Crowds. Washington, DC is full of crowds trying to get to places. People rushing to work, people rushing home, people rushing to meetings. The metro is always shoulder to shoulder during rush hour. Everyone walks with a purpose because everyone does have a purpose. Even at the park, it’s more relaxed, but there are still crowds of people. Looking around, I realized that I am now a part of this bustling crowd.

The wonderful thing about these crowds of people is that no matter where I go in the city, people are making a difference. From making someone’s day with a delicious pizza to donating to a good cause, there’s always happiness amongst the hustle. Every now and then, everyone takes time to relax and enjoy each others’ company. Taking the time to get to hear people’s stories, it’s easy to see that everyone has a place in this city. At the office, I hear so many stories about the impact World Food Program is making, and each co-worker has their own contribution. I have studied nonprofits and nongovernmental organizations in school, but to be a part of one is an incredible experience.

At the end of June, I wrote a blog post for my internship about an article called “30 Women Under 30 Changing Food”: http://wfpusa.org/blog/importance-women-food-and-agriculture. Women play a large part in food security; almost half of the world’s agriculture and fishery labor forces are women. Also, women work longer hours because they have less access to necessary resources. Along with the women that work directly in the fields, women are influential in the market, government, and all aspects of food security.

These women featured in this particular article were all young yet accomplished. Leanne Brown, age 29, is author of Good and Cheap, a cookbook with recipes for those with limited income, particularly those on food stamps. Yasmin Belo-Osagie is co-founder of She Leads Africa at the age of 26; She Leads Africa provides business advice to female entrepreneurs in Africa. All of these women have done incredible things already; it is an inspiration to me to read their stories. Access to resources and opportunities are a major obstacle for many women worldwide. I am blessed to have so many people in my life that are willing to help me. From my supportive family and friends to my university that offers programs such as the CAPS Fellowship, I am surrounded by support. Even here in DC, my CAPS mentor Carrie Parrott Monahan and coworkers are all eager to help me make my next step. By offering connections and suggesting possible career paths, everyone is very encouraging. This summer has been inspirational and eye-opening. I am still uncertain about where I will work after this summer, but I feel much more equipped to find a job I’ll love. I know some of what is out there and that everywhere, there are people that care and want to help. Even in a large city, the right support system can help you fit in anywhere. The extensive Valpo community is another wonderful resource. My roommates and my mentor Carrie all bring a piece of Valpo with them. We may be states away, but Valpo is always with you.

Although I have a long way to go, I am finally able to start to find my purpose. It’s a continual process that never really ends, and that’s invigorating. One’s purpose is as fluid as a crowd in the metro. In each place, every person has a purpose.

It amazes me how interconnected we are. We [the NLCS CAPS Fellows] have found ourselves saying “well you can’t do this without that” or “this is why we need that program” and “I understand how that mission overlaps with our mission”. My string of “ahh-ha” moments have been countless as I have realized the interconnectedness of the work I am doing, the work others are doing and the overwhelming amount of social injustices we are all confronting. This work can be compared to a puzzle, we all have a piece that has a part in a bigger picture. Each piece is unique, connected to another, and the puzzle’s completion is dependent on all the pieces coming together.  This idea lead me to the creation of the puzzle depicted below:

This summer I am working with the Philanthropy (Phil) Team at National Lutheran Communities and Services (NLCS). There are two components of the Phil Team; fundraising and community impact. NLCS started a grant program as a way to expand the impact they have on the older adult community. After conducting a community needs assessment, they defined five major areas of need and selected 15 ministries that were covering those areas. We are creating a video to showcase the 2014-2015 NLCS Community Impact Grant recipients and in an effort to materialize my thoughts I created the puzzle shown above. The red square lists the five areas most afflicting the seniors living in this area, each puzzle piece is one of the 15 ministries that was fully funded (totaling to $198,567) by the NLCS Community Impact Grant. The problems affecting seniors in these communities are beyond the capability of any one organization but together these organizations address each one of the five identified areas of need.

Kathryn and I at the Washington Nationals game on the 4th of July!

I have been fortunate enough to travel with my supervisor Kathryn Bearwald, the Chief Philanthropy Officer, to a variety of these sites. During our visits to Williamsburg, Washington D.C., and other surrounding areas we have been able to witness the overlap that exists among organizations, as well as the dependance these organizations have on one another. Each ministry has a niche market of services, but they complement their limited capabilities with a list of other ministries. Together these organizations provide a variety of opportunities, addressing a myriad of needs.

The beautiful and welcoming chapel located at The Village at Orchard Ridge in Winchester, VA.

Additionally, the CAPS Program provides time for students to participate in a discussion together via Google Hangouts. During one of our “reflect-ins” we [some of the CAPS Fellows] gave a short debrief about the work we are doing this summer. The array of ministries and variety of experiences that everyone shared was truly remarkable. One fellow mentioned the difficulty of choosing just one area of social injustice to focus on. He/she continued to express the importance of knowing one area well, even if there are multiple areas of interest. This person’s difficulty resonated with my own struggle of discerning a specific sector to focus my efforts. As I ponder all of the possibilities, I am comforted knowing that we are all connected and humbled knowing my work is incomplete without the work of others. Similar to the ministries NLCS supports, as CAPS Fellows we are interdependent on each other’s work. My work with NLCS will not directly touch the lives of immigrants, confront the issues of discrimination, or address the challenges in NW Indiana. Therefore, I am obligated to rely on and support the mission of organizations that do provide these services. This does not lessen my responsibility to any one issue; rather it enhances my responsibility to other’s work, challenges me to get connected, and reminds me to be humble because of my dependence on others.

Pequeño mundo! (Small World)
We met Manuel and his mom at a church in DC this Sunday. They are from El Salvador and went to school with one of my professors and his wife. The really cool thing, my professor was one that I spent a lot of time with while studying aboard in Costa Rica.

As I enter the last few weeks of this fellowship I am excited to continue learning, discovering, and pondering. The lessons I have learned, the experiences I have had, and the opportunities this fellowship has provided are numerous! I look forward to sharing more in the coming weeks.

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly. Affects all indirectly.” -MLK, Alabama, 1963

I attended church at The National Cathedral with my sister-in-law, Emma, when she came to visit.
“This is the nation’s most visible church” – Dean Hall

Here’s the Horton’s Kids office building. Located directly next to the United States Supreme Court and exactly across from the United States Capitol Building. Not bad, huh? This is where I’m lucky enough to spend my mornings- working with Horton’s Kids Youth Development team, researching best practices in older youth development, enrichment, and mentoring programs when I’m not crafting career prep lesson plans for high school students. The office is cute and welcoming- filled with bright colors and even brighter smiles of children on posters covering every empty wall. I loved it as soon as I walked in.

Here, on the other hand, is the Horton’s Kids Community Resource Center. Located directly next to an outdoor basketball court and a bus stop, and exactly inside of a Wellington Park housing project where nearly all of the children we service live. This is where I’m lucky enough to spend my afternoons- helping pass out diapers every other week, serving daily meals, sorting through donations for our food pantry and toiletry bank, when I’m not reading with, facilitating programs, and letting the youth tirelessly pull at and play with my hair. The center from the outside blends in with the housing project that it is located within, and when the large metal gate is pulled down to cover the windows and doors, barely looks livable. However, the inside is filled with bright colors and even brighter smiles of the actual children that come through. I loved it as soon as I walked in.

It seems impossible that these locations are barely a 15 minute drive from one another. One located right in the middle of beautiful Capitol Hill- where my commute consists of historic buildings and congressional staffers, interns, and sometimes actual representatives in tailored suits. The other located across the Anacostia River in DC’s Ward 8- where we drive as a team for safety reasons and the commute consists of boarded up shops and broken windows. It also seems impossible, to many, that I would even consider calling myself “lucky” for the time I spend at the Community Resource Center. The looks I’ve gotten from anyone once I mention the location of my work range from “I’m so sorry” to “are you crazy?”

My first Monday on the job I attended the weekly staff meeting in the office. The executive director sat down at the table, which was crowded with staff members who pulled up chairs and some who ate their lunch while others took notes. “Well,” Robin started, “one of our kids got shot last night outside of the center.” Everyone was, of course, filled with concern and sorrow, but not exactly shock. This was the fourth occurrence of its type in the past four months. Luckily, they have been majority foot wounds, and although several other kids got grazed by bullets in the drive-by, none were seriously injured. About an hour after that announcement, I was in a car on my way to that very spot.

Now, if you know me, this isn’t my first experience related to youth living in poverty, or “at-risk.” Coming from a suburb of Chicago, I was fortunate enough to tutor youth in the western neighborhood of Austin all through high school. Last fall, I spent my time in D.C. researching child poverty, food insecurity, and homelessness with the Children’s Defense Fund. I have always had a heart and calling to service those in need, particularly youth, and it is no coincidence that I ended up back in Washington doing just that. However, it is not hard to imagine the challenges that come with working hands-on with this particular population. There are youth who don’t seem to care about school, jobs, or their future in general- because the environment they’ve grown up in doesn’t encourage any of those things. There are children, as young as 4th or 5th grade, whose guardians don’t if they show up to school or not- some may even prefer if they stayed home to help around the house.

I would say I love what I’m doing despite all the challenges, but that implies that the challenges themselves aren’t blessings, and they are. I love what I’m doing because of and through each and every challenge. I feel a strong sense of responsibility and  connection to these kids and youth that I’m working with, and that motivates me and generously pushes me through even the days where I work until 8, or the Sunday’s that I work to take the kids on pool trips. You never even realize how much energy you have until you’re doing something you absolutely love and have a heart and passion for. Now, if this isn’t an indication of vocation, I’m not quite sure what is.
What I’ve learned thus far ranges from how to construct a lesson plan for high school students to most effective youth development programs to “street lingo” used by the kids in the neighborhood. (Yes, they actually created a glossary of terms to inform other staff and myself.) While I enjoy walking through Capitol Hill on the way to my office and having lunch breaks outside of the Library of Congress, I especially appreciate every minute spent in Wellington Park. The stark inequality is so blatantly obvious that I cannot help but feel responsible to help create and identify opportunities for the youth that live just 20 minutes from the President of our country, yet are seemingly forgotten by so many. I’m excited to see where this calling leads me through the rest of my time in DC as well as in the future.

The passage of time never ceases to amaze me. Moments long anticipated rapidly transform into present experiences and memories of the past. Short phrases can influence a lifetime, while hours of research can so quickly be forgotten. Time it seems, has no rules, no bounds, and though I was informed that my set time frame working with National Lutheran Communities & Services was to be for 8 weeks, the past few days have left me stunned in the question of, “how can it be that I only have three weeks left?”

I am incredibly thankful to the Institute for Leadership and Service, all those at Valparaiso University who support the CAPS Fellowship Program, the organizations that have provided internships for us this summer, and all those who have served as mentors, instructors, and guides for each fellow throughout his or her lifetime. In reflections with another CAPS

Summer concert at the foot of the Washington Monument.

fellow, it has become increasingly evident to me that all of our involvements and internships this summer are a culmination of past experiences, current passions, and the various walks of life that we have traveled in our short twenty-some years. While professionally, the internships that we are a part of continue to challenge us, educate us, and provide us with unbelievable opportunities, I believe that the greatest development can be found in the personal sphere, in the people that we meet and the life lessons that we accrue in these short months and are sure to take with us as we move forward in leadership and service.

I personally can attest to the life changing learning opportunities that I have found in the people and conversations at National Lutheran Communities & Services (NLCS). Before expounding upon the impact that those around me have already left, I suppose it best to provide a brief background about NLCS, their ministry and mission, and the work that I have been privileged to be a part of.

Waiting to cross the Potomac River by way of cable ferry.

National Lutheran Communities & Services is a not-for-profit, faith-based ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America that provides seniors with a variety of lifestyle, residential and health care options through retirement communities and services in Maryland and Virginia. They are currently composed of three residential communities: The Village at Rockville, The Village at Orchard Ridge, and The Legacy at North Augusta, as well as a home care agency, myPotential at Home. Services provided through the communities and myPotential include independent living, assisted living, assistance with living, skilled nursing, memory care, and short-term physical, occupational and speech therapy. In my time at NLCS, I have had the opportunity to travel to all of these entities, and to experience the impact that the ministry of NLCS has in each location.

My internship is embedded within the strategic development side of NLCS, and is focused on the expansion of the mission and ministry of NLCS, and the ways in which NLCS can look to meet the continually changing needs of older adults and other constituencies of need. Specifically, I have had the opportunity to join a team of brilliant individuals working on the development of a new healthcare delivery model that seeks to keep the patient at the center of care, and focuses on health and wellness promotion and disease prevention. As my fellow interns at NLCS can attest, this project has left me incredibly encouraged and excited, as it has truly been an experience in which I have seen the active development and creation of the way I believe health care should be delivered. It has provided the opportunity to have a glimpse into the policy side of health care, to see the in-depth work that is required to enact change, and to be exposed to the dedication of others from a variety of fields all working towards a common goal. From the moment we arrived at NLCS, we have been considered a part of the team and given the respect and trust equal to those who have been working on this project for years. We have participated in team meetings, partnership development with acute care providers and universities in the area, and entrusted with research and contributions to the development of the program. The combination of all of these experiences surmount to professional development that is invaluable.

Walking through the streets of The Village at Orchard Ridge in Winchester, Virginia.

None of these experiences would be possible were it not for the passion and character of all those who compose the NLCS team. Each day has proved to be an example of what can happen when servant leadership, empowerment, and respect are held at the core of an organization. Once, when driving through the rolling hills of Virginia to one of our communities, my supervisor, Dan, painted this atmosphere of dedication in words that I will never forget. “When you have the convergence of talent, time, and treasure, opportunity and need, you are obligated to act.”

Service is often presented as an option: an elected lifestyle for some, an occasional moment for others, and perhaps even as the sentiment of, “that’s nice, but not my thing”. We fall into a habit of allowing it to become a choice, a conscious act of beneficence, rather than a duty of humanity. But when endowed with the talent, time, treasure, and opportunity to meet a specific need it is evident that such service is not a choice, but a responsibility. To fail to act is to disregard that which has been entrusted to you. This is not to say that each person must take on every cause, or fight every battle. But it has instilled in me a call to awareness to the abilities that I have been given, the needs around me, and the opportunities in which the two may harmonize.

The weeks that have passed at National Lutheran Communities & Services have been filled with lessons such as these and with moments of conversation and events that have propelled deeper thought and exploration into what it truly means to lead and to serve. Five weeks have rapidly elapsed, a mere three remain. I cannot wait to see what each coming moment affords.

Moments of reflection at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial

Throughout the week I participate in a different ministry of the Interfaith Committee for Detained Immigrants. Each ministry is an enriching experience that allows me to see a new perspective of immigration that, had it not been for this internship, I would not have witnessed otherwise. Yet before I begin to reflect on one of these ministries, there are a few things necessary to know about the Interfaith Committee for Detained Immigrants. ICDI formed under the leadership of Sister JoAnn Persch and Sister Pat Murphy, “whose names are synonymous with justice in Chicago” according to one of their volunteers. These Sisters are adamant about the holistic care of detainees throughout the entire process of detention, whether that means residency or deportation. The ministries of ICDI include pastoral care at detention centers, court watch at immigration court, post detention accompaniment programs at their houses of hospitality, and a prayer vigil every Friday as deportations are happening at the deportation center. In all ICDI has nearly 200 volunteers that enable these different ministries to provide care for detainees. For the sake of time, I cannot reflect on each of these ministries and summarize the experiences I have had thus far. However, I will reflect on one of my weekly experiences.

Every Tuesday I get in a car with three nuns as we make our way up to Woodstock, IL to do pastoral visits with detained immigrants. Quietly I sit in the back as the Sisters discuss how the other Sisters in their order are doing, what they had done over the weekend, and what exciting news they have about the other four ministries they operate. After my confusion has passed from the check-in on many of their Sisters and the happenings of their order, I am awestruck by how fast paced and dedicated the lives of these nuns are. Then I remember that they are triple and quadruple my age, which humbles any thought I have of how busy I think I am during the school year. Coming into my internship I prejudged this organization to be something that Sister JoAnn and Sister Pat did to stay busy in their maturing years; however, I was greatly mistaken.

Once we arrive at our destination, we are soon joined by a team of volunteers who come the same week of every month. Everyone greets one another with the warmest of welcomes as we make our way through security and into an empty pod where the detainees are held. Depending on the week, for the next two to four hours the volunteers and I will visit with a number of detainees. We wait at the entrance of the pod to greet their smiling faces, full of excitement from the opportunity to simply be with someone from “the outside” for a half hour. As they file in wearing the same orange jump suits as those incarcerated, we shake their hands and ask what languages they speak. Today I had the privilege to sit down and listen to six men tell me how they are feeling, which is usually a difficult task for any man. Yet, that difficulty fades away once someone has been held in detention, regardless of the length of time. I will share one experience from yesterday.

A younger man walked in and seemed surprised to be greeted by someone younger than fifty. He spoke English well. I asked him if he wanted to sit at my table. Eager to begin conversation, we introduced ourselves and then he immediately asked how I can got involved with doing this. What he really wanted to know was why I am doing this. So I explained how I got involved and he began to thank me for taking the time to come visit; we had not been sitting together for more than a minute.

For purposes of confidentiality, I will call my new friend Mark. Mark is 35 years old and hails from El Salvador. I asked him how he was doing, how are you feeling; a general but important question that I am sure he does not hear every day like many of us do. Mark responded first saying he was fine, next with a comment on the food, and finally that he was sad and worrisome. Attempting to explore the last comment more, I asked why so. At first he simply replied “because of my kids”. Then for the next thirty minutes, Mark expressed care and worry that only a parent can do. With his eyes illuminated from talking about his children, suddenly Mark’s face turned downtrodden with anxiety about possible deportation. I could see his hurt, yet in no way could I identify with his pain. The intensity of his worry is unlike anything I have had to worry about. Then Mark asked me how old I was, and I answered with 21 years old. He responded by saying that “we’ve been in this country for the same length of time”.

Mark wants nothing more but to be with his children and to be a good father. He does not want to be like his father, who left Mark, not because of deportation but voluntarily, when he was 7. That is the reason Mark explained to me that he will do everything he possibly can to be with his children, not matter the lot of his future: El Salvador or the United States. During our rich conversation, we formed a strong connection and a few things become abundantly clear to me. First, Mark will do everything within his power to be the father he desires to be and the father he knows his children need. Secondly, if Mark is deported from the U.S. it will be years before he can see them again. And lastly, I can do nothing to help Mark. I cannot fight his legal battle. I cannot help him with getting his family to El Salvador. I cannot help him see his kids again if they are separated.

The only way I can help is to sit and be present with Mark. Yet, for simply spending 45 minutes with him, for doing this small act of love, he expressed his deepest gratitude. I promised Mark that I would pray for him, his children, and hopefully for the future they will have together. He thanked me and quickly gave me a hug, both knowing we are not supposed to do that. Finally Mark said, “I want to do good things for my kids because God has blessed me with them, but also pray for yourself; that you keep doing good things”. All I had done was listen and ask the occasional question. I was simply present, but to him that was a good thing. Whether I think Mark should be deported or not is not the primary question. I have no say in that matter, nor can I help in one way or another. What matters is if Mark will have the opportunity to be a father to his children. All Mark wants to do is simply be present with his kids. That is not just a good thing, it is an essential thing.

But until his future is decided, I will continue to visit with Mark every Tuesday. I will come and listen to stories of his children, about the letters they write to him. I will come and be present, asking the occasional question that gives Mark the opportunity to relax his tightened shoulders and talk. Then after we part ways and in my feeling of helplessness, I will continue to pray that Mark will have the opportunity to be the father he longs to be; a father that is present with his children.

Above is one of the teams that goes to the detention center once a month. Sister JoAnn (front row in the dark green sweater) and Sister Pat (front row in the pink sweater) started the pastoral care ministry for detainees 5 years ago.

The group upon arriving at the Addis Ababa airport, posing with our tour guide, Yohannes.

When I accepted my CAPS fellow position as an intern with Water to Thrive (W2T) in Austin, I knew that a trip to Ethiopia would be a part of it. What I didn’t realize was how much I would learn about the country and how visible the impact would be that W2T has on rural communities there. Over the span of two weeks, our small group toured about 40% of the country and had the chance to visit twelve well sites sponsored by donors. W2T has been funding water projects in Ethiopia since it was founded in 2007 and in that time, numerous groups of donors from all around the country have had the chance to travel there. Our group of nine people included W2T’s founder, executive director, another intern, myself, and five other travelers.

The Church of St. George in Lalibella. It was the final of the eleven rock-hewn churches to be carved and is completely monolithic, meaning in one piece.

We traveled to six major Ethiopian cities, separate from the rural communities. In Addis Ababa, the capital, we saw the National Museum which among many national treasures, contained the skeletal remains of Lucy. In Lalibella, we saw the incredible rock-hewn orthodox churches, with each architectural aspect symbolizing something biblical. In Axum, we saw the ancient obelisks which serve as markers of tombs of royalty. Near Hawassa in the Omo Valley, we met members of the Mursi tribe, where the women are famous for using lip-plates. These were just a few of the historic and cultural places we visited. Our tour guide throughout the whole trip was fantastic and knew so much about the country.

People of one rural community standing behind a line of “jerry cans” leading to a recently completed hand-dug well.

As amazing as it was to see and learn the history of the beautiful Ethiopia, it couldn’t compare to the opportunity to be with the twelve rural communities and celebrate the gift of clean water. Each of the wells we visited was recently completed or will be soon. And each one serves at least 200 people and often many more due to the need in the areas. At some of the most recently completed wells, we were greeted with popcorn, coffee, dancing, and shouts of celebration. But at each completed site, we heard how much of difference the clean and accessible water was having on the health and well-being of the people. Women no longer spent hours collecting water for their families and hurting their backs with the weight of the containers. Children, especially five and under, no longer fell ill or died due to water-borne diseases. The overall improved well-being of the community often brought more opportunities for education, women’s rights, and collaboration for further improvements. It was full of truly special moments as we celebrated with the communities on behalf of the contributions of so many.

Taking notes as Weredekal, a representative of REST explains the details of a well and translates between us and the community members.

On an individual level, the trip has already impacted me both professionally and personally. Professionally, the experience provided a clear view of one way I can use my engineering degree and set me up to complete a difficult task this summer. We met just a few representatives from W2T’s hard working local partners REST and DAASC. Without these organizations and their intuitive and skilled leaders, none of the projects we saw could have been completed with the same results described in the section above. For me, it was really neat to see how these leaders, who each had technical backgrounds, had committed themselves to addressing the massive need of clean water supply in their country. I only hope I can commit myself in a similar way to a need and help generate results as visible and widespread. As I visited each well site, I took notes on the specific aspects of each project. This included site selection, well construction techniques, water committee organization, water source protection, as well as social and cultural concerns. These notes, in combination with research on water supply processes form the basis of the best practices document that another W2T intern and I will dedicate most of the summer to.

A boy trying very hard to collect every drop of water in a jerry can.

Two girls smiling as they pump water together.

Personally, the experience has greatly influenced my perspective. Before the trip, I heard something that has stuck with me since. It was along the lines of “All we can bring to a situation is our perspective.” I have thought a lot on that since. Ask anyone who’s traveled to a different country or spent time among those of a very different background, and I think this idea would resonate with them. I think there’s something special about sharing your perspective and hearing or seeing a very different one. For me, it does at least two things. It first reaffirms the many similarities that exist between people and then it enables me to see how my own perspective and role may fit into a larger context. The first concept was most clear to me as I talked with a woman who owned a small shop in the city of Axum. The woman was 22 years old, and had three adorable kids with her. She knew a little English and when I told her I was 21, she pointed out that “we are similar.” It was a neat moment because I realized that in spite of all of our differences, we were really more similar than different. The second concept is one that I think I’ll always be figuring out, one that will hopefully become clearer as I determine how I can serve and do my part in an organization.

I am so thankful for the opportunity to travel with W2T on this incredible trip to Ethiopia. I’m especially thankful for the role of the College of Engineering in helping cover the cost of the trip. It was an experience that will certainly continue to guide me in my life and professional decisions. I am excited to see how my time with Water to Thrive continues to challenge my thinking on how to best serve rural communities in Africa.

For the last three summers, I worked as a camp counselor at Lutheran Outdoor Ministries Center. I loved the work I did – I loved running around the hundreds of acres of land with the campers, seeing their smiling faces, and knowing that I was making a difference in each and every one of their lives. So working in an office in Washington, D.C. this summer is a very different experience, yet I know that this is exactly where I’m meant to be.

The United Methodist Building, where LSA’s office is located.

I am currently working with Lutheran Services in America (LSA) as a Marketing and Development intern. LSA is an umbrella agency for Lutheran service organizations around the country. They have over 300 members who they support in a variety of ways. I am the kind of person who thrives when she’s busy, and when I told my supervisors that they grinned and said, “well then you’re going to fit right in here!”

They weren’t kidding! I’ve been with LSA for three weeks now, and I have yet to find myself bored or looking for something to occupy me. In terms of Development, I am working with my supervisor, Debbie, on donor analysis and fundraising strategy. This means that I am looking at our donors from this last fiscal year and I’m comparing them with donors from the last five years to try and find patterns and understand why people give to LSA. I’ve never done anything like this before, but I find it fascinating. This is one of my long-term projects that will last for most of my time with LSA.

In terms of Marketing, I have a lot of smaller tasks, most of which revolve around social media. As of this week, I am officially running all of LSA’s social media platforms. This has turned out to be really interesting work! It’s not just casually making a post when LSA does something interesting – there’s a strategy behind it. I’m learning how to make posts that get people’s interest, how to word my posts to match the “LSA language”, and how to plan out a social media calendar so we know can properly schedule when to post about different events or highlight some of our members. For example, the White House Conference on Aging (WHCOA) is coming up. This is a conference that only happens once every ten years, and since a large portion of LSA’s members are involved with senior care, LSA has made it a priority to publicize and interact with our members about this event. Due to this, we have planed out a variety of different social media posts regarding the WHCOA, including sharing information about the conference itself, how to be involved virtually, and different senior services stories from our members.

“Our nation is at it’s best when everyone has a seat at the table and can share in prosperity.” – Secretary Castro, speaking at “Opportunity in Urban America” at the Urban Institute

Outside of these projects, there are also a variety of minor long-term projects different people from the office have assigned to me. These are things that aren’t necessarily priorities, but would be really helpful to have completed by the time I leave. This leaves me with a lot of different items on my plate, which requires me to really utilize the time management skills I’ve been cultivating these last few years at Valpo. I’m certainly busy, and I love every second of it! This placement is giving me an opportunity to view service differently. I’ve done a lot of “hands-on” service over the years, and now I have the opportunity to learn about the service that is necessary in order for the hands-on service to be possible.

One of the things I love most about this internship, though, is how supportive the staff are. They had CAPS Fellows last year, so they are familiar with the program and they want me to get the most out of my internship and my experience in Washington, D.C. They are always letting me know about opportunities to go listen to a panel discussion or attend a lecture. Last week they sent me to listen to HUD Secretary Julian Castro speak at the Urban Institute about “Opportunity in Urban American” and what the Department of Housing and Urban Development would be doing in the next 50 years. He is an incredible speaker, and I am so blessed to have had the opportunity to listen to him!

A rainbow flag waving in front of the Supreme Court following the Same-Sex Marriage announcement.

One thing I am sure to never forget about this experience is that LSA gave me the opportunity to be a part of history. Our office is located across the street from the Supreme Court, and when they ruled on same-sex marriage yesterday, my supervisor told the other LSA intern and myself to go outside and be a part of the celebration. I’ve never experienced anything that compares to the joy of the people who were rejoicing in front of the Supreme Court just minutes after the announcement. It was truly incredible.

I know without a shadow of a doubt that this is exactly where I am meant to be this summer, and I am so grateful to the CAPS program and to LSA for providing me with these never-ending incredible opportunities.

A photo of myself in the crowd in front of the Supreme Court just minutes after the Same-Sex Marriage announcement.

A senior living complex, whether it be independent living, assisted living, or a nursing home, serves to help the elderly live out their final days in peace and comfort.   As an intern at Wittenberg Village in Crown Point, IN, I am getting a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to achieve this mission. Wittenberg creates a community by incorporating all three living models on the same campus.  Starting on the first day, I shadowed my highly experienced supervisor as he introduced me to both the staff and the residents.  I traveled to the company headquarters, preferably called the “ministry center”, in Arlington Heights, IL to sit in on a budget meeting and meet the executives.  Since then, I have shadowed and worked on projects for the various department heads.  For example, I have helped reorganize the filing system in medical records, conducted government-mandated cognitive function questionnaires to residents for social services, and followed the culinary director for a day.  My work days are usually open-ended and flexible, allowing me to also attend resident programs.  I sat in on a bible study led by the campus chaplain and rode on a bus trip through the countryside, stopping at Dairy Queen along the way.  I have also attended resident council meetings and spent time chatting with residents to learn about issues they face and about their Wittenberg experience.

While these activities can be done on any given day, I am lucky to witness two major events that sporadically occur.  First, some of Wittenberg’s staff has reached out to the Teamsters to assist them in unionizing.  I have been able to sit in on some union discussions (although most are so confidential I cannot attend) and have learned about unions from the perspective of management.  Since my supervisor has rarely dealt with unions, he said it was an excellent learning opportunity for me.   Second, a complaint was filed by the family of a resident, so inspectors from the Indiana Department of Public Health were sent to conduct a complaint survey.  My supervisor, wanting to set an example of how to treat inspectors, introduced me to them as he would if they were professional contacts.  I sat in on a meeting between staff and inspectors that served as a collection of evidence, covering everything from the incident that occurred to how reporting procedures were followed.  Wittenberg received a minor citation, for which my supervisor was required to write a plan of correction for the state.  Throughout this process, my supervisor and I talked frequently about the role of inspectors, the nature of inspections, and how to prepare a facility to deal with these challenges.

My experience has been challenging, but I’ve also had fun, too.  Two weeks ago, I enjoyed the staff picnic.  I attended an open house for a local competitor that served as a cocktail party.  Musicians, martinis, and endless food helped to showcase their lavish senior accommodations.  Last Wednesday, my supervisor took me to Chicago to tour another Lutheran Life Community, and we went out for dinner afterwards upon our return to Indiana.  He regularly sails with a group of friends on Lake Michigan and has invited to take me sailing as they train for the Mackinac Race.  I’ll be sure to tell you about it in my next post!

To graduating from Valpo and settling back into my hometown of Aurora, Illinois – this past month has been a whirl-wind and I’ve been trying my best to get used to my post-grad life and my fellowship with the League of United Latin American Citizens in the local council in Aurora, Illinois. The president of the local council and my supervisor and mentor, Art Velasquez, who, despite being 80 years old, continues to be a fearless leader and champion for the rights of the Latino community in Aurora. Since first meeting and getting to know each other Art told me “mi’ja, we’re going to put you to work” [mi’ja roughly translates to ‘my daughter’ and is used as a term of endearment in the Latina/o community]. In getting to know his story and the various forms of discrimination and barriers he has faced and overcome, Art has mentored and inspired me to believe in the work that I want to accomplish in our community and beyond. At times, it can feel like the world is crashing down and there is absolutely nothing that I can do to make my community better. Art reminds me that it’s okay to have bad days but that better days will come, if you keep your head up and keep fighting. Art always says, “la lucha sigue” [the fight continues].

Jesus and I at the LULAC of Illinois State Convention in Little Village, Chicago, IL.

Every day is different and brings something new, which I love. I have met with several different agencies in the area such as the Quad County Urban League, Family Focus, various local politicians and school board members and superintendents. I have had the opportunity to attend the LULAC State Convention in Chicago and meet up with my good friend and CAPS Fellow, Jesus Payan, who is also working with LULAC for the summer. It was great to see a familiar face and work with an amazing friend in a professional setting. We both spoke of how our experiences working with the Office of Multicultural Programs at Valpo and serving as executive board members for LIVE (Latinos in Valparaiso for Excellence) has greatly prepared us for our roles in working for LULAC. Not only that, Jesus and I had the opportunity to attend the Illinois School Board Meeting in Oswego, Illinois on June 17th, where “regressive proration” was discussed. “Regressive proration” occurs when money is cut from low-income school districts and students rather than those with less low-income students. Education is a key focus for LULAC and the Latina/o community and it was imperative we attend and stress how the practice of “regressive proration” is affecting Illinois students, particularly those of African-American and Latina/o descent.

The Illinois School Board Meeting at Oswego East High School in Oswego, IL.

Next week, I will begin working with West Aurora School District 129 in helping organize their annual “Parent University.” Hopefully, I will have the opportunity to facilitate a workshop for parents of high school students on different resources that are available to them in the district and community, discuss higher education and/or financial aid.

I am excited to continue my work with LULAC this summer! I might have the possibility of traveling to Salt Lake City, Utah for the LULAC National Convention, which I know Jesus is going to attend. Hopefully, everything works out and I am able to go!

Coming back to Aurora has made me realize that I am privileged in so many ways. Unlike my parents and many in my community, I am a U.S. citizen and a college graduate and I am afforded the many privileges and rights that come with it. I know that there is a lot expected out of me because of that and that’s okay. The pressure is on and I only hope that I can deliver and help my community to the best of my abilities.

I am now four weeks into the fellowship, or half way through! Yikes! Time has gone by way too fast, but I am now in the groove of how the Urban League office works and have gotten a good grip of my projects.

Since day one at the office, I have been thrown in and given work to do, because there is a lot to get done, which I truly enjoy. After going over the major projects I would be working on, I was a bit intimidated! My supervisors wanted me to develop the organization’s healthcare initiatives and translate most of the informational forms with their services and newsletters to Spanish. In addition, they have me working with Ms. Ola Morris, the coordinator of The Federation of Block Clubs, and organization branched from Urban League formed by community members to improve their neighborhoods. On top of that, they also want me to reach out to the Latino community and create a strong relationship and provide all the services the Urban League provides, to Spanish-speaking community members.

Thus far, I have very much enjoyed my time here at the Urban League. They have allowed room for professional and personal growth! I have been able to go out to the community at a few different events. The first one I got to go to was Gary’s Recycling event with Ms. Ola. It was definitely fun to go out and speak with the community members and let them know what types of services the office provides. Besides outings for events, at the office I have been kept extremely busy with all the small projects I have going on. I have officially finished the first general health pamphlet and on to creating others! And this is only the beginning! (:

Aside from the projects, the people we get to work with at the office are awesome people! They have been very welcoming and helpful with me at all times. I have learned a lot from my supervisors, from how to better communicate with people and make connections to how their non-for profit is run. Moreover, working with Ms. Ola one-on-one has been awesome! Ms. Ola is a wonderful person to work with whom I have learned so much from.

With these next few weeks left, I hope to continue learning and contributing to the organization positively who greatly impacts the community and improving the lives of individuals directly and indirectly. I am extremely grateful for this opportunity and I excited for what is to come!

From the beginning, I have been immersed in an atmosphere of learning and hands-on work. For those of you who do not know, I am originally from LaPorte County, so this opportunity is quite special to me. I have been taking part in numerous discussions related to United Way, as well as group collaboration within the community to create a team to hit on key issues that are afflicting our area. This organization is looking into how they fund others, by working to collaborate on three key issues, that seemingly do have a great deal of overlap: Health, Education, and Financial Stability. We are looking to incorporate both public and the private sector to ensure that we cover all of our bases and encompass all of our community’s needs for change.

One neat feature of being in my home community, is that I am able to lean on people whom I have met while growing up. Allowing the organization to expand and make new connections with people that were otherwise uninvolved with the United Way. I am hoping that using these connections with government officials will help us to expand on our mission to reach all demographics of LaPorte County.

With that, I have been doing a great deal of research to examine how other communities have gone about making large scale changes for the better. One area that has stood out to me is that of Tupelo, Mississippi. I learned how one writer from the local paper was able to convince business owners that if they wanted to see profits rise, they needed to invest in the lowest/poorest people to build a stronger community. It is more about changing the culture of a community than just throwing money at something. I was able to attend an event entitled “Toxic Charities”, where the main take-aways were that we should be enabling people to better themselves, rather than enabling them to become entitled or in a constant state of need. Robert Lupton was the keynote speaker, who has been doing work in urban Atlanta for most of his adult life. He as been at the forefront of changing communities with basic need changes – such as helping to bring in grocery stores, rather than just convenience stores that are generally more expensive, with little to no fresh food for consumers to purchase. I have also been researching different types of software that we would be able to use to track changes to our set goals for each of the three areas that the United Way is trying to aid. I have also taken part in the creation of a community garden in LaPorte, in an area that has a need for fresh, healthy food because they are in a food desert. I have attached a few pictures below: one of the garden, and another of the filming of the documentary that we have made to capture the process that the United Way went through to make the garden possible. Comment below if you have questions!

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Being someone who is naturally nocturnal, (especially in the summertime) the first day of my internship at EMPOWER began with me cringing as my alarm assaulted my sleeping ears. When I finally got around, ate some breakfast, and headed out for the day, I realized this was a routine I could get used to. The morning air was warm, yet refreshing, and my walk to work was a nice way to start my day.

When I got to the office I met up with my co-fellow, Faith, and we sat down with our bosses Heather and Kaye as they told us what they wanted us to work on during our time there. Faith and I are working on a project where we are researching different youth development programs throughout the country in order to see how effective that type of programming is, and then design our own program. The first question we had was, what is youth development?

The idea behind youth development is that a committee of teenagers (typically middle of high school) work together with community leaders in order to design programming meant for teens. The idea here being that if teenagers design programming for their own age demographic, it will be more effective and appealing to their peers. I was anxious to get started, because it sounded like this might be hard to find research on.

Boy was I wrong.

Right away I found multiple case studies and files that showed youth development programming from all around the country. From New York to Alabama it seemed like every state department had made multiple youth development programming efforts, and it was so exciting to start connecting the dots with what the most successful programs had in common.

The thing that was the most exciting for me was the amount of trust and freedom Heather and Kaye put into me and Faith. They were/are always open to our questions, but for the most part we are free to work on our own and in whatever ways we see fit in order to research and design this program. I loved being able to just put in some earbuds, buckle down, and start sifting through the multiple pages of research I had found.

As we continue our research, Faith and I have weekly meetings with Heather and Kaye in order to make sure we’re all on the same page and finding what information they would like us to find. It’s nice to have supervisors that allow us so much freedom, but also communicate effectively so that we always know what they expect from us.

One of the other great things about the beginning of my internship is that it had really opened my eyes to youth development programming. I’ve had discussion with my mom and my friends in the Army who all use multiple youth development programs in their jobs. My mother, being a social worker, leads many youth development programs that help foster children make the conditions in foster homes better for other kids. My friends in the Army work with youth development committees in elementary schools to educate kids about hard work and physical fitness.

So far things have been off to a great start at EMPOWER. My research is enlightening in its own right, but the discussions and conversations I’ve had with some of my friends and family as a result of my work is even more rewarding as I learn more about the world I live and work in. I can only see greater things on the horizon for this summer.

As a creature of habit and routine, moving to a brand new city and starting a new internship was a lot to take in all at once. Somewhat lost, and a lot a bit nervous, I stumbled into our apartment complex here in Washington D.C. and was instantly blown away by our amazing surroundings. I most certainly was not in Indiana anymore.

I approached my first day at my internship with the care of someone fearful of a bomb exploding out from under them. But, as I began to become more comfortable at my new desk and talk to some of the my new colleagues, I realized how great of an experience this summer will be. The Federation of State Humanities council not only has a great work environment, it also does wonderful work around the country.

When I first started at FSHC two weeks ago, I knew the bare bones idea of the organization and what they accomplished. There are 56 councils around the country, with one in each state and territory, including D.C.. However, these 56 councils are responsible for thousands of humanities programs that reach citizens from every corner of their state. With this new information, it dawned on me that I was working at a place not only connected to other humanities councils around the country, but I was actually working to promote and provide humanities education to people across America.

Armed with this better understanding of my work, I feel a deeper connection to my job and the projects I am accomplishing. I cannot wait to see where this summer takes me and to learn more about working in the nonprofit sector. As I settle into my internship and life in D.C., I look forward to all of the great experiences my roommates and I will have this summer.

Traveling is a passion of mine. I have been to the capital of six countries, but I had never been to Washington, DC before this summer. It just felt wrong. And now I know why. I have already fallen in love with this city, with everything from the glimmering skyscrapers to the mouth-watering food trucks to the streets bursting with life.

As hectic and professional as the city is, one must find time to relax and enjoy the little things. Sometimes that means going to the park one Friday with your coworkers to pet puppies. Even disregarding our puppy outing, I have had a wonderful time working for World Food Program (WFP) USA.

I wasn’t sure what to expect being an intern at a United Nations associated organization. It seemed intimidating, but I knew it’d be a great experience. And even though it’s only been two weeks, it already has been. Specifically, I work with climate smart agriculture; with the changing climate, smallholder or subsistence farmers need to adapt. WFP USA helps bring climate smart technology to these farmers. A part of my job has been to research what is known about climate change agriculture, what other organizations are doing, and what WFP USA is doing. Previously, my knowledge about climate change agriculture was limited, but now I feel like I have something to contribute to the team. I even have my first blog on their website: http://wfpusa.org/blog/world-environment-day-wfp-talks-about-going-green

Another part of my job is to attend events related to climate change, agriculture, or food security. One event I attended was the Atlantic Council and EU discussion for Climate Diplomacy Day called “Climate Security: The Next ‘Battle Ground’?” Among the speakers were H.E. Gérard Araud, Ambassador of France to the United States; H.E. David O’Sullivan, Ambassador of the European Union to the US; and the Hon. Sharon Burke, Senior Advisor to the International Security Program. They emphasized the importance and hazards of climate change. A changing climate is a threat to food security, human security, and national security.This panel was a great opportunity to hear experts share their knowledge and express their views.

These past two weeks have flown by, but I have loved every minute of it. Even when it’s pouring or blistering outside, there is a museum to escape to or friends to complain with. I am definitely looking forward to what the rest of my summer holds.

I’m not sure if my CAPS placement could have been a better fit! I am currently interning at the Urban League of Northwest Indiana and it has provided me with great opportunities, even though I have only been here a few weeks. As soon as I arrived, they put me to work. Since then, I have always been busy, which I like.

Luckily for me, I have been given meaningful work every day this summer. I have helped people build or update resumes and look for jobs, practice their interview skills, and improve their professionalism through dress and speaking. These are things that those in college may take for granted because we have resources such as our university’s Career Center, academic advisers, or mentors to help us with these processes but are so important for ANYONE who is looking for work, especially if they have been out of work for a while. I have had people call to thank the Urban League for the help they have given them because it resulted in their getting a job. It is very rewarding to know that the work that I am doing is really helping people and not just clerical work. It’s amazing to be able to see the results of your work right in front of you.

It has only been three weeks, but I have already gotten the opportunity to travel for the office and be out in the community. Our first trip was to good old Valparaiso University. We took some students from a local high school to the University through the College Readiness program. They were able to get information about the college application process more generally, as well as information about VU and they got the chance to see the campus and its various resources. For two of the three students, this was the first time they had visited a college campus so this was more than just an excuse to get out of the house. As a first generation college student, I can attest to how important it is to get as much information about college as possible but how difficult that can also be. At first, the students seemed nervous but as the trip went on, they were talking with each other, asking lots of questions, and very appreciative for being able to take the trip. They especially loved the smoothies at Freshens. 🙂 At the end of the trip, we took a tree under Merlin, which my supervisors loved! I think they had the MOST fun out of all of us! That is one of the best things about this office/its atmosphere. The administration’s willingness to laugh and enjoy experiences with you is so cool. It makes me feel like I am actually part of this office, rather than a temporary employee. It’s amazing how quickly they have welcomed us…it makes it so much easier to do my job!

Chilling out under Merlin 🙂

Today (Thursday) was  another busy day. I wasn’t in the office at all because I had a grant writing seminar to attend and a diversity training seminar that afternoon. Grant writing was something that I had mentioned in my interview with the UL as an interest I have because of my interest in working in grassrooot organizations/non-profits. I was shocked that she remembered that about me but I guess it’s true that you should be careful of what you say because you’ll never know what people may remember about you! My supervisor arranged for me to be able to attend the seminar so that I could better understand how the grant writing process works and better assist my boss with the grants the UL writes. While working at the UL, I have been able to proof read grants but more so in terms of grammar and punctuation. I’m glad I will be able to contribute more than just minor corrections going forth.

The afternoon was very fun and interactive. They hosted a diversity training workshop at a local business and it was a lot of fun. The employees were really interested in what Dr. Allen and Ms. Holmes were talking about and surprised to see how more alike they are to one another than different. This is something new that the UL has started doing, so I am excited to see what other organizations ask for help and how we can help make NWI a better, more welcoming place to live and work.

It’s a little hard to remember all of the things that I get to do, but there is truly never a dull moment in the office. I am so lucky to have the opportunity to work with an organization that works so diligently improve the lives of people throughout the region, despite having a small staff. I’ve been able to see the problems my community and the surrounding communities face and see real progress being made to address those issues. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the summer has in store!

Rocío Pulido and Jesús Payán at LULAC of IL State Convention

The first day at LULAC of IL in Cicero was full of surprises. I learned about the history of the oldest Hispanic serving institute in the nation dating back to 1929. As I sat in the office of only one staff member, Blanca Vargas, I felt the presence of autonomy and definitely one-on-one mentorship. I knew that I would be in good hands because I would be working directly with the Deputy State Director of LULAC of IL.

However, as we go over the constitution and bylaws of LULAC, she throws a curve ball at me. Blanca mentions that the following day we are both going to present a financial literacy seminar to elementary parents in Spanish. My heart dropped! I was worried and anxious because of what was requested of me on the first day. I had less than 24 hours to prepare myself. It was crunch time again, as if it were finals week. And on top of that, she said we would be heading out to Navy Pier to attend a Chicago Public School college fair. The worriedness slowly began to fade away as she comforted me that she would be leading the seminar. It was amazing to know that I would be meeting motivated individuals that are down for the cause and ready for action. And that is exactly how it went the following day! I meet college representatives that came from all over the nation and connected with many young adults preparing for their own journey through college.

After that, Blanca and I worked together to organize the LULAC of IL State Convention that was held in the Instituto de Progreso in Little Village. It was a weeklong process of creating the agenda and making sure councils around Illinois were informed of the convention because elections for state positions were also going to take place. Also, I knew Rocio Pulido is a CAPS fellow working with LULAC in Aurora, IL. So, I contacted her, and was extremely excited to know that she will be attending the conference too.

When we saw each other at the conference, it brought back old (not that old) memories of when we were both undergraduates attending conferences that had transformed our lives and molded us both into the successful and social justice life-long learners that we are today. However, this time was different. We were the ones helping others reach their goals by organizing such conferences like the ones we attended.

I am looking forward to regrouping with Rocio at the National Convention in Salt Lake City, Utah., and continue transforming lives and being transformed. I hope to continue learning valuable things from Blanca, LULAC, and the community.

It’s hard to believe, but this week marks the end of my fourth week at Concordia Place. Concordia Place is “vibrant nonprofit with proactive solutions to key social needs” whose “focus is growth and opportunity through economically inclusive early childhood, teen leadership and senior wellness programs” located in northern Chicago in the Avondale neighborhood.

Outside the Resource Center (where my office is)

I knew right from my interview that I would like to work at Concordia, but I didn’t realize how much I would love it. I am working with the Advancement team (or the A-team as we like to call ourselves) doing a fair amount of different things which all are super exciting for me. I’m helping with their social media for the summer (so if you’re interested in what they’re doing check them out on Facebook here or on Twitter here) as well as entering donor related data and grant foundation research. We also just had a major fundraising event where we raised over $129,000 for Concordia place with a silent auction, live auction, and casino night. While I’ve helped with large fundraisers before, I’ve never helped with a single event that has raised that amount of money, and it was eye-opening to see just how much work goes into making everything run smoothly.

A view from the event

While I enjoy the work I’m doing, as it’s the kind of work I would like to be doing in my future career, it’s really the people and the work they’re doing that have made the experience as great as it has been for me. Every single person has welcomed me with open arms, and they are so willing to let me ask whatever questions I want. Also, the work Concordia does is just amazing. The school building is separate from the resource center, but every time we go in to interact with the kids or talk to one of the schoolteachers, I am amazed by the quality of the classrooms and how every single kid seems to love being there. I love seeing the plants that the teens grow to make their soaps and other products that they then sell. (If you want to here more about that program, here’s a video that explains it in more detail.) The seniors come a few days a week to do yoga. Concordia seems to always have people doing something, and you can almost always hear the kids playing outside.

I think what has really impacted me the most is seeing the work at Concordia, and what is going on in Chicago. I’m living at home this summer, so I commute into the city everyday. The commute is long, but it’s also where I’ve learned just how important the work Concordia does is. Every morning, I get on the train with a bunch of middle class workers who commute into the city all year long. Most of them are in business suits. We all get off the train together, and walk through downtown on our way to various companies and L stops. Everyday, I walk by people who are homeless. I see people on the L who have had rough lives. Every day that I get off at my stop on the Blue Line, I walk past the same four men who seem to live under the I-90/94 overpass. And then I get to Concordia. Where kids are constantly laughing and learning and given opportunities that they may not have otherwise. Concordia served 750 children, teens, and seniors last year. About 70% of those they serve are low income, and almost 70% are minorities. In their 2014 annual report, they state: “We strengthen the community by fostering individual growth and opportunity for all: children receive quality care on a sliding tuition scale; teens realize their full potential by developing leadership skills; adults become more engaged in our society through English as a Second Language classes; and seniors stay connected, active and independent.”

I’ve gone on service trips to serve those who are less fortunate than I am, but I have always been left unsatisfied because I have only helped them for a week. Every day that I walk by these people I am saddened by what their circumstances are. But then I come to Concordia, and my hope for the world is restored. Concordia works to better people’s lives, and to prevent what could happen. They want to help the community grow stronger, and I am proud to be their intern for the summer.

Nearing completion of my third week at Legacy Foundation, it’s nice to pause and reflect on the first portion of my internship as a CAPS Fellow. Prior to starting, I wasn’t particularly knowledgeable of Legacy’s work; in fact, my understanding of community foundations was fairly nonexistent. Thankfully, I’ve learned quite a bit so far.
As my internship focuses on grant-making research and evaluation, my first project dealt with restructuring Legacy’s grant report form. I quickly discovered that grant reporting is a very critical component of the grant process, and must therefore be structured well in order to accurately measure outcomes. After researching several key questions that other foundations ask on their forms, I soon developed questions that Legacy could use. In addition to typical qualitative questions, Legacy seeks to evaluate specific data pertaining to grant effectiveness; in other words, quantitative questions must be incorporated in this process. Though the value of this grant reporting change has yet to be determined, it will hopefully prove more informative to both grantees and Legacy as the grant process will be better examined.
I’ve also enjoyed internally observing Legacy and noticing similarities to topics discussed in my courses at VU. As a Philanthropic Leadership and Service minor, I’ve taken fantastic courses that concentrated on past and present issues in philanthropy. While it’s great conversing in class about these subjects, my learning is heightened through taking part in these experiences. I truly realized the difference between outcomes and outputs, as this is an essential part of grant reporting. I also noticed that money is always a burden to nonprofits, reporting to the Board takes a great amount of effort, and there are dozens of fantastic organizations in this area doing awesome things.
Another neat component of Legacy is its location in Merrillville. By administering grants and scholarships to Lake County organizations and residents, Legacy pursues great opportunities to invest in this community. As a Valpo student, it’s nice to see more of Northwest Indiana and the neat collaborations that are taking place here. Not to mention that Chick-fil-A spontaneously dropped off free mini chicken sandwiches to our staff today for lunch (yes, I am smiling as I write this).
I am extremely thankful for the opportunity to be part of the 2015 CAPS cohort, as this internship has already proved insightful and thought-provoking. I look forward to continued learning at Legacy, as well as stories from other Fellows.

Throughout my first week working at the extremely friendly corporate office of National Lutheran Communities and Services, I have had the chance to get to know many of my coworkers. Of everyone I have established a relationship with, the person I have come to know most and the deepest relationship I have formed is with my supervisor Dan.

Dan has many phrases and acronyms that he uses consistently, both in meetings and in daily conversations. Everyone playfully calls them “Dan-isms.” One phrase that he has said multiple times since we have joined his team, whether to us interns, his coworkers, or in business meetings with other high level executives is that he has the greatest job description of anyone; he gets paid to dream.

As the Chief Strategist Officer of NLCS, a rapidly expanding nonprofit organization owning three nursing communities and building a fourth, Dan certainly has a lot to dream about. Yet, it is not only his huge dreams that make Dan such a compelling person, it is his willingness and enthusiasm to share his wisdom. Recently on a business trip to one of the aforementioned nursing communities, a two and a half hour drive, we were afforded the opportunity to learn more of his stories, share some laughs, and of course listen to the James Taylor Pandora station.

On our drive back to the corporate office after visiting the nursing community and attending various business meetings, I do not remember how, but our conversation shifted to the topic of faith. I was very surprised when Dan stated bluntly, “ I don’t go to church anymore. I don’t need someone telling me what my relationship with my God needs to look like, I don’t have time for that. Yet, my faith and relationship with my God has never been stronger.

Years ago, when Bishop Gene, a good friend of his, asked what he wanted to get out of his faith, Dan responded that he wanted faith like his daughter who would do a backwards trust fall into his arms. He would let her come inches from the floor, yet she would not flinch, knowing her father would catch her.

As we talked, Dan told us more about his faith. He recalled how when he was going through the necessary steps to become a member of the Roman Catholic Church, in order to have a Catholic wedding with his then fiancée, he attended a prayer retreat. While on the retreat, Bishop Gene instructed the group to close their eyes, as he would lead them through a type of meditation and prayer.

Bishop Gene told the group to visualize a room they would want to be in at that very moment. Dan, an avid sailor and lover of the water, visualized himself in a room on a beach, “It was bright and all the windows were open so you could feel the ocean breeze,” he recounted. The bishop then told the group to visualize God entering the room.

“Suddenly, the room got much brighter, but it wasn’t so bright that it hurt your eyes. I walked toward God, turned around, and fell. I hit the floor. I stood back up fell again, not afraid I would hit the floor again and God caught me. Suddenly I opened my eyes, Bishop Gene was looking at me dead in the eye and asked, ‘Did He catch you?’”

Dan was so struck that he left the group and went for a walk. The piece of advice that he gave us from that experience is what will stick with me for a long time. He said, “You have to really trust in someone to fall once, hit the floor, then fall again.”

What a beautiful way to express faith and how true this is in my life! I am reminded of moments in my life when I have felt like I have fallen, waiting for God to catch me, and have hit the floor. My first year in college, past leadership positions undertaken, and a disappointing result on a test, these are all moments in which I have hit the floor.

Dan’s story has given me the perspective that perhaps when I fall, I need to dust myself off, stand up, then courageously fall again. This internship is another great example of falling. I am certainly not an expert in business or in healthcare services and sometimes I feel like I am falling. Perhaps God will not catch me the first time, but perhaps that first fall is an invitation by Him to stand back up, fall again, trusting this time he will catch me.

Another Dan-ism rings true after his story, “You never know when something you say may connect with someone else.”

I’ve been an intern at EMPOWER Porter county for a little over two weeks now and I feel like I’ve already really gotten in the groove of things. My desk is equipped with everything I could possibly need (pens, sticky notes, stapler, paper clips, WhiteOut, and, of course, granola bars). While EMPOWER Porter County was my first pick for an internship this summer, I was slightly bummed that I’d be in Valpo all summer. I was born and raised, and am still being educated in this town. When I got to the office, however, all of my fears disappeared.

The EMPOWER Porter County office is tucked right downtown at the corner of Franklin and Jefferson in a office building. So I got to stay in my hometown and still get the slightly city vibe that I thought I’d be missing out on. Sure, downtown Valpo is no Chicago or DC, but it’s probably as close as I’d personally enjoy. I love being able to take the elevator down to the first floor and walk down the street to grab coffee or lunch. Sometimes, when my brain is mush halfway through the day, I’ll take a stroll around the block and feel completely recharged. Okay, so I’ve explained how wonderful the office and surroundings are, but what about the actual work? Is it possible that it’s just as good? Yes!

The first day at EMPOWER, my supervisors Heather and Kaye told my fellow intern, Mychal, and me a little more about the organization. Then, they said that we’d be working on the new youth initiative and to get researching! I’m pretty sure I spent the first two days looking up the entirely wrong things but after many questions and conversations with my supervisor, I started to understand what my task was. It took me a while to figure out how to organize all of the research and information I’d gathered into something that I could work with. For whatever reason, even though I’m glued to my phone like everyone else, I can’t work with electronic copies. When I write out lists or take notes, I have to use a pen and paper. That way I know where it is and can add notes wherever I want. Therefore, I decided to start printing out all of my research and bits and pieces of different curricula for programs similar to what we want ours to be. I went through the hundreds of papers and put them into folders (yes, real folders) organizing them into different elements of our curriculum. That is when I really started to feel like I knew what I was doing and how to do it. Since then, I have been writing a curriculum and developing a program. Meeting with my supervisors is extremely helpful because they can tell me when to scale back or put me in a different direction. I’m very grateful for their guidance and encouragement. Also, even though I was terrified the first two days, I think it was good that they just let me “dig in” at first and try to figure it out on my own (and realize that I need to just ask!).

I’m very excited to continue developing the program and working with community leaders to better our community and promote the positive development in youth

.  My desk and part of the office. Isn’t it adorable!?