So it’s been a while since my internship ended, but I wanted to give myself enough time to really reflect before I posted my final blog.  When I finished my internship at the beginning of August, I spent a few weeks vacationing before going home to help my sister go off to college and to pack for another semester at Valpo.

Now that I’m back on campus and settled in, I’m realizing how differently I look at this town now that I’ve spent a summer getting to know all the people who make this city the amazing community it is.

Before my summer with EMPOWER Porter County, my experience with Valpo was limited to the university itself. I was pretty thoroughly entrenched in the logistics of university life, and never spent much time off campus. Since my hometown is fairly large and commercial as well, the concept of being involved in a city community wasn’t something that had ever really occurred to me.

But since being back on campus, I’ve been asked by so many people to describe my summer, and what I’ve found is that my friends are just as surprised as I am by how attached I’ve become to this town and all the people I met through EMPOWER who make all of Valpo’s community programming possible.

Professionally speaking, working with a startup organization like EMPOWER was incredibly rewarding for me this summer. I got to have a significant impact on the direction of the organization, from crafting their mission and vision statements to handling their marketing and social media presence and even to assisting with event planning. It was a fantastic experience that allowed me some really incredible opportunities.

But more important than the professional experience, I think, was the amazing connection and appreciation I was able to develop for city planning and community programming in the course of my time with EMPOWER. I was introduced to people from all sorts of committees and programs this summer- representatives from the park district, the director of the Valparaiso YMCA, the principals of various middle and high schools throughout the county- people who play an active role in shaping the way a community environment functions. There’s so much work that’s accomplished in a city setting by people who do it purely of their own volition, who simply are passionate about growing their community and providing a safe and healthy environment for their citizens. It’s a truly amazing thing to witness, and an inspiring show of dedication to service.

I feel incredibly blessed to have been able to engage in so many ways with Valparaiso as a town this summer, through all of the connections that Heather and Kaye at EMPOWER helped me to build. I can only hope that one day I will become as productive a member of a community as Heather and Kaye are here in Valpo!

Love,

Abby

Thursday, August 31st, marked the last day of my internship with the Federation of State Humanities Councils. The nine weeks I spent with that organization had been a whirlwind of with plenty of ups and luckily, only a few downs. Finishing the laborious history project for the organization was a major high. Not only did I feel accomplished having sorted through 20+ boxes of files and documents, but it gave plenty of time for me to be outsourced to other projects that needed to be completed in a hurry.

I began to assist the Federation’s Communications Manager, Natalie Pak, in compiling a briefing book on each of the 57 state humanities councils to be presented to the new National Endowment for the Humanities’ Chair. Never again will I underestimate how difficult is to try and collect lots of information from lots of different people or how long it takes to edit and format 120 pages of text to look exactly the same while all having a similar tone of voice. I will say that while it difficult and formatting was just frankly annoying, I really did enjoy working on it. After reading through lots of history about the Federation and the state councils, it gave me the opportunity to really understand what these organizations are doing in 2014 and their plans for the future.

The National Humanities Conference’s online program was my final and most enjoyable project for the Federation. I found that giving a hand in designing a format and template for a program was a lot fun, and also a lot of hard work. Compiling a conference program while both in a crunch for time and waiting for outside information can be stressful, but it was amazing to see a majority of people in the Federation office come together and finish such a big project in only two weeks. I also became very much acquainted with Microsoft Word. I thought I knew Word pretty well before…now I really know just how useful (and inconvenient) it can be.

The buzz word for the CAPS Fellowship has been vocation. While I can’t say for certain that I’ve found mine at the Federation, I can say that I learned a number of important things about searching for vocation. I’ve learned that it’s almost always easier to figure out what isn’t your vocation than it is to find what is but more importantly, I learned that working in a position that isn’t part of your calling is still important because you never know what doors will opened or short experiences you’ll have that will lead you to your vocation.

Being in Washington D.C. for the summer was both wonderful and exhausting. I felt an obligation to go out and experience as much of D.C. as I could, and I’m happy I did. The two other CAPPS Fellows living in Arlington, Nate King and Caleb Rollins, and I went out every weekend to see the sights and learn the ins and outs of Washington. While my stay in the District seemed to end abruptly, Michigan was a sight for sore eyes. It was definitely time to come and get away from the hustle and bustle of the city…at least for a little while!

As I have wrapped up my internship at NLCS and The Village at Rockville, I can’t help but wonder where this is now going to guide my next year or so. The end of my wonderful internship also means the summer leading up to my senior year is also coming to a close. I cannot express how amazing this summer internship has been for me both personally and professionally. Professionally, I have learned so many hands-on skills that I know will be invaluable as I continue in my career. But some of the most important things I’ve learned are the personal aspects. I learned what it looks like to be a professional woman in a professional setting weather that be a clinical setting or more of an office setting. Getting this real world experience showed me both sides of what professionalism should and shouldn’t look like. I also experienced what great leadership can look like, again both clinically and on the business side. Not all leadership styles are the same, which I knew long before this summer, but I always enjoy seeing for myself the different styles and how they are interpreted by their peers, their subordinates, and their superiors. Being an outsider in many ways at The Village this summer, I got to see those interpretations from all angles.

I could continue on with all of the professional lessons I learned this summer that I cannot wait to show off when I enter that world full time, however I think the biggest take aways are on the personal side. No, I still don’t know what I want to do in a year when I’m finished with school. I do have a better idea though; I know what I don’t want to do. I know that the business and administrative side to nursing and healthcare is interesting and there are parts of it that I loved this summer and that I want to incorporate into whatever it is that I end up doing. But I have decided that it isn’t practical or the best use of my skills to start out in a position like that, or even in a long term care setting at all. I have decided I need to take a year or two or even three to just work, to gain more experiences like this one, particularly to hone in on my nursing skills. I have always known that the nursing profession is my calling and purpose. This summer’s experiences have solidified that even more. I have no doubt in what my calling is and in fact I’ve gained more confidence in it and in myself. Later down on the path of my career I could see myself doing something similar to those I worked with at The Village at Rockville, but I’ve realized something really important. My calling isn’t a set path. Dan Look, one of the officers at corporate made a wonderful analogy that has stuck with me. When you are sailing a boat you need to at least have an idea of what your final destination is so that you can map your course. Along the way though you might move a little off course, and as you refocus on that destination and how you need to redirect to get back there you might realize that your final destination has changed. I think I’ve decided where I’m headed, at least enough to get going!

One thing that has always drawn me to the non-profit world is just that: non-profit. I have always thought that there really would be no way that I could ever work at a for-profit company. When I thought of a for-profit company, the image of a large corporation simply there to make as much money as possible immediately came to mind, as well as any other related stereotypes that exist. That is why the idea of a non-profit organization sounded so appealing. In theory, such an organization exists to truly support and further whatever mission, goals, or vision that it holds. One can rest easier knowing that they are working for an organization that is trying to make the world a better place, in some way, shape, or form. But I have realized that even in a non-profit organization, the issue of money is still the most pressing issue in everyone’s mind. Instead of worrying about how performance affects profits, the concern becomes how performance reflects numbers, which in turn affects the funding that is received. At first, that upset me. But I realized that is simply the world we live in, and everyone must learn to work with that. Thus, a non-profit must learn to remain sustainable while also trying to stay true to the initial mission. This becomes even more difficult when the organization is directly linked to the ever-changing governmental rules and regulations. It can become disheartening, frustrating, and confusing. But what helps to combat this is people who are truly dedicated to the mission working within the organization

My supervisor at CWI is one of those people. Throughout the course of my internship, I have had the opportunity to work closely and directly with her. She is someone at CWI who wears many different hats, and similarly to me, likes to have “several irons in the fire.” We both like to believe that it increases our productivity. But among the many things that she does, she will often go above and beyond to help a person find a job, even when it seems that there is no hope of that person getting one. She is someone who truly is dedicated to the larger picture, and always keeps that in mind with everything that she does. Yet on top of that, she always remains realistic, and will always question whether or not something is pragmatic and will have a positive effect on the people that the organization is trying to serve. I have been fortunate to simply watch her work, and am often in awe of the things that she is able to do, and I hope that I have been able to soak up many of the skills and talents that she has.

When I reflect on my experiences at my internship, the organization as a whole, and the concept of Leadership and Service, I have realized that there are several questions one must ask themselves when going into a vocation. What am I truly good at doing? What do I enjoy doing? Is the work that I am doing making a positive impact on people’s lives (even if it is only a few lives)? Is the goal I have attainable? Does this work make me happy?

Lastly, I would like to extend my gratitude to everyone involved with the Institute of Leadership & Service for allowing me to have this experience, and for forcing me to reflect on what it truly means to Lead and Serve 🙂

Aaron

The Institute for Leadership and Service sends out a bimonthly e-newsletter, featuring Institute programs, events, and student activities. The most recent newsletter talks about the CAPS Fellows Program, the alumni mentors to the Fellows, and more… Continue reading →

I’ve heard before that people who express gratitude often tend to be happier than people who don’t.

There’s a YouTube video about it, so it must be true. Finishing up my time at LWR certainly gives me an

overwhelming feeling of gratitude. So, I would like to take a moment to thank everyone who made this

summer possible.

 

First, to everyone at the Institute of Leadership and Service, thank you for giving me this incredible

opportunity to serve as a CAPS Fellow this summer. A few special shout outs to Deb Garbukas for her

help and patience in planning my travel arrangements; Ali Devries for her reassurance and also her

careful and wonderful housing selection; and Elizabeth Lynn for her encouragement. Thank you to all of

you. Without your encouragement, patience, and careful planning I would have spent my summer on

Netflix, so needless to say I deeply appreciate everything you all have done to help all of us in the CAPS

Fellows program.

 

Second, I would like to thank all of my colleagues at Lutheran World Relief. With their guidance and

support, I was able to learn this summer from (in my opinion) the best of the best in the international

development community. It was a very busy summer, but from the bottom of my heart I appreciate the

opportunity to work at an organization where both the people and the mission are genuine. For my first

internship, the bar was certainly set very high.

 

Finally, a brief thank you to my parents, who were willing to let me move across the country for an

entire summer. I imagine as a parent it’s pretty stressful to have a kid who keeps wanting to move

somewhere she’s never been to spend time with people she’s never met, but that’s probably all part of

the job. In any case, if I was not armed with their love and support there’s no way I could’ve done it. So

many thanks to you, Mom and Dad.

 

And now it’s time to talk about what I learned this summer. I’ve noticed the other fellows have generally

boiled it down to 5 things they have learned, so I will follow their lead.

 

1. Sit at the table: As a young woman who is only halfway through my undergrad career, it was

at times really nerve-wracking to be in meetings with all of my highly educated, well-spoken

colleagues. Often, I would think to myself, “It doesn’t matter what I have to say”. But my boss,

Kate, was always ready to combat my willingness to stand on the sidelines and watch. At every

meeting she invited me to sit at the table, even if it meant my superiors had to stand. Now that

doesn’t necessarily mean that I had something to say at every meeting, or that the ideas I had

changed the nature of the organization. But I do believe it was an important lesson to learn

before I embark on my professional career. You have to count yourself in.

 

2. Business is a carefully constructed magic show: I say this with no cynicism, but one thing I’ve

learned this summer is that business is mostly an illusion. Nothing is ever “just” what it seems.

You aren’t “just” going to dinner, or a conference, or a meeting. The subtleties matter. Maybe

this is obvious to those in the business world, but I had no idea of the planning that went in

to seemingly simple encounters. One of my jobs here was to assist colleagues who would

be attending conferences out of state. I researched all of the guests we had names for, the

companies they worked for, if their companies had interests that overlapped with ours. A list

like this would also include a photo of the person attending and what a potential point of entry

for conversation might be. It’s quite the sleight of hand.

 

3. My computer is my best friend: My first week on the job, our staff was anticipating the arrival

of a colleague from Niger. He spoke English well, but was fluent in French. I expected to be

doing some work in French during my time at LWR, but I didn’t expect to be speaking French to

a fluent speaker on week one. Needless to say, my computer became my best friend for looking

up all kinds of vocabulary words we hadn’t gotten around to in French class, like climate smart

agriculture and animal husbandry.

 

4. My computer is my worst enemy: Even though I love the work LWR is doing, it really is

exhausting to sit at a computer for nearly 8 hours every day. Plus, our work environment is

generally very quiet so most conversations happen silently on Skype messaging. While my

computer was a great resource, it really made me realize how in the future I cannot pursue a

job where all I do is computer work. While I definitely don’t mind it for four or five hours, I need

something active and social to do during other parts of the day.

 

5. Nothing prepares you for the real world quite like the real world: While a college education

is certainly important and useful for the future, it definitely does not mean that your degree

endows you with the skills to find your calling and purpose in society (see what I did there?

). Even at that, calling and purpose is transient in itself. Even if people around the world were

free tomorrow of poverty, injustice, and human suffering I don’t believe anyone at LWR would

throw their hands in the air and say “Well, sweet! Glad I’ve fulfilled my purpose! Time for a

nap!” We are called and created to do and be many things. And the vocation we find isn’t one

place or one purpose, it’s always changing. So I think that as prepared as I felt to take on this

internship, what actually happened is that this internship prepared me for something else. After

this summer, I really feel proud of the person God called and created me to be and inspired to

use my particular strengths and gifts to make life better for someone else.

 

 

Thank you,
C

It’s hard to believe, but only one week remains in my summer 2014 CAPS Fellows tenure here at Lutheran Services in America (LSA). The weeks have seemingly flown by, with new happenings popping up for me every day as the Public Policy and Advocacy Fellow. After wrapping up a benchmarking and research project regarding our advocacy social media outreach at the end of June, I revived our advocacy Twitter account and am currently managing our tweets from that platform. So if you are looking to follow the Federal advocacy and policy work of LSA, be sure to give @LSAAdvocacy a follow! In addition to my work with social media, one of the most exciting developments in my work with LSA is tracking a piece of legislation – which actually just passed the House on July 23^rd!

I began the summer following the Preventing Sex Trafficking and Improving Opportunities for Youth in Foster Care Act (H.R. 4058), which passed the House in late May and was then introduced in the Senate. But on June 26th, a new bill addressing this topic was introduced on the House floor, representing a reconciled package of House and Senate bills, including H.R. 4058. The new bill, entitled the Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act (H.R. 4980), addresses several issues including the prevention of domestic child sex trafficking in relation to the child welfare system, the reauthorization and expansion of the adoption incentive program, and improvement to child support. In order to track the bill, I have done research on the legislation, as well as attending coalition meetings to gather information and gauge interest from child welfare organizations in the bill. Human trafficking is an issue of particular of interest to me, after first hearing about the massive scale of modern-day slavery at a gathering of college students in January 2013 called Passion. So needless to say, the opportunity to track a piece of legislation that could have an impact on populations vulnerable to trafficking has been an experience for which I am thankful.

Living in the District for the summer has also provided a variety of opportunities to explore for sightseeing and learning. I spent some time exploring some sites on my DC bucket list recently, including the National Gallery of Art and the National Portrait Gallery (yes, that’s two separate locales, but both are plenty worthy of exploration!). I also ventured off the beaten path to a lesser-known site in the Columbia Heights neighborhood called Meridian Hill Park. A structured urban park built in the mid 20^th century, Meridian Hill is a nice urban oasis, a great place to do some afternoon reading or do some people-watching – I recommend a trip! I also spent an afternoon enjoying the architecture at Union Station, while I grabbed a bite to eat for lunch. Exploring D.C. always provides for some new adventures.

In addition to my in-office work at LSA, I’ve had the opportunity to set up my own Hill visits with Congressional staff. Last week, I met with staff from Sen. Michael Bennet and Rep. Cory Gardner (both are Congressman from my home state of Colorado) to share information about the work and strength of the LSA network. I’ve also been fortunate to attend a variety of coalition gatherings, briefings and other meetings this summer with Bob Francis, LSA’s Director of Public Policy and Advocacy.

In many ways, my portfolio has mirrored Bob’s portfolio this summer, because of LSA’s unique position of representing organizations that offer a variety of services and serve many different populations. Because of our members’ large footprint in senior and children, youth & family services, I’ve been able to tag along with Bob to a variety including the Leadership Council of Aging Organizations, Washington Policy Council, and even a national board meeting with the Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP). It has been exciting and educational to sit at so many different tables and hear from different people this summer. Just a few weeks ago, I was able to listen to Sylvia Burwell, the new Secretary of Health and Human Services, speak at a briefing on the Affordable Care Act and Marketplace Updates at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Sadly, only a few days remain of my time at LSA, so I will be looking to make the most of every remaining moment.

The summer has been an educational experience for me every step of the way, and getting to know the staff at LSA, as well as at some of our member organizations around the nation, has been incredible. To see the hard work and dedication of these folks is inspiring. Whether they are doing regular office work, serving as a case manager, or anything in between, God is at work in these individuals. No matter what the job, they serve to see the words of the prophet Amos ring true – “Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream” (Amos 5:24). To see God’s work done in the world – that is something that can keep getting you up in the morning.

My summer 2014 fellowship with United Way of LaPorte County has drawn to a close this week. In a way, however, it has continued on. For although I have officially ended, my unofficial involvement has just begun. That will be the message for this blog and that certainly seems to be a subtle goal within the CAPS Fellowship program.

There are currently three full-time employees at United Way of LaPorte County. Three people serve a community of 70,000+. It would be foolish to believe that these individuals, although highly talented, can accomplish that much without assistance. In fact it would be paradoxical to the very title of their organization. A community must LIVE UNITED, and while the staff at United Way might facilitate or lead the way, the community must be committed to its own betterment.

In my time at United Way I have seen the community do exactly that. I have seen board members dedicate countless hours for United Way without any compensation. They take these positions to help the community. Other community members volunteer or give their time to help United Way achieve success.

I’ve worried that Americans are sometimes to callous to help out their neighbors, but my experience at United Way has taught me to be more optimistic. Many citizens truly care about the less fortunate and want to lift them out of their situation. The involvement doesn’t have to be extensive to make a difference.

I myself hope to be involved in non-profit work at some point in the future. I could very well see myself as a board member of volunteer. I am thankful for my CAPS Fellowship for showing me the inner workings of a non-profit. I hope I can use that knowledge for the good of the community. God Bless.

^Get the song reference? Yeah? Yeah??

Today is my last day at my internship. Tonight I move to Cleveland where I will start my next job on Monday. Right now I have a couple hours, so I will try and reflect on my experience this summer and what it meant to me. *deep breath*
I am fortunate enough to be able to say that interning with the Urban League of Northwest Indiana has provided me with more clarity on what I want to pursue for a career. I have had a couple internships throughout college that left me feeling unsatisfied. I felt more discouraged leaving those internships because I knew what I had experienced what not what I wanted to pursue. It was discouraging because it was what I thought I wanted to pursue, so I was always back at level one: What do I want to do with my life? However, after completing my internship with the Urban League, my question is now: Okay, I know this is what I want to do, how do I get here?
These are the reasons why I loved my experience at the Urban League:

Small office
I found out I really enjoy small organizations. When I say small organizations, I mean few staff, not the amount of work the organization produces. There is something about the power that a few people can produce that appeals to me.
Friendly/Welcoming staff
Everyone that works here is very close. It creates an awesome atmosphere where they make everyone feel welcome. I felt completely comfortable with everyone here, including the President/Executive Director.

The entire staff worked towards the set goals
For instance, the scholarship fair is around the corner, so everyone is working together to get that ready.
GREAT community
It is going to be very hard to leave Gary. I wish I could have visited here before this summer. People at the Urban League and throughout the community are so nice.

Mission of the organization
I believe strongly in education, economic empowerment, civil rights, and social justice, so working for an organization that believes in the same thing was powerful.

Leaving today, I know it will be difficult for me to find an organization where I experience what I got to experience this summer. It was opportunity that took me away from my home community of Valparaiso and placed me in a new, neighboring community of Gary. At the Urban League, I did not feel like an intern. I was able to jump right in and take charge in a couple of projects. I got out in the community and met people. I even have a favorite restaurant where they know me by name. I may have only been here for nine weeks, but it really does feel like home. At graduation, I was convinced that I would be moving out of Indiana for good but this summer has given me second thoughts. It is hard becoming so invested in a community and having to leave, so maybe I will find myself back in Northwest Indiana someday. 🙂 Until then, thank you Urban League of Northwest Indiana and thank you Gary for giving me such a wonderful experience and summer. I could not have asked for a better nine weeks.

 

1. HO helps clients with foreclosure prevention: I always knew that HO provides housing for the homeless but did you know they also offer a variety of financial counseling to help people keep their homes?  For example, I got to sit in on a counseling session for a client who wanted to explore reverse mortgage.

2. Mastering Excel is something you actually need to put forth effort to do: As a Millennial, when people ask me questions like, “Do you know how to use the latest version of this Apple product?” or “Are you proficient at PowerPoint?”  I always answer instinctively, “I’m sure I could figure it out” (never mind that I despise Macs and Presi is my right hand man).  Generally, my arrogance isn’t completely unwarranted and after a few minutes of “messing around” I’m able to get the job done.  Turns out, this mind-set doesn’t work for Excel.  So before you tell your co-workers you can perform Excel-oriented tasks, make sure to set aside time to watch Lynda tutorials and save yourself from painfully Googleing your way step-by-step through your work.  (Not that I’m speaking from experience of course.)

3. Don’t spend money you don’t have.  Develop and maintain a low-impact exercise routine now to help prevent mobility loss in the future.  “Coffee is NOT a meal, Rachel!” Back up your work on the computer or risk losing everything.  You can’t help people until they are ready to be helped: My favorite/least favorite part of my internship has been working in an office full of women who are significantly older than I am and are therefore full of wise advice.  The ideas I listed above are all things I had heard before but never really internalized until now.  Thanks, co-workers, both for making me feel absurdly young and for making me wise up about a lot of important topics.

4. A four-step development cycle for cultivating donors is 1. Identification/Qualification 2. Cultivation 3.Solicitation 4. Stewardship : I had the privilege of sharing an office with Jaime Miller the Development Officer at HO.  Through both formal job-shadowing and informal conversation, Jaime taught me loads of valuable knowledge about how to connect donors and non-profits in a mutually beneficial relationship.

5. Sitting at a desk all day is more exhausting than running around all day:  During ungrad my number one stressor was the constant pull on my attention from what felt like 100 different sources.  I spent a lot of time scheduling and trying to multi-task.  I was relieved when I found out I would *only* be working one full-time job over the summer.  I assumed being able to give my undivided attention to one activity would eliminate a lot of stress and completely free-up my evenings and weekends.  What would I possibly do all evening without any homework, study groups, or meetings?  You can imagine my surprise when I found myself coming home, cooking dinner, and falling asleep on the couch watching the news.  Why is sitting at a desk all day so exhausting to me but running around campus was manageable?    I realized not being able to move around while working and change my scenery, work in complete silence, and switch activities whenever I want is a difficult task in itself!

Anyone that knows me is fully aware of the fear that I hold towards the “real world.” Going into my senior year at Valpo, the interrogation of what I am doing after graduation is in full swing. While I am still at the point where I cringe when I sense the conversation heading in that direction, I am beginning to feel comfortable in my answer: “I don’t really know, but I’m trying to figure it out.” I don’t hide the fact I am nervous about the future, but I know being afraid of the future will not help me figure things out. Be that as it may, this internship is serving as a stepping-stone for my career, as well as being largely empowering.

During a meeting last week, my boss once again triggered my excitement to work in community development. We were discussing the upcoming focus group conversations when my boss affirmed, “You’re in charge of changing the face of the community.” At that point, as much as I enjoy my project, I was beginning to feel exhausted by the extensive research aspect of the initiative. Not being from LaPorte County and having no prior investment set in the county was clouding my enthusiasm for the job. I lost sight of the final goal and I forfeited the fact we are creating community change.

I can only blame myself for allowing that to happen and after that meeting I felt rejuvenated. An hour after the meeting I kept repeating those words said by my boss to myself and while I would be repeating those words, I would picture groups of people with smiling faces in my head; I was back in the game. It also worked out that the next day, the interns got a pretty cool intern task to complete.

Garrett and I went to the beach this past Friday; it was a beautiful day with just enough heat to make a person look for the ice cream truck. We were assigned the task of handing out United Way beach balls to as many beach-goers as possible; we stuffed un-inflated beach balls into these handy-dandy gym bags and were on our way. With the beach only a block away, it was a perfect job for a sunny Friday afternoon. Looking out on all the people enjoying their day, I could not help but be nervous; how were people going to react to some random girl come over and hand out a beach ball? I was anticipating the majority of people to be skeptical, to shoo me away with angry eyes.

After giving away over thirty beach balls and talking with more than a handful of people about United Way community engagement, however, my hard feelings lifted. While my feet were in undeniable pain due to the incredibly hot sand, my mood was indisputably sanguine. I did not assist people in signing up for volunteer hours, I did not contribute to any major service event, but I did give people a gateway to community action. I presented people with an opportunity to create change by individual engagement. When we made our way back to the office, the smile on my face was long lasting and my face was gleaming (partially due to the sweat, but mainly due to excitement).

I anticipate the upcoming year will be filled with triumphs and losses, along with scary crossroads; but something that I do know for sure is that this opportunity to work for the United Way of LaPorte County, as well as being part of the CAPS Fellows Program in general, has given me ample skills that I intend to use regularly from this point on.

 

Live United,

Grace

Just about a month ago, I made my first blog post. As my first post, it was only a week into my internships and I kept talking about things I would be doing in the time before my next post. Would you believe that the mental list of things I hope to accomplish has only grown longer in the time that has passed since then? I’m sorry Valpo, but I won’t be returning in August. I have far too much to accomplish and far too much left to change in the world of senior health.

Just kidding.

But no, I’m not entirely joking. At a recent CAPS Fellows Reflect-In (i.e. a gigantic Google Hangout video chat that consists of all of the Fellows and the Institute for Leadership and Service’s Program Coordinator) we discussed “The Eleventh” by Henri Barbusse. If I was to summarize “The Eleventh” in one sentence, I would say that it tells the story of a servant at a home for the poor who struggles with the fact that he can’t help everyone who comes to the door. (The story is posted in its entirety at the end of this post- enjoy!) I have less than 9 internship days left here at National Lutheran Communities and Services. As I near the end of my time, the themes introduced in “The Eleventh” are pounding on my conscience. There is so much left to be done to help our community residents, our community staff, seniors, veterans, individuals with intellectual disabilities, and while we’re at it, all of the caregivers who help the people we serve. In the midst of all of this, I don’t perceive myself to be at a good leaving point. I’m not naïve, I know that I can’t do it all myself. But just as I’m starting to feel like I’m actually contributing to National Lutheran Communities and Services mission in a meaningful way, I have to prepare to say goodbye. Just as I start to see how the NLCS mission guides what they do and just as it begins to guide my own personal mission to help seniors, I have to prepare to leave. This feels wrong.

 

My checklist is growing faster than I can add checks to it. That said, I have accomplished some nice checkmarks these past few weeks. Since in my first blog I said I hoped to talk about my internship accomplishments in my second blog, I’m going to list off some of the things I’ve actually done in my internships.

-I’ve made more phone calls than I can count to long-term care Power of Attorneys and Independent Living residents, updating their emergency contact information for a new database The Village at Rockville is working on. I have a colored highlighting system all figured out, and while I’m not 100% finished, I have less than 12 individuals to make contact with. Considering all the phone tag I’ve been playing, I’m pretty proud of this achievement.

-I’ve outlined a business plan for NLCS’s plan to create health clinics in each of the HUD locations that are a part of Fellowship Square. It’s not perfect, but it’s something and I’m in the midst of doing further research to “fill in the blanks”. I guess business plans aren’t as scary as I thought they would be! I’ve been pleasantly surprised to find that the outlining skills I picked up in the few speech classes I have taken and research papers I have written are actually applicable in the business world.

-I’m finally understanding everything that goes into a strategic partnership with a university. This check doesn’t sound very concrete, I know. But The Village at Rockville is in the process of entering a strategic partnership with a nearby university, and I’ve had the pleasure of being involved in each of the steps that have taken place in the past month or so. I am very excited to meet with the university’s nursing professors and various nursing school deans next week to see what else I can learn about this process! (I really wish I could be here to see the partnership come to fruition… hint hint Valpo! Don’t make me come home!)

-I created a presentation on the Patient-Centered Medical Home model based on all the research I’ve been doing at NLCS since my first week. I didn’t really create my presentation for the purpose of presenting it, but my informal presentation on PCMH’s to Dan went so well that he had me put it into the NLCS PowerPoint template. All I can say is that it felt really good to organize all the information I’ve combed through about PCMH’s into one place!

-I created an Excel chart highlighting the crossover between the needs of caregivers and the services they provide in the cases of both senior and veteran care recipients. This felt really good to do too, because it came from research I’ve been doing since my first week here. The purpose of this chart was to show that the needs of caregivers are relatively universal- and that they need some support for all the work they are doing for their care recipients.

-I met Michael Cannon, the Cato Institute’s director of health policy studies, in DC. Learning the viewpoints of different political organizations about health policy is really important, because healthcare is so often at the mercy of law- especially when said medicine is operating on Medicare’s dollars. Cato is a pretty amazing building and it was interesting to hear Michael’s opinions on Medicare spending, “death panels”, and the Halbig v. Burwel case. (You can read his most recent article on the topic here)

-I met with four of the team members over at LeadingAge Headquarters in DC. Meeting with individuals who work to “expand the world of possibilities for aging” in contexts that aren’t strictly clinical was an uplifting experience for me. The reason nursing homes and CCRC’s are the context I hope to work in post-graduation is that I don’t NEED to be a clinician to help in those places. My smiling face, my conversation and empathy skills, my intelligence, and my abilities to organize and spot points of weaknesses in systems can carry me far in the world of senior care (but not so far that I won’t get to interact with seniors!) I don’t need to know how to draw blood or dress a complex wound to help a senior, and the team over at LeadingAge gets that. You can learn more about LeadingAge here.

-I spoke to a member of InFaith Foundation and learned from an insiders point of view about grant giving, grant tracking, and grant receiving. Prior to this phone call, I had no idea how sophisticated the process of grant giving, receiving, and tracking were. I never knew the issue many not-for-profits have with mission drift existed. If I am ever in the position to give or receive a grant someday, I have an insider’s point of view. Even if I never apply for or give a grant, the idea of mission drift is a concept that I can adapt to measure how I lead my own life and live out my own mission(s). (Mission Drift: drifting from an original mission or values, commonly in the pursuit of greater profit. I found an article describing more about Mission Drift here )

 

 

It gives me deep regret to report that it took me until this summer to realize that my current title (the one I’ve had for 16 years) is one of the most important titles I will ever possess and that in 10 months I will lose my title until I find another setting to hold it in. My title provides me with the power to quietly persuade, the power to be accepted, and the power to listen in on discussions regarding just about anything I choose. My title does not have the word “chief” attached to it and does not come from a fancy diploma. My title is universally recognized from setting to setting, and provides me exceptional levels of clearance. My title is student. With this title, I can choose to learn about whatever I wish to learn about and pick the brains of whomever I meet, on the basis that I’m “just” learning. “Just” learning is an oxymoron, by the way. I would hope that any person with life experience would agree with me that learning is never “just” anything. Learning is building a mental library, learning is teaching yourself new thought processes, learning is creating experience for yourself, and learning is transforming yourself into a competent individual with the power to accomplish- all through the experiences of encounters. With each checkmark I have made on the above list, I have realized how grateful I am to be a student and a CAPS fellow. Without my “student” title, my checklist would surely possess fewer checks.

 

 

In closing, please Valpo, I beg you, read this blog post and let me remain a student and CAPS Fellow at NLCS forever. I need to figure out a way to serve “the 11th” and I don’t particularly care to wait until post-grad to do so, especially when I won’t have the title I have learned to love!

 

-Kaitlyn, Student (see what I did there?)

 

P.S. I figured I’d include a short list of pictorial discoveries I’ve made in the past month or so.

The Metro has the longest, most terrifying escalators I’ve ever ridden.

I can’t even imagine the amount of work that went into developing the Metro system. It’s both underground and above ground- that’s some major shovel power!

I’m a big fan of giving away my cubicle to consultants and taking over the small conference room instead. I have a feeling that in my future career I will be the un-conventional employee who stakes out weird corners to do my work at in lieu of cubicles. Just yesterday I camped out in the large conference room with the lights off (it was calming!) and both the CFO and CEO felt the need to stop in and tell me it was ok for me to use electricity.

 

P.P.S- Here’s “The Eleventh” ! Enjoy!

And on the first day of the month, as soon as nine o’clock had sounded, exactly together from the Anglican church and the Catholic chapel of the house, I opened the little poor- door.

A crowd of beings was massed against the door-wing and the wall. Hardly had the former turned in the shadow when the tattered heap rushed forward as though sucked in.

My helper had to thrown himself forward to enforce a little order upon the greedy invasion. We had to detach by force, to tear away from the mass each one of the besiegers, who were pressed side by side and elbow to elbow, fastened to each other like fantastic friends. The eight entered, the ninth, the tenth.

And then the door was quickly closed, but not so quickly that it prevented me from seeing, only a step from me, him upon whom it closed, the eleventh, the unlucky one, the accursed.

He was a man of uncertain age; in his gray and withered face lackluster eyes floated. He looked at me so despairingly that he seemed to smile. The touch of that extraordinary disappointment made me start, of that face that was mute as a wound. I glimpsed in a flash – the time that the door took to shut – all the effort he had made to get there, even if too late, and how much he too deserved to come in!

Then I busied myself with the others; but a few minutes later, still affected by the distress I had read on the face of the outcast, I half opened the door to see if he were still there. No one. He and the three or four others – uncertain rags that had fluttered behind him – had gone to the four winds of heaven, carried away along the roads like dead leaves. A little shiver went through me, a shiver almost of mourning for the conquered.

At night, as I was falling asleep, my thoughts went again to them, and I wondered why they stayed there till the last moment, they who arrived only when ten had already taken their places at the door. What did they hope for? Nothing. Yet they were hoping all the same, and therein was a mean miracle of the heart.

We had reached the month of March. On the last day of the old month, towards nightfall, a rather frightened murmur crept from the side of the high road, close to the door. Leaning over a balcony, I could make men out there, stirring like insects. These were the suppliants.

The next morning we opened to these phantoms whom the magical story of the house had called across the world, who had awakened and unburied themselves from the lowest and most awful of depths to get there. We welcomed the ten who first came forward; we were obliged to drive back into life the eleventh.

He was standing, motionless, and offering himself from the other side of the door. I looked at him, and then lowered my eyes. He had a terrible look, with his hollow face and lashless eyelids. There breathed from him a reproach of unbearable artlessness.

 

I am Lutheran. I have always been Lutheran. I was baptized a month after my birth in a Lutheran church. I have attended Lutheran schools my whole life. I even decided to go to a Lutheran university. But I had never heard of Lutheran Services in America (LSA) before the CAPS Fellowship. I knew of Lutheran social service agencies around the country, but I was honestly surprised when I first started researching LSA and found that they are an umbrella organization for over 300 Lutheran health and human service organizations. Who knew that such an organization even existed in the Lutheran world? Because I hope to professionally work for a faith-based service organization, I was intrigued by the opportunity to work for the connector of Lutheran service around the country. The draw of living in the nation’s capital for a summer also made the position as the Development Fellow of LSA the top on my wish list.

Fortunately, I was invited to join LSA for the summer, and I am very glad that I did, even if the position keeps me very busy. So far at LSA I have worked on forming the criteria and marketing plan for our new Associate Membership. I’ve also started poring over the donation records of LSA for the past 4 years to try and find opportunities to expand giving. It’s nothing terribly exciting unless you’re like me and you find donor trends as interesting as people watching on the National Mall. And then there’s the various meetings I attend on topics ranging from project management software to national youth gatherings that keep the day even busier.

I wouldn’t have it any other way though. I bet I get to do more meaningful work than most of the interns I share a crammed Metro car with every morning. Not that taking your Congressman’s dog out for a bathroom break doesn’t serve a purpose, it just doesn’t seem very fulfilling. At LSA I have the opportunity to work with amazing people every single day. We work hard, we have fun, but most importantly we serve God and others through all of our work.

And through this service, I have never felt more connected with the Lutheran church. I am not working in a church or at a Bible camp or on a mission trip like some of my friends this summer. Instead, I’m sitting in an office, working on ways to connect Lutheran organizations around the world that share a heart for service and to increase the visibility of Lutheran social ministry. Living in a generation of people disenchanted with institutions like the Church, I am passionate about sharing the story of this compassionate part of the Lutheran church that I think my many of my peers would love to get behind. This is what makes the busyness worth it and all of the work here at LSA so fulfilling as an individual; and as a life-long Lutheran. Plus, the view of the Capitol building through my window at the office isn’t half bad either.

–Caleb R. 

–The opinions expressed in this post are mine and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Lutheran Services in America. 

I have two weeks left in Northwest Indiana until I say goodbye to the region and state. I have tremendously enjoyed my experience at Valparaiso University, however, I have always felt a piece of the experience was missing. I loved the campus, students, and professors, yet I never knew much about the larger community in which Valparaiso University was located. After spending a semester in Chicago, being immersed into the community I lived in and exploring the different assets of the neighborhood, I always yearned to duplicate that experience at my home campus. When I was first introduced to the CAPS Fellowship, I knew right away that it would be a perfect opportunity for me to go beyond the campus bubble and learn more about the region and the communities throughout it. I interviewed and was placed with the Urban League of Northwest Indiana, located in Gary, where I have spent my time the past seven weeks.

From the bottom of my heart, I truely can say that I have never felt more welcomed and at home in a work environment than I have felt going in everyday to the Urban League office. It is a small office, with only three people on staff. There are also two Americorps interns and volunteers than come in throughout the week. After spending my last two interships at larger organizations, I love the small aspect of the office. I get to interact with everyone in the office on a daily basis, including the Executive Director. IT IS SO MUCH FUN and exactly how I want my work environment to always be like. I even got to sit in on a board meeting only a couple weeks into the summer, which was a great experience! Despite working with two other non-profits before the Urban League, it is always interesting to continue to be exposed to the different in and outs of how they are ran.

Throughout time this summer, I have been working on two different projects. The first is the LEAD Initiatitve, which is an alcohol and other drug prevention program for youth in the community. As an adult facilitator, I helped train a core group of youth from the Gary Youth Services Bureau. The training included perceptions, consequences, refusal and resistance skills, community service, philanthrophy, mentoring, and advocacy, which were all related to the general topic of alcohol and other drug prevention. The youth then created their own program that they would teach to other youth throughout the city. At the time of this post, the trained youth have presented their programs at two different park sites in the city. It has been a blast! I have loved getting to know the all the students. They are great LEADers!

 

The other project I have been helping with is the Health and Wellness Seminar the Urban League is hosting at the Gary Railcats game on July 16th. We are bringing in six different community vendors, such as the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana and Community Healthnet, to present on different health and wellness topics. The target population for the event is seniors and youth because it is senior and youth day at the game. I have been helping organize the community vendors and plan the events. The event is taking place from 10:30-noon on July 16th, with the game starting at 12:10. We are even providing our participants with a healthy lunch to compliment the theme of the events! Health and wellness is a particular interest and passion of mine, so it has been a great opportunity to help plan an event that promotes that!

When I am not working on those two different projects, I am doing a lot of miscellaneous work around the office. With my desk right up in the front, I get to interact with the community as they come in and out. The Urban League provides ten food vouchers a month to a local church, so a primary responsibility up front is taking those calls and working with individuals that come in to pick up a voucher. The Urban League office is also home to different community businesses, such as the Indiana Plan, a pre-apprenticeship program and Housing Opportunites, which assits primarily with foreclosure in the Gary area. Overall, the main focus of the Urban League is to provide job readiness to people in the communities, where we introduce people to job postings and help them create a resume and apply to the job. Much of my job up front allows me to provide this different information to individuals when they come in and sometimes assist them in a job search if the specific staff perso

n is not available. Another big thing the Urban League does is provide scholarships to high school seniors in the area. Right now, I am assisting in researching past scholarship recipients and contacting them to see if they attended the school they intended to and whether they were still enrolled. As you can see, staying busy throughout the day has not been difficult!

I still have another blog post left, so I will talk more about how this experience has developed me in terms of my vocational direction because this one has gotten quite long and out of control. I’m so proud of you if you are still reading this. Wow, you are great. Until next time!!

-Maria Wagenhofer

“I’ve come back to life – I’d checked out.  This is a miracle…[Housing Opportunities] saved my life, honestly.  I was on the verge of giving up,” a client told me when we were talking one afternoon in her apartment.  For this client, like the majority of those we serve, unforeseen circumstances prevented her from working anymore and a woman who was once a self-sufficient, engaged mother became homeless and suicidal.  “I had nothing – everything was gone.  I was so deep in a hole and I knew I would never get out,” she said.  Housing Opportunities was initially able to help this client by providing her with a temporary housing unit, getting her approved for Social Security Disability Insurance, and offering her companionship at a time when she had never felt more alone.  Five years later, she is a part of our permanent housing program and spends her free time helping HO’s new clients by providing information about resources, giving rides, and being a friend: “I want to pay it forward.”

Hearing stories like the above remind me why it is imperative to serve others.  With my hectic schedule, sometimes I treat philanthropy like just another item on my to-do list; I want to cross it off so I can move on with my day.  But the problem with this mentality is that philanthropy is not confined to the group you volunteer with, your job at a non-profit, or the checks you write to your favorite charity.  Just as we are continually breathing, we should continually be serving.  What I am learning everyday at my internship is that our (humanity’s) need is so great but our potential is even greater.  I’ve seen what an office of twenty-one dedicated individuals is capable of giving to society when they work together towards eliminating homelessness; I want to see what a nation of people can do when they work together towards eliminating suffering worldwide.  This is obviously a grandiose desire; since I started working for an organization whose clientele report we saved their life, I can’t help but dream big.

 

(below) A client’s daughters style my hair  🙂

 

Over the past few weeks, I have been working at The Village at Rockville here in Rockville, MD under the umbrella corporation of National Lutheran Communities and Services. The last two weeks in particular have been the most exciting yet! I have been challenged learning new skills and understanding the running of a retirement community both from an administrative side as well as a nurse manager side. So with all of the amazing experiences I have gotten so far, I am about half way through this internship with twice as many unanswered questions as when I started.

Last week the Maryland state survey team was in the building. They spent the entire week walking around the facilities, talking to staff and residents, and combing through charts with a fine tooth comb looking for any harm or risk of potential harm for residents. Talk about a learning experience! I was able to see what sorts of things facilities usually fall short on. Even more valuable, I was able to stand in the office of the executive director in the midst of all this chaos and see how to handle all the stress and chaos that survey brings. As a future nurse, I now see just how important accuracy in both my care and my charting will be. In the end, The Village at Rockville only got a handful of minor mark ups; half the amount as last year. All the staff in the building from nurses to cooks, everyone was beaming with pride when the week was over.

Another highlight from the past couple of weeks was going to visit one of NLCS’s other communities in Winchester, VA. The Village at Orchard Ridge was one of the most beautiful facilities I have ever seen. It sits right in the middle of the Shenandoah Valley giving the community a beautiful backdrop. Even though the buildings only went up within the last three years, plans for a major expansion are already underway. The unique aspect of this community in comparison to Rockville where I’ve gotten to know quite well, is that there is no traditional assisted living unit. There is a beautiful and well thought out memory care unit which is assisted living, but outside of that and the skilled nursing unit the entire campus is independent living. There are several cottages similar to the one we are staying at here in Rockville, and then hundreds of apartments. The unique model of care at Orchard Ridge is aging in place. So as the residents might begin to need more assistance, they would hire a home health care agency to come into their apartment or cottage and provide them the care they need. With that as their care model as opposed to a more traditional nursing home style, this creates a whole different atmosphere on campus. The average age on the campus is somewhere in their 70’s. In contrast to The Village at Rockville who’s average is somewhere in the mid-to-high-80’s. Orchard Ridge is therefore a very active community with many activities and clubs on campus.

My goal through this experience has been to become a sponge and soak up every bit of knowledge I can get weather that is from experiences or from picking the brains of people who understand this healthcare industry inside and out. As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, I have accumulated more questions that have yet to be answered. What do I want my role as a nurse to be? Do I want to work towards a management position? Do I want to work with this elderly population at all? These are just a few uncertainties that come to mind almost on a daily basis. I doubt that my 9 weeks here in Rockville this summer will answer all of them, but I hope that I figure out what direction my first step out of school will be.

Whenever someone seeks to revolutionize an organization and take it a new direction, it requires a lot of dedication and cooperation. That has been my experience so far this summer working with United Way of LaPorte County as they seek to involve their community in shaping United Way’s future. When I first started at United Way back in May, I joined in the middle of an 18 month process. At first I felt overwhelmed and unsure. Over the past five weeks, I have seen strands of this project come together in new ways, and I’ve become excited to see how the project continues to unfold.

United Way of LaPorte County resides in a building shared by many other nonprofit organizations. This is exciting, because the organizations can assist each other and brainstorm about opportunities for collaboration. All of the employees in the building seem to enjoy their job and generally want to help the community. I’ve enjoyed working with them and hearing their stories about their path to the nonprofit industry.

The project that United Way is undertaking is actually a national project from the national branch of the United Way. It seeks to reinvent the methods United Way uses to invest into the community. The initial step involves going out into the community and asking residents about their aspirations for the community, specifically in the fields of income, education, and health. Much of this work has already been done. A few key demographics, however, have not yet been heard. It will be my job to target these demographics over the next few weeks and record their aspirations. After hearing about the aspirations of the community, United Way asks the community what resources the community has to meet these needs. Finally, United Way researches best practice methods that other organizations have used that can meet the aspirations of the community. United Way can then reach “the sweet spot”, the spot where the aspirations and resources of the community align with best practice research. This will maximize United Way’s impact on the community. One can see that community engagement is extremely important throughout the process.

 

I  have personally been involved with every aspect of the process. I’ve researched best practices, I’ve facilitated community conversations, and I’ve attempted to find the sweet spot so United Way can maximize its impact. I’ve enjoyed looking at one issue from different perspectives. It has helped to me to understand things holistically, and I’ve used this in other aspects of my life now as well. It has sharpened my problem-solving abilities.

 

As my internship draws to a close over the next three weeks, I will be going out into the community more frequently; this is a part I will be greatly looking forward to. My confidence in social situations has increased tenfold since my admission to Valparaiso University, and I’m hoping this new experience will nuance that confidence and strengthen it.

 

I have sat in on other meetings with United Way over these past few weeks. I have come to understand that United Way’s undertaking comes at a perfect time. The entire LaPorte County community, whether that be the nonprofits, the local businesses, or the local government, are willing themselves out of an economic slump. They are working endlessly to make their community flourish. It truly inspires me to be placed in the middle of such an endeavor.

 

My next post will come the final week of my internship. I hope at that time to have some important closing remarks and a few more lessons about myself to divulge. Until that time, Happy 4th, and God Bless.

-Garrett Warren

When I hopped on a plane departing from Reagan National Airport in December 2013, I knew I wasn’t leaving D.C. for the final time. After spending a semester studying and interning in the District through the Lutheran College Washington Semester, I was confident that I wanted to return to Washington at some point, but I knew figuring out my return would be a long row to hoe. It’s funny how things work out. By the grace of God, the opportunity to take part in the inaugural CAPS Fellows Program presented itself to me, and here I am – back in the District of Columbia.

Okay, enough with the nostalgic romanticizing. Let’s talk about how I am actually spending my summer. My CAPS Fellows placement has slotted me as the Public Policy and Advocacy Intern at a health and human services network organization called Lutheran Services in America. LSA is a network with over 300 service providers all across the United States and even in the Caribbean. My position supports Bob Francis, LSA’s director of public policy and advocacy.

Let me interject by saying my experience to the world of public policy was very limited prior to this summer. My fields of study at Valpo are primarily communication and theology, so I was nervous at the prospects of navigating uncharted waters this summer. Regardless, I recognized an amazing opportunity to “expand my portfolio” and get great experience in a new area – advocacy and policy, specifically relating to health and human service provision.

Even with a lack of experience in the policy world, the opportunity to take part in the work of a social ministry organization liked LSA was something I jumped at. My experiences at Valpo have cultivated in me a passion for seeing God’s work done in the world – a passion for caring for the least of these (Matthew 25:40), speaking up for the voiceless (Proverbs 31:8-9), giving generously (Deuteronomy 15:10) and in everything, being involved in work which reflected the character of God (Psalm 68:4-5). LSA appeared, and has proven to be, an organization involved in such work.

In my first several weeks as the policy intern, I have been able to take advantage of LSA’s unique position by “sitting at multiple tables” in the D.C. world. In fact, on my very first day, I attended meetings at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) with LSA’s Disability Network (LSA-DN) members, where I quickly learned that learning to speak the language of acronyms would be helpful for this internship. My first week also included a quarterly LSA staff meeting and a visit to one of LSA’s local members, Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area (LSS-NCA), to learn more about their programs and services.

The main project I have worked on thus far involves an analysis of LSA’s social media advocacy efforts, evaluating the current presence and researching best practices from similar organizations in their use of social media for advocacy purposes. Another part of my internship responsibilities includes attending legislative briefings, Congressional hearings, and other meetings on behalf of LSA.

A few of these meetings from the first few weeks particularly stand out. This past Monday, fellow CAPS fellow Caleb Rollins (how about that phrasing?), and I attended a White House briefing on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) for Faith and Other-Community Based Organizations, where White House and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) officials thanked leaders for their work in educating and enrolling people in Health Insurance Marketplaces across the country. I recently attended a House Budget Committee (chaired by Rep. Paul Ryan) hearing on the “War on Poverty” several weeks ago. And just this past Wednesday, I attended a briefing hosted by a coalition called Advocates For Families First, who recently released their first public policy agenda with legislative recommendations for adoptive, kinship, and foster care policies.

Needless to say, the first part of the internship has been a whirlwind and each day is a learning experience in itself. I can also say that my internship experience the second time around has been quite different from the first. Making the switch from the government side to the non-profit world has given me a different perspective on the D.C. arena and the challenges that come with non-profit work. I am thankful to be working in support of Bob Francis, LSA’s policy director. Bob is a wellspring of knowledge in the policy arena and many other areas, and just getting to meet with him is a promise of boatload of information and thoughtful perspective for me to consider.

Nearly to the halfway point of the summer, looking back at all I have experienced thus far almost makes me giddy – D.C. is an incredible city to live in! Beyond all of the opportunities at work, summer adventures have included exploration of Georgetown, taking in the monuments at night, wandering through the United States Botanic Gardens, a trip to Nationals Park, watching the U.S. play Germany at a viewing party in Dupont Circle and of course, checking out a couple of museums.

Can’t wait to see what the rest of the summer holds – to God be the glory!