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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Before a few months ago, I had never thought too much of working with children. Frankly I had convinced myself that kids were like the plague and had to be avoided at all costs. So how does a recent college graduate end up spending her first summer post graduation with 2nd and 3rd graders all day? Well when realizing that I had been selected as a 2016 CAPS fellow, I was overjoyed. This was another opportunity for me to represent Valpo and gain valuable professional knowledge.  As we received placement options, I began envisioning myself at multiple different organizations, all that would of course be a stepping stone on my career pathway while allowing me to serve. But then I had to sit back and truly think of what it means to be servant. Webster’s dictionary says it’s a person who performs duties for others. Most internships require you to “perform duties for others”, so I figured the definition of service in this context had to have a deeper meaning.

So I decided to search for an organization that would truly allow me to serve others. I happened upon Forest Manor Multi-Service Center in Indianapolis, Indiana. Forest Manor Multi-Service Center  is a community based social service organization located on the northeast side of Indianapolis. The center by a group of concerned residents and was originally sponsored and operated by the City of Indianapolis. In 1977, the Center became a non-profit organization and in 1980, they began extensive, much-needed outreach programs to youth and adults. After doing more research, I realized that Forest Manor offered so many services to the community from after school programs to senior citizen programming. This struck a chord within me. This was my opportunity to actually be in direct contact with the community and see tangible results of that service. So after finding my placement location came the task of deciding which area in the organization that I wanted to offer my services. I could have easily been a receptionist but I thought back to the meaning of service and realized that this was not about me at all.  This was about serving others truly and putting my wants on the backburner. Hence my decision to become a lead teacher in Forest Manor’s youth enrichment program. This was a chance to be a positive role model that so many of those children never get to see in their lives. So I put my pride aside and got down to business.

Being a lead teacher in charge of around 25 kids a day is a challenging task.  This is not a job that you can be half-present for. I am constantly engaged nine hours a day and I am pleased to say that it is great! These kids push me to be better every single day. Having 25 young minds watch and listen to everything you say or do really keeps you on your toes. I’m convinced that children are the most brutally honest beings that exist! Four weeks into this experience, I can say that every day brings a new problem to fix, a different child to keep happy, and a new parent to face. I cannot wait to see what the next four weeks brings.

“¿Tu cabeza está corriendo? (Is your head running?)” Asks one of the gentleman in detention I chat with at McHenry County Jail.

“¡Sí!” I reply with a smile. “Yes, my head is running!”

Throughout my weeks interning with the Interfaith Committee for Detained Immigrants (ICDI) in Chicago, Illinois, I have used more conversational Spanish than I have in my several years of studying the language. Speaking in Spanish was not something that I expected to do for my internship this summer. It was not something that was necessarily required when volunteering with the non-profit. However, I quickly learned that even though I was nervous and unconfident with my Spanish-speaking ability, taking the opportunity to use Spanish in conversation was something that made me a better minister to the people I was meeting.

Spanish materials that ICDI uses for pastoral ministry

Every Tuesday and Thursday, I drive to McHenry County Jail and Kenosha Detention Center to participate in pastoral care for men and women in detention. The volunteers that participate in this ministry engage in conversation with the men and women in detention and listen to the stories that the men and women in either facility wish to talk about. The conversation topics are vast. Sometimes the individuals will talk about Copa America and their favorite soccer team. Other individuals will bring up fashion. However, most conversations revolve around how an individual in detention is feeling, how their day is going, how their family is doing, and how their faith helps them stay positive amidst difficulty.

Both McHenry County Jail and Kenosha Detention Center have large Spanish-speaking populations. During my first day volunteering with the pastoral care team, I shadowed many different volunteers to gain an understanding of how conversations usually ran. I quickly noticed that there was a need for volunteers that spoke Spanish, and that many of the Spanish-speaking volunteers were talking with two, three, sometimes four individuals at a time. With the encouragement and support of the many volunteers with pastoral care, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and try a conversation in Spanish.

Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park, Chicago, IL

Since that day, all of the conversations I have had during my time volunteering with the pastoral care team have been in Spanish. Now, these conversations are not free from mistakes. I fumble with my vocabulary. I forget the words that I want to use. Every conversation I have with an individual or group usually begins with the disclaimer, “I’m sorry. I have errors in my grammar and I need to practice, but I want to talk with you and listen to you.” While some conversations end in a laugh or two at my expense, every conversation I have with a man or woman in detention teaches me a lesson. One conversation sticks out in my mind very clearly.

During one of my first few conversations in Spanish, I greeted a gentleman in Spanish with my initial disclaimer. I explained that I was a student and was with ICDI as a summer intern. The gentleman smiled and asked where I had learned Spanish. I told him that I was

Winter Room (9th Floor)- Harold Washington Library in Chicago

studying the language in school. For the next half hour, the two of us chatted about different Spanish dialects, the different languages spoken in his home country of El Salvador, and how difficult the English language can be to understand (even for native speaker!). After some time, there was a natural lull in our conversation. After a few moments, my conversation partner looked at me with a smile and asked if my head was running from all of the conversation. I laughed and replied yes. The man smiled and said,

“Parece tan cómoda. Cuando me senté, sonrió, inmediatamente comenzó una conversación conmigo y no pareció nervioso en absoluto. (You look so comfortable. When I sat down, you smiled, immediately started a conversation with me and didn’t look nervous at all.)”

I thanked the gentleman, and assured him that although I might look comfortable, I was incredibly nervous. I had made so many mistakes and I needed to practice more to be able to express myself more clearly.

In Spanish, he replied, “I know that it is difficult, and you might feel like you are struggling, but it means more to me and everyone else  that you are taking the time to speak the language of our hearts. What is even more beautiful is that you let US speak the language of our hearts, and you LISTEN to us. We cannot go outside here. We cannot see or feel the sun. But when you and the other volunteers come here, we can see the sun a little bit. That is a beautiful thing. You volunteers are beautiful disciples and give us hope.”

Chicago Sunrise

The conversation with the gentleman in detention helped me understand my position with the pastoral care team in a new way. The work that I was partaking in was not for my personal comfort. It was to serve others where they were at. It wasn’t as important for me to present as it was to be present.

My head is still running. It is running with questions and curiosity. It is running with new information about the immigration system in the United States. It is running with the memories of conversations had and relationships being made. My head is running, but I do not want to stop now. There is still so much to learn. There are more conversations to be had. And even if the words do not come out perfectly, I hope that I, along with the others involved in this ministry, can continue to bring a light into lives of the men and women in detention.

Many of my peers have described exploring new cities and interacting with new people. However, I have been spending the past 5 weeks inside the building I already spend so much time in, Gellersen at Valparaiso University… Seems I may never leave.

But that’s alright because the University is a place that “prepares students to lead and serve in both church and society”, a perfect place to continue my journey. I search for a balance of engineering and humanitarian work, both subjects I am passionate about. While I am still waiting to see where this journey will take me, my experiences at Valpo have led me to a summer with aqUV through the CAPS program.

aqUV is a new company that manufactures water bottles with UV-C lighting to kill harmful pathogens in water as seen in the picture on the left. The bottle is activated wirelessly, waterproof and can be charged using solar panels. aqUV’s market are campers and hikers as well as developing countries as a part of their philanthropic arm.

I have been given multiple tasks to complete this summer, starting with a design and prototype of a non-mobile solar charging station. The station is casted out of concrete ensuring strength and stability while encapsulating the delicate electronics needed to charge the water bottle (solar panels, a battery pack, arduino etc.). This task included learning about micro controllers, 3-D printing a mold as well as making my own circuit board to go with it shown in the pictures on the right. 

Thus far other tasks included sizing solar panels for a guesthouse and two wells as well as using Monte Carlo Ray Tracing to determine if the UV light is effectively reaching everywhere in the bottle. Where my engineering education increases by the day and the knowledge I already have is tested by the hour. aqUV has toned my engineering skills.

I look forward to implement my work in Haiti at summer’s end and see the balance of engineering and humanitarian work that aqUV has used as the platform of its company. Whether or not aqUV’s balance is compatible with mine, only time will tell. Nevertheless, this summer will give me an opportunity to learn and serve in the best way I can through engineering.

A big component of the CAPS program that really drew me towards it was the service aspect. When I first began to explore all of the placement options, I was sure that I’d end up at a non-profit, because I associated the two words. To be honest, where I’m interning couldn’t be further from a non-profit. Truth be told, I’m working for a big money organization. Venn strategies, my fellowship location, is a public affairs and consulting firm.

Everyone always asks me what exactly is a public affairs and consulting firm. Simply put, it’s a lobbying firm.

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Most of us shudder when we hear lobbying, thinking of outrageous sums of money in politics, people whose voices seem to be significantly louder or more powerful than the average American’s. Big tobacco, the NRA, manipulation, corruption, bribery…these are all things I used to think of when I thought about lobbying. In this I don’t think I was unique.

But the truth is, any interest out there likely has someone who lobbies on behalf of it. For interests both good and bad, there is somebody or some group out there lobbying for policies that protect or further that interest.

Lobbyists are not experts themselves on whatever subject matter is at hand. A lobbyist’s job is to act as intermediaries between private businesses, churches, coalitions, whomever wants to affect policy change, and those with the power to enact change. We know the ins and out of D.C., whether it be Capitol Hill, various government departments, think tanks, we work to develop strong coalitions and formulate the plan of attack. A successful lobbyist usually begins his or her career working on the Hill, and building their professional network-something that is crucial in the lobbying world.

Along with creating coalitions and meeting with political officials, we have to create a portfolio of documents to educate policy makers as well. As an intern, I work mostly with setting up the meetings and helping to collect the appropriate information. My tasks range from performing basic research, to putting together unintimidating yet informative documents to educate others on our cause, to attending relevant hearings or markups of a bill.

A hearing on a Mental Health bill I                     recently attended.

The service that we provide to our clients varies depending on both the client and the interest. In the case of my current project, which I am unfortunately unable to divulge, we are serving not only the companies in the coalition themselves, but truly all of their employees. The actions that we are taking on the Hill, if successful, could potentially save about a million US jobs in the long term.

For the longest time I struggled with feeling like I wasn’t performing the service aspect of the CAPS program. I’ve had to rewire my brain to understand that what Venn does is indeed is a service to many. Working at a for-profit company doesn’t mean that I am not providing a worthwhile service. Saving US jobs is a service to each individual who holds that job, and by extension a service to their family.

DC is a fantastic place to spend your CAPS fellowship. Life in DC moves fast, and there’s always something (free) to do. Whether it’s Jazz in the sculpture garden on a Friday night, shopping at Eastern Market and running into former President Bill Clinton, exploring local artwork, or seeing the Nats play (Go Cubs!), you won’t be disappointed in this city!

Meeting former President Bill Clinton!

Go Cubs!

Even though I am only starting week four, I feel like I belong, like I have made great strides, like I have become a part of something pretty awesome. Where I work is different than what I am used to. When they said it was a small office, I assumed it would be like other places worked before- an office with 12-15 people. Just enough to get to know everyone pretty well, and maybe even a few would become friends. Well, when I got here on my first day, I arrived early, but the door was locked. Feeling slightly embarrassed, I made my way back to the car to wait another 30 minutes before trying again. After that, I was able to get in. That’s when I met Laura, the legal assistant/paralegal/doer-of-other-random-things. She introduced herself, informed me that Zac- the attorney and executive director would be late due to a last minute meeting, and showed me around the office. It was not the size of office I was used to. It only took a few minutes to realize that this was only an office of two (well, now three).

In that moment, I was surprised and not sure how the next few months would go. However, it did not take long to realize that having fewer people in the office would give me the opportunity to develop unique relationships with intelligent coworkers and work closely and ask questions of people who have more life and work experience than me.

Also, Charitable Allies is a small office, but one that has a large client base and makes a big impact in the nonprofit world. That meant that starting on day 1, I was given part of the workload, the ability to take on big responsibilities and learn about the legal world in a way I have not been able to before. I was essentially given a case to work on throughout the summer. Along with other responsibilities like writing news articles and doing work on policies for other charities and nonprofits, I will have time to build a case with evidence for one of the firm’s largest cases.

The last four weeks have brought opportunities, friendship, some challenges, but a lot of opportunities to learn. Within one week, Laura and I had found many similar points of interest and now, I consider her a friend. On day one, we realized that in addition to both being Valpo graduates, we also went to the same high school and are from the same side of town. Now, she has shared not only information and knowledge about the legal world and the work that she has done over the last several years. I definitely look forward to more time to get to know her and growing in a work relationship and friendship.

Opportunities for learning, for networking, and for doing meaningful work have been abundant. Just this week, I shadowed a county prosecutor who let me go to court with her and allowed me to ask questions about her career path, her education, and things like work-life balance and finding a calling and purpose. Last week, I was able to attend the Indiana Philanthropy Alliance conference where I met professionals in the philanthropy world at community foundations, trusts, and more and got to attend various sessions learning about the intersections of philanthropies, nonprofits, improving quality of life, and more.

Entering into the nonprofit world was not something that I was new to four weeks ago. I have worked in three since I’ve been in college. But seeing it from the outside, from a legal perspective, and the philanthropy that makes this experience a unique opportunity to explore even more career paths that my life could take. I am looking forward to more weeks of learning, working, and developing relationships.

So I get on the CTA Blue Line, sunglasses on my head, planner and pen in my purse, and cellphone GPS ready to guide me once I get at my stop. I couldn’t look like I didn’t know where I was going; city people know when you aren’t from the city. Fortunately, I found Erie Neighborhood House no problem. In fact, I was 45 minutes early… you don’t want to be late on the first day. But I also had not intended to be that early. I met with Micaella and Emily, the two women who will be serving as my supervisors this summer. So far so good. I later met Jane and Stephanie, two other women who I will be working with this summer too. Okay, I can roll with this. I got a good feeling about being here. At the conclusion of my first day, I asked Micaella if I should meet at her office the following day. She immediately corrected me, “our office.”

I have been at Erie Neighborhood House in Chicago working with the Health and Leadership Programs (HLP) Department for two weeks. I immediately felt welcomed and a part of the team. I do not feel like an “intern” – getting coffee and making copies – but instead I am completing tasks and brainstorming programming ideas that will impact the lives of the community we serve.

West Town, one of the location where I am working this summer, is a predominantly Latino community. On my second day at Erie, Jane and I spent about an hour and a half creating a summer program for 7th graders in the area. I found myself pulling from not only my social work knowledge, but from my programming experience from when I worked as a Resident Assistant in the residence halls. It was super cool! I am sure many undergraduate students can relate to this feeling. While you are in school and taking classes related to your major or not, you find yourself questioning, “Will I ever actually use this?” Before heading to Erie I was terrified that all of my knowledge would fly out the window; that I would not remember anything that would help me at this placement. I was definitely a pleasant surprise to see that this was not the case!

In addition to West Town, I will be spending the other half of my time at Erie’s Little Village location also serving a predominantly Latino community. I am still acclimating and finding my role at this location, but from the moment I walked into the building I knew that powerful, impactful work was taking place all around me; I could feel it. I am very excited to see what I can contribute to this energy at Erie House in Little Village.

I get off the CTA Blue Line back at my home stop. Shortly after, my parents come to pick me up and of course they ask, “How was your day? What did you do?” While I would love to explain to them how cool the women I work with are and how similar our personalities are, or the conversations I had about advocacy, future plans, and not needing to know what I want to do for the rest of my life, or even about how effective and important the work we are doing is, I simply respond with, “It was good. I worked on programs today and met some of the participants in the programs.” It would be quite a long conversation if I wanted to express to them just how cool Erie House is and all the things I have been learning!

As the summer continues, I look forward to understanding more about Erie House’s work and its impact on the community we serve. I am excited to get to know Micaella, Emily, Jane, and Stephanie better and to work with them – not as an “intern”, but as a part of the Erie House team.

I wander the streets of Baltimore, searching for the bus stop. Is it this street? No. That other street? No. Maybe I passed it. Turn around, try again.

I find the bus, I board, I anxiously observe all the other charmingly dressed workers on their way to the office. I get off a stop too early. I walk in the hot sun. I finally arrive.

I am greeted by one of the friendliest people I’ve ever met – my supervisor, Folabi. He gives me a brief summary of who everyone is in the office and what they do. I am introduced to my cube and it is here I remain, working diligently for some of the most passionate, loving people I’ve ever met, for a mission I could not agree with more.

This is the end of my third week at Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS). As I slowly began to settle into my surroundings and remember names of coworkers, I also began questioning my passions, my desires, my purpose. Why has God lead me here? Why do I feel unsatisfied with my work? Do I have hidden expectations that have not been met? How do I befriend these strangers in all walks of life? How do I stand for the mission of LIRS when I feel so isolated in my simple “intern” tasks?

These questions are not new for me. I have had similar moments of pondering in past internships. So why was this happening again? Before I reveal the answer, I would like to share the mission of LIRS and my part of role in it.

This organization’s mission is to assist in the resettlement process of refugees, immigrants, and asylum seekers. When refugees come to the United States, they have no legal rights, are often placed into detention (essentially a prison holding cell), cannot understand a word anyone says, are often separated from other family members, and are given little support and no guidance by the U.S. government. If their case is approved by court (in other words, they are fleeing from a legitimate fear), they have three months to find housing, a job, and learn English before the government cuts all funding and support. This is where LIRS steps in. Their work, in a nutshell, is partnering with Lutheran churches and other organizations all over the country to provide community support to these refugees as they are beginning the most grueling process of their life.

The work done here is faith-based, as Christ speaks of not turning our back to the stranger. My eyes have been opened to the magic of this commitment, as I discuss projects and outreach strategies with coworkers and interact with refugees. The domino effect of the work done in this little Baltimore office extends on forever, and it was not until joining my coworker at a function in Pennsylvania that I was able to catch a glimpse at the fruit of their efforts here. It is a beautiful, holy waterfall that flows from this office – my frustration and questions as I mentioned previously stemmed from not understanding this waterfall, this trickle-down effect. Why should I feel satisfied sitting in an office all day on a computer? In the summer!? I thought I was out of my mind when I began this cubicle job (and maybe I still am). But if one thing has been at work in this office, it is the Lord.

With coworker Amanda in Mechanicsville, PA, after a long day of speaking with Lutheran pastors about LIRS

My tasks have no meaning by themselves. Why am I stuffing name tags for three hours? Well, it is because refugees will wear these name tags as they present their stories to White House staff in the White House on World Refugee Day in hopes of tapping into the powerful emotions of those people that write immigrant legislation.

So, what is my answer to the questions written above? I will never be satisfied in a job if I am seeking worldly gain, such as recognition or experience. The tasks I complete will never satisfy me unless I recognize the power behind each one of them. I am working for an organization that acknowledges the coming Kingdom of God, and this has brought me peace. My efforts are not for myself or even for the refugees I help. Rather, every stroke of this keyboard points to God and His glory, for the purpose of sharing His love and spreading the Gospel “to the ends of the Earth”.

A beautiful view of the city of Baltimore

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.