so willing to donate just a few dollars to a campaign in order to change the lives of Ethiopian villagers halfway around the world. They’re willing to host small fundraisers, attend W2T’s annual events, and educate others about the African water crisis. The dedication of W2T supporters around the country is unbelievable and it inspires me to do all I can to spread the message of this organization. Although my work isn’t immediately affecting anyone in Africa, I can do my best to make sure that it does influence churches, who can take the steps to launch their own well-building campaign and change lives.

Three generations of W2T CAPS Fellows: Lars, Louisa (me), and Krista

As someone who was born and raised in the Midwest, life in Texas was certainly an adjustment. I studied abroad in England last semester, yet I experienced more culture shock during my first few days here than months in Europe. The most obvious difference is the heat. The locals laughed when I complained when it was in the mid-90s. They said it would just get hotter. And it sure has, much to my chagrin. There’s prickly pear cacti and aloe plants along the street and in front yards. And people do actually say “y’all” all the time. But besides the heat and birds that occasionally try to attack me (grackles are the worst), Austin is a really fun city. There’s always something to do, whether it’s hiking, live music, free movies, taco festivals, exploring museums, or hanging out with former W2T CAPS Fellows (shout-out to Lars and Krista). And I could write a whole other blog post about how great the food is here. But I’ll save that for another time.

The train hums me awake in the morning as it zooms under my window each day. It used to be something that jolted me awake, but now it is a part of my morning routine. In the always moving city, I have become used to the sounds, crowds, and lights. Each day as I head to work with my backpack, work shoes in hand, tennis shoes on, I am constantly surprised that in one of the largest cities, how many people I repeatably see each day, on the train and on the street.

The pace in the office of Ingenuity, like the city, is fast. Printers are printing. Meetings are in session. People are talking. I have worked at Ingenuity, the leading arts non-profit that works with getting quality arts education into every Chicago Public School for every student, for about four weeks now, as the Partnerships and Professional Learning Intern. I have already learned so much. With this position, I am tasked primarily with managing, facilitating, and implementing one of Ingenuity’s institutes called The Partner Starter. This institute is designed as a “how to” for new arts partners to Chicago Public Schools. At this event, they will learn the tools of how to form a “shared language” with Chicago Public Schools. Forming that language requires many conversations, and understandings about what it means to work within the school. This requires a multitude of conversations and voices on different levels, between teachers, school administrators, arts partners and teaching artists, arts administrators, and arts liaisons. I have learned how important listening to these different voices are to the work that Ingenuity does and the teamwork between the community, arts organizations, and surrounding schools.
It is really an amazing feeling to see my previous experiences leading me and helping me figure out the ways around this new experience. I see the conversations that I have had in classes, and the skills I have learned from previous jobs help me with this internship. The threads of my own narrative—my own life—that did not always make sense to me at the time are now coming together in interesting ways—in ways I never expected. My eyes are opened to a whole new world beyond my almost four years at Valpo.

Sometimes as I leave work, I wonder what students in schools are getting to play an instrument for the first time, or getting the opportunity to step into the museum and see a whole new way of thinking. Being able to be part of the back-bone of arts partnerships has left me with good conversations, important questions, and different narratives that are all coming together in meaningful ways. I am excited to see how this experience continues to stretch me.

Millennium Park

Lastly, at the end of these four weeks I have reflected on many things, but also noticed some funny details. One, Millennium Park is not called Millennial Park even though a lot of us millennials go there. Two, it is important to always be ready for surprises like running into your co-workers at a random coffee shop in the middle of this very large city. Finally, and most importantly, I have realized that home can be many different places, people, and moments. Right now, Chicago, with all its sounds, crowds, and lights, seems like a good home to be at with other CAPS Fellows to share the experience with as we grow together this summer.

Whenever a teacher or professor announced, “for this assignment, you’ll be working in groups,” I would internally (or at times, externally) groan and lament the impending onslaught of scheduling via 600 emails, navigating group dynamics, and inevitably picking up others’ slack. As an English major, I much preferred writing essays on my own time, in my own way, and with my own quality of work standards.

However, my internship with Ingenuity this summer has turned group work on its head for me. I am part of the Data and Research team, and our projects are way too big for one person to tackle on their own. Even though we are only a team of three, we bring professional contractors, advisory panel members, and art education stakeholders to join in on our work. Our giant projects all of the sudden feel manageable as everyone in the room brings valuable insight and technical skills. Projects are broken down into specific timelines, tasks are delegated, and progress is tracked. It’s amazing what can be accomplished with a room full of dedicated and talented people.

My own dedication to the Data and Research projects is not hard to muster, as I am passionate about the work Ingenuity does. As a non-profit, Ingenuity serves as a “backbone” organization for arts education in Chicago. We work as a hub for data, strategy, advocacy, and partnerships supporting more than 600 Chicago Public Schools and a similar number of community arts partners.

All of the past State of the Arts Reports and the beginnings of this years

One way we provide data to the Chicago arts education community is through the annual State of the Arts Report. My main task for the summer is to be the lead on this project. I spent hours my first week reading through the last four reports and internally geeking out that I get to have a hand on such an important document. However, my excitement was coupled with uncertainty. How was I, “just the summer intern,” supposed to analyze the numbers, establish a narrative arc to the data, write up the findings, and advise design decisions all in a couple months? Thankfully, this is a group project.

While I definitely have a lot of work on my plate, I’m not left to flounder on my own. My supervisor Steve initiated a contract with a design firm. My co-worker Tom aggregated all of our data. All three of us divided and conquered data collection and clean-up. Both of them are readily available to answer my questions and provide feedback. Our advisory panel will offer final reviews and recommendations. By the end of the summer, our report will be well on its way to publication due to our combined efforts.

Witnessing group projects in a professional setting is a whole new experience from college. Team members are here to work, (and thankfully are not bogged down with 18-credit course loads, five extracurriculars, and a part-time job). Seeing the dedication of the rest of the team encourages me to do my best. Besides, this definitely beats pulling an all-nighter to write a paper by myself.

Greetings!

My name is Katie Karstensen and this summer I have the opportunity to be working with ICDI, or the Interfaith Committee for Detained Immigrants. When people ask where ICDI is located it’s hard to give one central location because we are all over the Chicagoland area, and even outside of the state of Illinois in some of our ministries and work. To share what it has been like so far interning with ICDI and talking about all the different ministries we do, I thought it would be easiest to take you through my week and share some of the stories I have encountered.

Mondays

On Mondays you will find me near the South West suburbs of Chicago at our main office where our executive director, the two Sisters who have founded this organization, the fundraising team, and volunteers have their offices. I have done various tasks such as pull staples from religious materials so we may bring them into county jails, file different documents for immigrants we have helped over the years, alphabetize our donor files, and do an experiment of printing out prayers on different colored sheets of paper and testing which ones bleed color the most so that we may take the best ones into jails, where we have learned from conversations with detainees that they save the Sunday comics and separate prints into different colored ink paper, mix the paper with water, and use it to paint. Our goal is to give the prayer sheets they may be able to easily tear apart and mix with water to paint with, as paint is not available to them.

Tuesdays

On Tuesdays I am in a South suburb in Chicago working with one of our Post-Detention accompaniment ministries. ICDI offes short and long term support for immigrants who have been released from detention and have nowhere to live, and may be in the process of seeking asylum, or have been granted asylum and are waiting for other documents before being able to support themselves in this country. I get to work alongside with volunteers working to offer spiritual care, transportation, meals, clothing, and other necessities as needed. We have a house for men, a house for women and children, and a 24 hour on call service that will offer immediate services to those who have been released or are in need. My project at the women’s house this summer has been organizing all of the donations we receive, and I have been creating relationships with residents of the house and sharing stories and meals with one another.

Wednesdays

You will find me at the Kankakee County Jail on Wednesday mornings where we participate in pastoral care for those in detention. Detainees are allowed phone calls once a day they must pay for and allowed only one visit for no more than half an hour each week with family members or friends. Thanks to the hard work of the two sisters who founded this organization, and promoting that those in jail have the right to pastoral care, they have managed to get their way into jails so volunteers can visit face to face in the same room as detainees each week. ICDI visits detainees in Kenosha, McHenry, Dodge, and Kankakee County Jails, where we make 4,000 contact visits every year. I have met one on one with detainees from all over the world, some who were picked up by immigration upon entering the country, and those who have been in the country since they were a small child, have a career, multiple children, and are facing deportation and returning to country and culture they may know little to nothing about. This ministry is intense, but extremely necessary. Prisons are for long term sentences and normally have lots of programming, but county jails are for shorter terms and have little to no programming, but we have met with many people who have been in detention for months and months at a time. During our allotted thirty minutes to visit with detainees, we listen to their stories, speak of whatever they wish to talk about, offer a space for interfaith dialogue, and provide religious materials to them they are able to keep. An occurrence with someone at Kankakee that I have not been able to get out of my head and don’t know if I ever will was when one of the men I had finished talking to as he prepared to leave and I shook his hand and thanked him for coming to sit with me, said “Your group of volunteers that meet with us are the only human hands that touch us without wearing latex gloves.” Never had I thought about one simple handshake having the potential to mean so much to a person.

Thursdays

On this day I visit two different Immigration Courts in downtown Chicago where “court watchers” go into immigration cases and sit in the courtroom in solidarity and support of those who have hearings. Final hearings are usually the only hearings in which detainees physically come into the court, otherwise there is a television screen set up in the courtroom and that connects with detention centers via televideo. Everyone in the court can see the television, but the detainee on the other side can only see the judge, and hears all that is said by the judge, attorney, government representative, and translator through one microphone. And if the detainee speaks a different language than English or whatever languages the translator may be able to interpret, the judge calls an over the phone translation service and the phone translator is projected over a loudspeaker, which I cannot imagine from the detainees perspective is a very effective way of communication when dealing with such sensitive issues. And all that is interpreted are the words addressed back and forth between the judge and the detainee, not what the government or attorney have to say.

I have found my time in court to not offer much humanity for those who go through this court system, and am thankful ICDI encourages volunteers to enter court systems and offer some humanity on behalf of those waiting to hear about their immigration or asylum status.

Fridays

On Fridays you will find a group of passionate people holding a prayer vigil on the steps of the ICE Office in Broadview, Illinois. This is where all the ministry of ICDI began, when Sister Pat and Sister Jo Ann saw every Friday at 7am immigrants being put into busses to be taken to O’Hare and deported back to their countries of origin. Every Friday, rain or shine, summer and winter, all year round people gather in this place to pray and send good thoughts for those being deported. The first Friday of every month we have an Interfaith prayer vigil where reflections of Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and Buddhist traditions are shared among one another, and the other Fridays of the month we pray the Catholic Rosary together. This week I was able to share the Christian reflection as a part of our Interfaith service:

https://youtu.be/fP8f4qKgrW8

Saturdays

Every other Saturday I volunteer with our Unaccompanied Children’s Interfaith Ministry, where we provide spiritual care to migrant children who are in this country without a parent or guardian. Many of these children are fleeing the most violent areas on earth. We meet with these children to provide spiritual accompaniment through prayer, songs, arts and crafts, other creative activities across many language barriers based on interfaith themes such as hope, thanksgiving, and strength for the journey they are on. In conversation with these children, it does not feel as if I am talking to a child, but rather someone much wiser and older, and who has lived through much more than I ever hope to go through or experience. These children have been through much, but they are resilient and they are strong.

On a Saturday I was not visiting our unaccompanied children’s home I had the opportunity to represent ICDI at the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America’s convention in Tinley Park where I was able to share our ministry with the wider church.

Going into this internship I admit I did not have a large amount of knowledge about the immigration system in the United States. After working with this wonderful organization for a month now I cannot believe how much I have learned, how much there still is to learn, and there are many steps to take until this is truly a humane system.

By this time, I have just completed my third week of interning, and to say it has been a constant learning experience would be an understatement. This summer I am working at Ingenuity, an organization that not only raises awareness about the importance of a good quality arts education in the Chicago public schools, but also, it works to make sure that arts education stays in the schools and that everyone is benefiting from it from the research and data they collect from over 600 schools and 1,000 arts partners. Sounds simple enough, right?

At Valparaiso University, I am a Criminology and Political Science double major (and a theatre minor, but most people forget about that when I tell them my majors).  When I told everyone I planned to spend my summer working at an arts education organization, many people were confused. I got a lot of interesting thoughts on my decision, but the one that came up most frequently was “wow, your major and your internship are so different; why would you chose to do that with your summer?” To be honest, at first, I would just say I wanted a change of pace, but deep down I knew it was more than that. Recently, I have been working to get more involved in the theatre department at school, and the more involved I was the more it made me wonder if I wanted a career in the arts rather than the criminal justice field. As a result, I decided choosing an organization in the arts would help me decide.

At Ingenuity, I am the public affairs/advocacy/communications and media intern (they’re virtually the same thing, but I have been called all of them). With this task, I am not only in charge of helping with Ingenuity’s social media presence, but their public presence as well. In addition, I have been given the task of working to update their website this summer. This has been quite an adventure for me personally because I have never really done anything in either field. Nevertheless, I was eager to learn how to help the organization.

I am not going to lie, the first couple weeks were a little overwhelming. The Friday before I started, my supervisor called me to give me a basic run-down of what I would be doing in the office, but she also told me that the person who was set to be my supervisor had switched jobs and was no longer with the organization. Although she was incredibly kind in explaining to me how she was now going to become my supervisor and my tasks, I was terrified. Not only was I in a big city when I had pretty much spent my life in only suburbs, but now I wasn’t really quite sure where the summer would lead me. Luckily, my supervisor and the office I am working in was incredibly. Everyone has been welcoming and I could tell as soon as I walked in I had joined a really close group.

Everything in the office is very fast pace. Because the organization is ran by only seven full time employees and the population they serve is the third largest school district in the country, there is always something going on. I think that was one of the hardest things for me to adjust to—the other being working forty hours a week. When I started this internship, it had been about a month since I left my internship at the Federal Probation and Pretrial office. There I only worked five hours a day, three days a week, and for the most part, it was usually pretty relaxed. I would be given daily tasks, some I could finish that day, and others I couldn’t, but overall, it was pretty peaceful. Coming into a fast-paced office after having that tranquil experience was difficult at first, but I think I am finally getting the hang of it.

I will only be spending nine weeks with Ingenuity, and with the completion of my third week, I have completed one-third of my time. Since beginning, I have learned how to handle social media and how to organize the office to have a bigger social media presence. I have also learned how to edit the website and how to create the monthly newsletter.  In addition, I have been working in the advocacy field and have been doing research on possible topics for the advocacy institute that will occur in October. While it is a little weird to think about all I have done and how much time has gone by (time is really flying by!), I am excited to see where the next six weeks take me. If I have been able to complete all that I have in the short amount of time, I am eager to see what I will accomplish by the end of it.

“My name is Aaron, and I work for a lobbying firm”

I have always cringed when I heard that word. My teachers, parents, CNN and basically everyone had resolved to decry a whole profession as “unethical” and “corrupt.”

Even now, as I rushed to tell family and friends about my new job in D.C., veiled smiles said “you’re one of them now.” Upon my arrival in our nation’s capital, I had resigned to embrace my new role: a puppet, ruled by special interest.

Only Venn Strategies isn’t like that. There are no smoke-filled, back room meetings. The office isn’t filled with power-hungry D.C. elites or slaves to special interest. We don’t work to control government, we work to understand it.

The federal government is an incredible complex machine with lots of moving parts. As a government affairs firm, our job at Venn is to keep tabs on what’s going on and report the results to our clients. Weekdays days consist of tracking legislation, attending and reporting on congressional hearings, and compiling research at our clients’ request. I’ve come to view our work as not only necessary, but fulfilling.

Venn’s clients are primarily based in the healthcare and finance sectors. I am currently working on the health team (a nice non-controversial topic), conducting research into the field of healthcare and producing memos for our clients. After a few days of research I came to a realization: I am so glad that there are people that do this work full time. Having met with congressional staffers, I’ve more often than not found myself face to face with an individual my age; somebody with nearly identical levels of education and experience. There’s a poorly kept secret in Washington: congressional staffers, while underpaid and overworked, run this town.

Single lines in 80 page bills have the capacity to affect the lives of millions of Americans. Among those millions are not only my family, friends and neighbors, but people I have never nor will ever meet. Having experienced what analyzing policy looks like, I am relieved that experts like the ones at Venn do the work that they do. Using a heavily researched argument, Venn exposes these staffers (again, the “real” rulers of D.C.) to the fact based stances that they would never have the resources or time to discover themselves. With legislation passing through the halls of congress on a daily basis, I find myself more and more confident that our policymakers are being exposed to well-researched arguments as diverse as the constituents they represent.

“My name is Aaron, and I am proud to work for a lobbying firm.”

Dusk at the Capitol

Never underestimate the power that the nine-to-five work day can exert upon your daily routine; this is one of the many lessons that I have learned over the course of my first three weeks in Washington D.C., the place where politics meet reality.  It is a place where a small-town Midwesterner such as myself can easily fall victim to the overarching tones of rapidity and competitiveness.  It is a place where one can find that there exists a clash of understandings.  You see it everywhere; the Metro, the workplace, the restaurants, even the monuments.  From the outsiders’ perspective, there exists a great divide between how people engage with the world that we share.

The Washington Monument against a purple sunset.

It starts as nuance, watching as some individuals rush down the left side of the escalator while others stand idly on the right, not daring to puncture the median threshold for fear of being rebuked by those in much more of a hurry.  Those hurried folks then turn into paradoxical figures upon entering the Metro train cars, cramming in so that the car is far over optimal capacity to avoid running late, all while expressing clear body language that indicates a certain distress that comes with the impending burst of their personal bubbles.  Yet, once the tranquil humming and shunting of the train begins, trance overtakes the awkwardness of proximity, and once you reach your stop, the mentality takes over again.

These observations are an attempt to place you at the core of my reflective process as I adapt to this perplexing and invigorating city.  It would also be fair to admit that I have adapted to my surrounding environment; some of the very strategies that I initially found to be so odd have now become commonplace in my routine.  Much of it is concerned with wanting to understand this “East Coast” mentality that I have only briefly grappled with in the past.  This place is so different from home, but why?  Why do people find it so odd to smile at one another while walking down the street?  Why is starting a conversation with a stranger such a rarity here?  With my inherent differences, where do I fit into this jigsaw?  It leads me to wonder if the “East Coast” mentality is more of a culture centered around getting from point A to point B, whether those points be set in the short term or the long term.  It seems odd that one can sense the hallmarks of cross-cultural immersion while within the confines of their country of origin.

James Madison, the “Father of the Constitution”

This clash of cultures that I am surveying, however, comes secondary to the true reason that I have taken up residence in District of Columbia.  My niche here has been found within the ranks of the International Research and Exchange Board, also known by the catchy acronym, IREX.  Here, I serve as a member of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) team.  Currently, all of my work has been to support the Operations department in organizing the 2017 Mandela Washington Fellowship, a program that has been conducted since 2014 and aims to bring 1000 young leaders from sub-Saharan Africa to experience a summer of coursework at American universities in specialized fields all pertaining to some facet of sustainable development.  This is done in an attempt to empower the next generation of African leaders and promote economic and social development at a grassroots level.

As for my part, I had never realized how many moving parts exist in an international non-governmental organization.  Our team alone is comprised of nearly twenty incredibly proficient individuals, and there is still an immense amount of work that must be done by each of us to manage 1000 Fellows.  Considering that there are many other programs implemented by IREX, one can only imagine the complexity of such an organization and the synergy necessary to ensure that obligations are met and that programs are implemented smoothly.  Perhaps it is the high-stakes nature of working with such important programs with such ambitious goals that assist in the formulation of the aforementioned culture that I have begun to adapt.

The core mission of IREX.

It goes without saying, but my time in Washington D.C. thus far has been incredibly fulfilling.  Working with wonderful people certainly aids in process of acclamation.  However, I have found that many of the small changes that I have made in my daily routine coalesce in the constant pursuit of happiness and the staving off of time.  For example, riding a bike to work each day has therapeutic and physical benefits; access to museums and historic monuments opens up opportunities to acquire knowledge and understand history; living with impressive individuals doing equally important work is simply empowering; and proximity to politics affords chances to get involved and feel as if you are actually making a difference.  Admittedly, I am still unsure of where my time here will lead me, yet the confidence and happiness that I find in a simple day is evidence enough to convince me that I am headed in the right direction, towards a life of leadership and service, underpinned by tenets of truth and justice.  I anticipate a fulfilling summer with IREX and my fellow peers, and I can definitively say that it off to an amicable beginning.

Look, I even have my own desk, complete with a name plate!

About a week into my internship with Lutheran Services in America was when I had my first “CAPS Moment”. I am not sure if this is a real term, but I think it best describes a moment in which a CAPS fellow feels a deep sense of purpose in their called location. I began my internship on a Wednesday and those first few days at Lutheran Services in America were spent with lots of cursory research. My fellowship has a goal of researching the trends of the nonprofit sector, so I therefore began much like I would have begun if this was a research project at Valpo. I read widely and broadly about the nonprofit sector and the organization’s role in it using websites and  journal articles. Even though this was not a university setting but the real world, due to the similar processes my mindset was one of intellectual curiosity, not delving too much into the meaning behind the work. That was until the first Monday.

Within the first few hours of this day I got an offer from one of the supervisors to go with her and one of our member CEOs to a “Hill visit”. Lutheran Services in America acts as an umbrella to 300 Lutheran based nonprofit organizations around the world, working with them to provide financial assistance, advice, connections, etc. and ensuring these organizations are running well.  This CEO was one who had volunteered to advocate for the protection of Medicaid.

Myself, this CEO, our supervisor, Kim, and another intern, walked over to the Congressional offices. It was a supremely imposing building, both inside and out. We made it to the office of the representative we were visiting and got a sit down with one of his staff members. There I was, sitting on a regal couch in one of the offices of a member of Congress, sitting next to a CEO of an important social services organization, and sitting across from a well-dressed staff member. I suddenly felt very out of place and acutely aware that I was an intern who was not even out of college yet. What on earth was I doing here?! I became very self-conscious and awkward. What do I normally do with my limbs when sitting? Do I cross my legs or not? Is my shirt tucked in? Who do I look at?

Then the CEO began talking. He talked about the services his organization offered in its respective state and the incredible work they were doing. He discussed a few heartwarming stories about groups of siblings who found their way safely into loving foster families and whose lives were forever changed for the better by his organization. He also talked about how much his organization and those they serve, rely heavily on Medicaid.  Kim mentioned how much this affected, not just his constituents, but also the constituents of so many other organizations in the Lutheran Services network.

Sitting on that couch I received my CAPS moment. Suddenly, the work I was doing for this network was not just some other paper. All at once I realized, perhaps for the first time since I got there, the real extent to which this was indeed the real world, and the extent to which this work that I was doing could affect these people.

Please understand, I am under no delusions of grandeur that the report I will have written by the end of the summer will fix all of the growing issues in these programs. I realize that I, just a lowly intern and 19 year old undergrad, will of course not be able to fix all of these issues. But that didn’t really matter right then and there. What mattered was that I had, and have, an opportunity, just like that Congressman and his staff, and just like that CEO, to make a difference for people, however small it may end up being. I have a purpose here in DC.

I returned back to the office and sat down at my desk. I opened my laptop and continued my research, seemingly just like before. But, this time, I had a sense of purpose that this work matters and that I may be able to in some way make a difference.

Catherine Kasper, Foundress of the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ

I never thought I would have the opportunity to see Jesus’ face so many times this summer– until I was introduced to the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ (PHJC) at The Center in Donaldson. The Sisters reside at what they call “The Motherhouse” tripling as an apartment complex, an executive office, and a chapel. Next to The Motherhouse lies the Catherine Kasper nursing home and Catherine’s Cottage (a unit reserved for Sisters). About 2-3 times per week I make my way down to The Center in Donaldson with my boss, Terry, and the trip through the rural town seems more beautiful each time.

I serve on the development team at Ancilla Systems Incorporated (ASI) otherwise known as the administrative branch for the Poor Handmaids. Through my work here so far at ASI, I am beginning to realize that what seem like the smallest tasks still contribute to an incredible goal. Whether it be applying for grants, sending invitations, conducting interviews, or planning programs, each action has a tremendous purpose.

To elaborate on my tasks, I am currently planning a speaker program in September featuring Keynote Speaker and Chief Diversity Officer at Walgreens Corporation, Steve Pemberton. After growing up in an abusive  family within the foster system and working his way to success, Steve will be sharing his impactful story with childcare workers at the brunch in September. His story parallels backgrounds of children in one of the PHJC ministries, Nazareth Home. At Nazareth Home in East Chicago, child trauma victims aged 0-6 years old who must be placed in foster care find respite and much-needed medical care. Having been founded by Sister Kathleen Quinn of The Poor Handmaids, Nazareth Home is a haven for children who need constant nurturing and a tenacious, loving presence from caregivers who tirelessly give their efforts.

The start of the STH walk in Donaldson!

Another task I have been granted was helping with the fundraiser walk for Sojourner Truth House (STH), another PHJC ministry led and founded by Executive Director Sister Peg (also co-founded by Sisters Joan, Loretta, Kathleen, Ann, and Wilhelmina). Sojourner Truth House in Gary, a fantastically powerful non-profit organization, offers over 25 services to homeless women on a daily basis. From food and clothes to transportation, showers, and classes, women have the opportunity to return to a financially stable life once again. At the walk in Gary this past Saturday (6/11), I witnessed over 500 supporters give generously and without hindrance; raising almost $100,000 in donations to the ministry of STH.

I feel humbled to be doing this work. And my work, at times, feels miniscule compared to the Poor Handmaids, who devote their entire being to serving others. I am grateful, additionally, to have the opportunity to apply my understanding of health care to this position. Nearly a quarter of the sisters I have met currently dedicate or have dedicated their life to serving others in the clinical sphere and I will soon be interviewing them for PHJC fundraising appeals. I cannot wait to see the wealth of wisdom they hold and to hear about their work either within the country or internationally. The sisters here give effortlessly, love unconditionally, and serve others without a second thought. This position at ASI is already giving me more knowledge than I can contain and I am filled with joy knowing I have the opportunity to contribute to such a wonderful group known as the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ.