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!

 

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!

 

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.

 

 

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.

 

 

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!?

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