Gifts are Greater

I didn’t know what to expect this summer.  When I read the placement descriptions there was something about Broadway United Methodist Church that caught my attention: their focus on conversation and community.  However, it was at a church and I was not a theology major or planning to go into ministry work.  When I arrived on my first day I very quickly realized that Broadway was different than any of the churches I’d been to, and that started with the building.  Valpo may be home to the largest collegiate chapel in the United States, but I was still overwhelmed by the size of Broadway, or at least the way in which the space is used.  Broadway has 9 kitchens; it is home to an architecture firm, artists’ studios, a pottery studio, a dance studio, and a boutique.  I’m still not entirely sure where to find everything.  Broadway uses its space […]


Part of the Team

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


Why am I here?

I wander the streets of Baltimore, searching for the bus stop. Is it this street? No. That other street? No. Maybe I passed it. Turn around, try again. I find the bus, I board, I anxiously observe all the other charmingly dressed workers on their way to the office. I get off a stop too early. I walk in the hot sun. I finally arrive. I am greeted by one of the friendliest people I’ve ever met – my supervisor, Folabi. He gives me a brief summary of who everyone is in the office and what they do. I am introduced to my cube and it is here I remain, working diligently for some of the most passionate, loving people I’ve ever met, for a mission I could not agree with more. This is the end of my third week at Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS). As I slowly […]


Welcome to CAPS!

This week marks my second interning with the Urban League of Northwest Indiana through Valpo’s CAPS fellowship program and so far the experience has really been like no other work experience I’ve had so far.  Coming in to this internship I really didn’t understand what the Urban League does, but I’ve since learned a great deal about their work in the Northwest Indiana community. Basically, they have three core areas- education, employment, and diversity and inclusion. They hold several large events like a college fair in the fall, and a diversity and inclusion luncheon, as well as sponsorship events with other community organizations. In addition to these they also work on a smaller scale, by helping connect individual clients with services in the community related to housing, food pantries, and employment. One aspect of the Urban League that I find really fascinating is that although they only have two paid […]


Blessed

I have had the opportunity to immerse myself in many different facets of the non-profit world during my internship at EMPOWER Porter County. I’ve done research, developed an initiative with co-workers, and presented ideas to possible collaborators. The majority of my time spent at EMPOWER was in the office, scrolling through existing youth development programs and filling my mind with case studies and facts. This was an extremely valuable task, as it taught me how much time it takes to really understand and become knowledgeable on a subject. It also taught me that research and Google searches alone are not enough for me to be inspired or to get my brain (0r heart) moving. I learned that communication and meetings are absolutely essential in the non-profit world to generate ideas, share experiences, and provide incredible insight that will ultimately make the project you’re working on a success. The meetings didn’t […]


We Are All in One Mission

You will be the one connecting people one day – that day is closer than you think A good manager should be training their team to take his/her job The difference between humility and humbleness / ignorance and stupidity Be confident in your abilities, but do not be arrogant Constantly balance between your wants and your needs Dream big but be realistic One organization cannot do it all These nuggets of wisdom were casually, but carefully, stitched into the fabric of conversations with the CPO, CSO, CFO, CEO, Directors, consultants, and other members of the NLCS family. The ‘life lessons’ listed above come from a very long list of things I learned during my 8 week CAPS Fellowship at National Lutheran Communities and Services. (I would love to share the stories that accompany the bulleted list above, however I do not have space in this forum. Please ask if you […]


Panera and Possibilities

My last full day at EMPOWER Porter County was a beautiful summer day. The sun was shining, there was a cool breeze, and beautiful cotton candy clouds littered the blue sky. My supervisors, Heather and Kaye, decided to take me and my coworker, Faith, to lunch in order to celebrate our last day together as a staff. Panera in hand, we sat outside to enjoy our meal. It was at this time that Heather asked us the question: “So what do you two think you learned most from your time with us?” I mulled the question over in my mind as I chewed my flat-bread. I looked out at the businesses across the street from us. Parking lots filled with nice cars and people with full wallets, ready to spend their paychecks on haircuts, electronics, mac n’ cheese, or some craft supplies. If my time at EMPOWER had taught me […]


Ready to Go

It’s now been a week since my internship at Concordia Place ended and now that I’ve spent a few days sleeping in and watching Netflix instead of working, I’m starting to prepare for my senior year at Valpo and also the years ahead.   Throughout the whole summer, I was asked the typical “What do you plan on doing with your degree?” or “What are you doing when you graduate?” You know, the questions that people ask you from the moment you start looking at schools. For years, I have felt like I’ve needed to tailor my responses more to what people want to hear like “I’m thinking about becoming a teacher” or “I’m thinking about law school.” Because with a History and Latin double major, those are the job options that people expect from me. And I convinced myself that those were my future career options. But I realized […]


Success in the Process 2 comments

      Yesterday was the last day of my fellowship with Water to Thrive (W2T) and tomorrow, I’ll be boarding my ninth plane of the summer headed back to my family. Did you get that? Nine planes. Now, I wish I had recorded the exact airtime that amounts to, but a rough estimation comes out to just short of two full days above the clouds. For anyone who hasn’t seen what I’ve been up to this summer, I’ve been in the wonderful heat of Austin, Texas. Before settling here for the summer, however, I went on a two-week trip to Ethiopia with W2T where we toured the country and experienced the results of enabling and empowering rural communities through the gift of clean and accessible water. It’s fascinating for me to think of the amount of time I’ve spent in planes this summer, because it wasn’t so long ago that […]


The Search for Calling

What do you want to be when you grow up? This question rings through the days of childhood and is littered with the hopeful responses of “doctor”, “fireman”, “teacher”, “astronaut” – all things big, bold, and exciting, with the promise of a new adventure around every turn. I personally aspired to sing and act on Broadway…a dream that was somehow transformed into the world of health care. I suppose that dancing on stage and “dancing” into a patient’s room are one in the same, right? What are your plans after graduation? Similar to the question presented in childhood, this question is also saturated with curiosity, hope, promise, and adventure. It can be daunting when faced with the prospect of formulating a response that meets the expectations of the asker. One may feel as if their path of study is a step towards life changing work, or at least the fulfillment […]


All the Little Things Count

As this internship came to an end, I realized that this was just the beginning. This was just the beginning for me. I am forever grateful for the opportunity to be part of this program. I have come to learn tons on and off the job from the Urban League, my mentor, and the conversations with other CAPS Fellows.   The opportunities given to me from developing the health care initiatives for the organization to working with Ms. Ola on the Federation of Block Clubs and the tenant council, to going to varies vendor events and representing the Urban League to getting to help clean up the 6th district of Gary have all been amazing experiences.   When working on the health care initiatives I was a bit timid because of the importance of the project and with knowing the healthcare disparities that exists across different socioeconomic classes and races. […]


Convergence

  Another painting in our apartment is called Convergence by Jackson Pollock. Pollock, an artist that mastered the technique of splattering paint across a canvas, almost makes viewers dizzy with the array of paint that is dripped, splashed, and sloshed around in this masterpiece. I know that it even feels dizzy making this type of art, as my mother, cousin, and I made some of these types of “drip paintings” as they are called, before I went to high school.   Using simple, monotone, primary colors of white, black, red, yellow, and blue for his palette, Pollock throws the paint at the canvas, creating a “convergence” of vivid, vibrant colors that have been suddenly strewn together into lines that are hair thin, that are thick, and that are every shape and size in between.   With this unique method of assembling paint on a canvas, diversity is created. And as […]


Experiencing Hospitality

In times of uncertainly and confusion, a person desires nothing more than the calming kindness of a stranger or a neighbor, who generously offers assistance, support, and understanding. This is the ministry of hospitality. I experience this ministry every Friday when I spend my day at ICDI’s House of Hospitality, where I help the men living there with school assignments and learning English. The house, located in Cicero, IL, is for men who have been released from detention and have no other place to go upon their release. Upon hearing this process for the first time, I was awestruck by the unpredictability of it all. Dropped off on the corner of 101 West Congress, these men, uncertain of their surroundings but certainly confused on what to do next, are approached by a stranger who knows their name and nothing else. The stranger ask them to get in the car so […]


Wrapping Up at the Village

The past 8 weeks interning in a senior living community have been eye-opening in several ways.    Many residents have passed on even during my short time here, serving as a constant reminder that death is a constant presence in this environment.   I have learned about the multi-faceted operation that makes up a nursing home.  Housekeeping, laundry, accounting, legal support, janitorial services, and even a person for medical supplies are needed to keep it going. Recently, since many of the departments have run out of things for me to do, I’ve been spending a lot of time with my boss in his office.  Some of the most personally enriching moments of the fellowship have been the conversations we’ve had on a variety of business topics, from the nature of healthcare to career and leadership advice.  My final major trip with him was to the Accountable Care Organization (ACO) meeting at […]


Like A Second Family 1 comment

We’ve all heard the saying before. We refer to our best friends’ families, our church congregations, fraternities and sororities, and even our campus communities as our families. So to me, one of Horton’s Kids’ mantras, “like a second family..”, may be more accurate if it were described as a fifth or sixth family. I have an incredibly loving, supportive, and close biological family at home. I would not be who or where I am today if it were not for my mom, dad, and three brothers. I have an inclusive church family, as well. They not only have taught me countless lessons through the years but continue to send encouragement and hope. I go to (in my slightly biased opinion) the greatest school possible, and am surrounded by friends and professors that continually motivate and push me to grow. I am a very proud member of a phenomenal group of […]


Résumé or Eulogy Virtues?

In the opening introduction of the book Road to Character, author David Brooks makes an important distinction between two kinds of virtues, résumé and eulogy virtues. Résumé virtues are the list of items typically seen on your own personal résumé, the skills you bring to the job market, the ones that aid career success. Eulogy virtues go deeper. They are those virtues that get talked about at your funeral. What relationships have you formed, whether you are brave, honest, kind, faithful, or patient. They exist at the core of your being. Most of us would agree that these eulogy virtues are of greater importance and worth than the résumé virtues. Yet, I know that I focus more time on my résumé virtues and developing those than my eulogy virtues. I also believe our education system and society put a greater emphasis on those résumé virtues. As my internship has come to a […]


Everything has a Solution, Except for Death

Narratives and storytelling has been a long standing tradition in the Latina/o community. It is often in that way in which we learn; by hearing stories from the elders in our families or communities telling us of our long standing traditions from our ancestors before us, events that have occurred when the thought of us was not even conceived, still in our mother’s womb or too young to remember. I grew up with story telling and learned the importance of narratives. To my family and to our community, narratives gave a platform to the unheard. But throughout the existence of our community, we have been shamed and conditioned into believing that we should not speak up for what we believe in due to fear or retaliation of what the majority in the United States could do to us. I’ve slowly seen this fear stripped away by the courageous acts of many in […]


The Body of Christ in Action

My roommates and I keep commenting on how quickly this summer has gone by. Two months seems like a lot at first, but now it feels like hardly any time at all. I’m entering my final week at Lutheran Services in America, which means I’m working on finishing up the projects that were assigned to me. A few of the projects I have been working on won’t be done by the time I leave, so I will be preparing those to be handed off to future LSA interns. Outside of various smaller tasks, my two main projects at LSA have been donor analysis for the 2015 fiscal year and managing their social media platforms. The first project has involved a lot of compiling and organizing numbers in order to understand where the donations are coming from, evaluate donor trends, and formulate a new development strategy for the 2016 fiscal year. […]


The Future is in the Details 1 comment

My work at the Federation is all about details. From the exact responses to survey results and their connotations, to document formats, to the placement of questions in each email, each project forces attention to every miniscule detail. And every single detail has been important and critical to the success or outcome of each project. Working with an immense group of 56 councils around the country and in partnerships with organizations like the NEH and Pulitzer, the Federation’s effectiveness in these relationships relies on having each fact or detail correct.   However, our effectiveness is also measured in the work each council puts in to provide humanities programming to everyone in their state or territory. As the national branch, we are the promoters, advocators, and cheerleaders for the individual councils. For all of the work the Federation completes in Washington, DC, negotiating and advocating on Capital Hill, communities around the […]


My community is suffering, but there’s something I can do about it

The Region is as diverse in its problems as it is in its population. You do not have to wander too far to see the poverty that is plaguing some of the largest metropolitan areas in “the 219.” My placement is in one the cities that has been, by and large, forgotten by the rest of the Region and left to its own limited resources to rebuild itself. The progress that the city of Gary makes can seem slow but it is truly amazing to see the good that is coming from the organizations and citizens within the city that refuse to give up on each other. I’m proud to say that the Urban League of Northwest Indiana is one of those organizations. During the second half of my internship, I noticed that many people began to call in for rental and/or utility assistance. Unfortunately, the ULNWI does not have the […]