Big Things for an “Almost Adult” to Attempt to Unravel by Claire Utzinger

This entry was tagged Chicago Ingenuity and posted on by

Living in rural Virginia for over two decades, it is certainly interesting to transition to an apartment right on the Loop in downtown Chicago. I have never experienced hustle and bustle quite like this in my life. Even when I studied abroad and lived in Athens, Greece for an entire semester, there were no tall buildings. Nothing is allowed to block the view of the Parthenon, so nothing is allowed to be taller than 12 stories. Although there are city busses, lots of pigeons, and an insane amount of tourists, I was left with the feeling of leaving just a really large town at the end of my four months. Chicago is Chicago; Big, bold, and consuming, although frequently muffled by “the L.” Now that I’ve been here for what’s going on week three, I find myself asking where I fit into it all. I am interning with a non-profit […]

Growing in My Discomfort by Meg Main

This entry was tagged ArtMix Indianapolis and posted on by

So far, my CAPS experience has really pushed me out of my comfort zone. Through the entire application and interview process, the idea of potentially finding another temporary home, moving to Indianapolis and everything in between has made me feel unnerved. I am happy to be a CAPS Fellow, but I have definitely experienced the discomfort of growing pains here in Indy. Nonetheless, 20 days into my CAPS experience, I’m beginning to reap the rewards of powering through these uncomfortable but positive times of growth. During my time at ArtMix, I have contributed to and observed the behind-the-scenes of a non-profit organization. While I am already learning a lot from this internship, I have also faced challenges. From learning to communicate my needs in an office environment to meeting the demands of my superiors, I have learned how to have tough conversations, while also being the best team member I […]

My Kind of Town by Juan Arellano 1 comment

This entry was tagged Chicago Ingenuity and posted on by

Ah, Chicago. Growing up in the south suburbs, I always dreamed of calling Chicago home. I remember visiting the Shedd Aquarium and the Museum of Science and Industry, eating at Giordano’s or Gino’s East, and thinking to myself, “Man, what must it be like to be here every day?” Well, now that I know, I can tell you all about it.  I live at Infinite Chicago on Jackson Blvd. in the South Loop, the heart of the city. Every day I walk about half an hour to work at Ingenuity in River North. I love my job. Ingenuity is a non-profit focused on increasing arts education equity for all children in Chicago Public Schools. The work they do here is exciting, and there is never a dull moment in the office. Integrating into the team has been nothing short of amazing. Because Ingenuity is centered around arts education, it makes […]

Navigating the First Day by Jade Curless

This entry was tagged Venn Strategies Washington D.C. and posted on by

Getting acclimated to Washington D.C. has been a much harder task than what I originally anticipated. Living in this city has pushed me to think more intentionally about my actions and how I process my environment. I’ve always viewed myself as an adaptable person, someone who is excited for change or the aspect for something new; however, the first week in this new setting did not go as planned. On my first day of my internship I woke up early, partly because of the early eastern coast sunrise, but mostly because I couldn’t wait to start this new chapter in my life. After completing our morning ritual, my roommates and I headed for the metro train and were ready to take on our jobs in the city. We eventually all split off throughout D.C. to our job sites. Unfortunately for me, the next step of my morning was not my […]

Getting Lost by Rachel Winkler

This entry was tagged Indianapolis School On Wheels and posted on by

I’ve gotten lost more times these past two weeks than I have gotten lost in the past two years. Being lost can be scary and frustrating but it is a part of life. My times being lost have been some of the most important and stabilizing experiences I have had. It was when my roommates needed me to come to pick them up after they got lost biking and rollerblading downtown and then we proceeded to all get lost was when we really bonded. When we got caught in a rainstorm and we couldn’t see five feet in front of us I learned I could rely on them to keep me calm. Getting lost was also something that happened to all of us while we were together and apart which made it easier to share all of our stories of triumph and failure. Being lost has helped me build a […]

Transitioning into Transition by Veronica Campbell

This entry was tagged Chicago LSSI Lutheran Social Services of Illinois and posted on by

Are all three of you really going to fit in one office? Where is the printer in suite 187? Are any of the conference rooms still available? And most importantly—are we really going to let all those nice desk chairs get thrown away just because we don’t have anywhere to put them while the office is being remodeled? This was the chaos that greeted me when I started my internship at Lutheran Social Services of Illinois (or LSSI), but despite the fact that everyone was moving offices the very week I started there, my supervisor and the rest of the staff still made time to welcome me onto the team and make sure I had a place in the midst of all the confusion. My very first day, my supervisor made a point to introduce me to as many people as possible, then took me out to lunch with two […]

Midwestern Girl, Big City by Maddie Morehead 1 comment

This entry was tagged IREX Washington D.C. and posted on by

In the week and a half that I’ve been here, I’ve become accustomed to the hustle and bustle of the city streets. As I commute to work, I pass the men in the hard hats and yellow jackets hard at work, the woman who sits in her lawn chair on the sidewalk day in and day out watching the people pass on their way from their 9-5, the man selling the newspaper at the metro stop yelling good morning to the distracted daily commuters, and the bus that always threatens to run me over if I don’t cross the walkway quickly enough. Although for many people in D.C. this routine is just a part of their everyday, mundane lives, I find myself to be one of the only people smiling as I take in each and every little aspect of my morning commute. As I walk to work, I make […]

My Biggest Adventure Yet by Nosi Oleghe

This entry was tagged Austin Water to Thrive and posted on by

Living far from home was something I had always wanted to experience, and the CAPS Fellows Program gave me this opportunity while doing something I am passionate about, and that reminds me of home. I have had a lot of firsts this summer. It was my first time getting on a plane by myself, living by myself, and learning how to budget money. This might not seem like a lot to some people but I have always had my family to rely on for a lot of things, and as I will be graduating college in a about a year, I figured now is the time for me to experience actual adulthood. Living in my own apartment has been very fun and interesting. I have loved living with Madison for about a week before she left for Ethiopia. We got so close in that week as we spent a lot […]

Welcome to Washington D.C. by Emily Nelson

This entry was tagged LSA Lutheran Services in America Washington D.C. and posted on by

   Thank God for seats on the metro, and good riddance to those who stand on the left side of the escalator during the morning rush. Being from Japan, courtesy on public transportation is a must, and it’s helped be more cognizant of the culture in D.C. To be clear, there are numerous cultures, whether ethnic,organizational, or linguistic, in D.C. due to the diversity. Instead of being a tourist (as I was eight years ago), I’m an intern, and am gifted with 10 weeks instead of one. This gives me a lot more time to explore what this place has to offer, and I am living for it.    I start my day at 7:30, waking to the constant hiss of the air conditioner. After dressing business casual and gathering my bearings, I take the elevator 10 floors down to the lobby. 9 stops on the Metro later, I get off […]

Austin to Addis Ababa by Madison Magiera

This entry was tagged Austin Ethiopia Water to Thrive and posted on by

Wow – so much has happened since I began my CAPS Fellowship! I moved to Austin, TX almost two weeks ago and moved into my own apartment for the first time.  I really enjoy being in my own apartment and I love living with Nosi as my housemate! Together we have started exploring Austin and we have found there is so much to do there! Austin is a unique blend of being proudly Texan, but welcoming to all, liberal and conservative and business-oriented with laid-back, bohemian vibes. So far I have found that the city possesses lots of live music, record stores, cute coffee shops, funky art museums and a profound (and inspiring) love for tacos. Nosi and I are staying in University of Texas housing so there is quite a few shops and restaurants within walking distance of our apartment, which is really nice. After getting settled in at […]

Bright Lights, Big City by Zac Felty

This entry was tagged Indianapolis Kheprw Institute and posted on by

This first week has been a whirlwind of change for me. Moving into an apartment for the first time in my life, saying good bye to my family who I am so used to living with every summer, and starting work at a non-profit organization for the first time. This last weekend and beginning of this week has certainly worked as an open door to a seemingly endless flow of change for myself, as I embark on this summer of adventure in this big city full of bright lights. The apartment living is one that is entirely new to me, but I am enjoying it thus far. I am used to living in a family sized house, with a yard, neighbors, and with all my younger siblings running around providing an endless supply of distractions and laughter. However, I am now finding myself in a two room apartment with a […]

A Summer Sanctuary by Alyssa Trinko

This entry was tagged Harrison Center Indianapolis and posted on by

Flowers. Flowers all around me. Shades of pink and lavender. Little did I know these were the petals of milkweed: the native plant to Indianapolis that provides monarch butterflies with a sanctuary in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was golden hour. I felt the warm, gritty surface of the bench upon which I rested as I gazed at the luscious greenery surrounding me. Before I sat down to catch my breath, I had spent one hour driving around Kroger searching for parking — desperately trying to navigate my way through the one-way streets. I struggled to decide what groceries to buy. “What will I cook for dinner tonight?” I thought. “What will I cook for dinner the rest of the week?” I was exhausted, and I was overwhelmed. I had just finished my first day of interning in the city. As exciting as change can be, it can also be quite daunting. […]

Coming to Chicago by Ty Snarr

This entry was tagged Chicago Heartland Alliance and posted on by

Coming to Chicago, my life felt utterly different. Growing up in a rural town in Ohio, all I have known is cornfields, pastures, and knowing every neighbor. While those things definitely have their advantages and disadvantages, pulling up to my apartment was exciting. I honestly felt as if I didn’t deserve to be getting the treatment of living in the Loop. This was just the beginning of my getting acclimated to the city. Part of my excitement soon turned into frustration as the first place I went to buy milk charged $5.00 a gallon. Nevertheless, I knew once I established a routine (and found a reasonably priced grocery store) I would begin to feel more at home. The second day in Chicago was a day preparing me to navigate the city. I practiced my route to work, taking the brown line to and from Heartland Alliance. Heartland Alliance is an […]

It’s Complicated

This entry was tagged Chicago Heartland Alliance and posted on by

In my last blog, I was feeling a lot of stress. I was struggling with one of my biggest weaknesses: anxiety. Although my internship always keeps me on my toes, I eventually got into the rhythm of things. Psychologically, I think it helped that there were interns that started after me who I guided. For example, I taught them about different trips and what documents to bring (such documents to apply for a social security card). I gained confidence because that proved to me that I was retaining reliable knowledge while at RICS.  As gained more confidence in my actions, I was able to relax more, better reflect on my experiences, and enjoy my time with the participants* and my coworkers. When I was first here, I thought about whether or not moving to the US was worth it for some of the participants. It seemed so dismal at the […]

Embracing Options

This entry was tagged Chicago Concordia Place and posted on by

I’ve been home from Chicago for about two weeks now, trying to organize my life post-internship and preparing for stepping back into my role as a student after two long months of playing a professional adult role. Its an interesting regression, as I think I was finally getting the hang of adulthood and now I can choose to let go of that persona for another year before the permanence of adulthood kicks in. Although I’ve found some aspects of adulting enjoyable, I’m relieved that I still have some time before I have to adult to that extent again. The beauty of the CAPS fellowship is exactly that. You get a taste of a career path or field and how you need to function within that field, but nothing is permanent. At the end of the summer, you get to say your goodbyes and step away from that experience, and have […]

In Truth and Love 1 comment

This entry was tagged Chicago Field Museum and posted on by

On one of my first commutes to work I had left my headphones at my apartment. This is a big deal to someone riding the CTA, because headphones provide a welcomed distraction to the chaos of life in the city. This train ride felt really long and I tried to ignore the awkwardness I was feeling. As I stood to exit the train, an older man also stood so we made eye contact and shared a small grin. We stepped off, and as we hit the platform he started chatting to me about his day. We walked for about five minutes together before our routes took a shift as I went to walk into work and he was to continue down the sidewalk. Before we parted ways, he asked for my name and we shook hands as we shared a more genuine, friend-like smile. I have reflected on this moment […]

Fake It ‘Til You Make It

This entry was tagged Venn Strategies Washington D.C. and posted on by

Finishing up my time as a CAPS Fellow has been a blur. I finished up my last day, packed up my apartment, and caught a 7am flight to Boston to meet my family. Now I’m back home in Wisconsin for a lengthy six days before blasting off to study abroad in Costa Rica for the semester. All that being said, time to reflect has been scarce. I’m still coming to terms with everything I learned throughout my CAPS experience but I’ve definitely seen myself grow as a person, both personally and in my career aspirations. When I started at Venn, I knew I felt like I was in way over my head. I didn’t have a firm grip on what I was doing and at times I was drowning trying to learn everything at once. I felt incredibly unprepared about the work I was doing and thought everyone around me […]

Defining Quality

This entry was tagged Chicago Ingenuity and posted on by

What is quality?  This is a question that Ingenuity seeks to answers in terms of arts education.  However, this is a question I sought to answer in terms of an internship experience.  Being a college student, we are told that an intern experience is a quality one because we need to build our resumes.  So often, students spend their summers making copies and getting coffee for the sake of building their resume. But is this truly a quality internship?  By the end of the summer, students only know how to use the printer, order coffee, and, if they were lucky, sit in on a couple of meetings to take notes.  My definition of a quality internship is one where I can grow professionally by doing meaningful work. Luckily for me, Ingenuity feels the same way. The advantage of working at a nonprofit organization is being surrounded by people who are […]

Jenga Blocks and the Metaphor of Relationships: 1 comment

This entry was tagged Chicago Erie Neighborhood House and posted on by

It’s difficult to believe that I am coming to the end of my time at Erie House. In the few weeks I have been here, I have learned a multitude of skills, listened to new perspectives on life, and saw the service sector function through a different organization. Each day was another day to learn, to grow, to challenge myself. Yet, some days brought lessons that were seemingly more profound than others and introduced me to a new way of viewing relationship-building, and life in general. Since ninety-eight percent of my work has been with elementary-age or middle-school age kids, I’ve definitely become more apt at playing sports as well as a variety of board games that I had either not touched since my own childhood or have never seen in general. However, Jenga was one of the games that I was quite familiar with (as there was the “giant […]

“Every Voice Matters”

This entry was tagged Chicago Heartland Alliance and posted on by

Satu, dua, tiga…   This past Friday was our final day of Refugee Youth Summer Program here at Heartland Alliance- a day filled with many emotions, from exuberant pride at the growth and confidence of our kids, to humbling gratitude at the opportunity to work with them each day, and finally the acute sadness that accompanies difficult goodbyes.   For the last six weeks, I’ve waited in front of the Howard Jewel-Osco in Rogers Park for our youth to come out to summer program, based this year around the theme “Every Voice Matters”  (“camp” is not used by Heartland due to its potentially retraumatizing connotations). Kids between 5-15 years old from countries such as Syria, Eritrea, Burma, and Central African Republic- many of whom are relatively recent arrivals to the United States- are invited to summer program as an opportunity to build relationships, promote familiarization with their greater Chicago community, […]