Institute for Leadership and Service Blog

Arriving at the Kheprw work site for the first time, I was pleasantly surprised to realize that I was parking not at an office building or cold, emotionless structure. Instead, I had arrived at a neighborhood. This is where most of the workers live and spend nearly all of their time together. Rather than sharing an office space, they share a community. The word “community” has continued to encompass my experience, and it’s what everyone here at Kheprw lives and breathes by. Every night one worker makes dinner for everyone else, and whoever is available will sit together on what’s lovingly called “the porch” as they talk through their day. I have had the pleasure to join on multiple occasions. On the first day I shared some personal passions, including my love of dystopian novels. The second day, I was given a dystopian book to read, free of charge. Moments […]

As of today, I have been an intern at the Bridge Teen Center for around three weeks, and I am finally starting to settle into the apartment that I will call home for the next couple of months. The Bridge is a non-profit in the suburbs of Chicago with the mission to provide “free programs during after-school and unsupervised hours where students can develop mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually in a safe environment”. To be honest, I had no idea what to expect when I walked in on the first day, but I am already starting to feel at home there, just as hundreds of teens have. Amongst many other tasks, I have been able to help with volunteer events, interact with students in the job-readiness program, and even help a master chef during a student program. Last week, I updated the volunteer bulletin board for summer. At first, this […]

In the two weeks that I have been here at the Grunewald Guild, I have done so much and meet many wonderful people. The Guild is a faith-based non-profit that facilitates summer art programs. There is quite a lot of work that goes into the Guild, like preparing for the guests to arrive, setting up studio spaces, communications, etc. My fellow intern and I have done everything from washing windows and cleaning floors to creating class spotlights that can be posted on various social media. I have already had so many new experiences that I was not expecting. Similar to Katie Endres, who is a CAPS fellow at the Guild as well, I had a few hiccups in getting to the guild at the planned time. I missed the shuttle that would take me from Seattle to Leavenworth, due to a slightly late arrival, resulting in me having to spend […]

I began interning for the Northwest Indiana Chapter of the Red Cross about a month ago and in that time I’ve learned so much about what it means to be a member of a non-profit organization run primarily by volunteer work. To be candid, the work done here is nothing like any of the work I have ever done in the best way possible. Each week has a different schedule and most days I end up meeting someone new as well. However, whether I spend a day canteening at a Triathlon or spend the week mostly at either the Merrillville or South Bend offices, I always learn something new.  What surprised me most in the first couple weeks was the variety of opportunities to engage within the Red Cross. When most people think about the Red Cross the first thing that usually comes to mind is donating blood and mass […]

I searched eagerly for a skyline as my GPS shouted directions at me. It said that I was about ten minutes out from the city. Growing up, visits to Chicago conditioned me to scan for skyscrapers to announce that our journey was nearly complete. Nearly 4 hours after leaving my family, friends, and familiar space, I arrived in Indianapolis. I didn’t know anything about the city outside of the arts scene. However, I would soon be thrust into Indy summer which was already well underway. My host family, the Pumphrey’s met me with open arms and welcomed me into their neighborhood with a tour. In the two weeks I got to spend with them, three kids and a dog, I felt received with open arms.  I have done a lot of things since coming to the city, but by far the best thing about it is the instant sense of […]

I have completed my first week here at The Grunewald Guild! This in itself is quite a feat. I arrived two days later than intended because of flight cancellations that left me stranded in the Dallas/Fort Worth airport. This unexpected obstacle was frustrating and filled me with uncertainty for the months ahead. Would I be behind at The Guild by arriving late? Was my checked bag lost to the void? Is this a bad omen for the summer? Now, I sit on the porch of River House where Natalie Gut, CAPS Fellow and friend, and I are staying for the summer. Our view of the turbulent Wenatchee River, thick, tall forests, and glorious mountains settle my nerves. The Guild, like the environment it is placed in, maintains a balance between wild, unkempt chaos and serene moments of liveliness. The Guild is in transition. It, like the river that borders it, […]

A little over two weeks ago, my internship with the Volunteer Recruitment department of the American Red Cross began. Time really flies– I already feel like a fully integrated member of the Volunteer Services team. Over the course of the past two weeks, I’ve taken the time to speak with as many members of the American Red Cross network as possible (whether in my department or not). The key lesson I’ve learned by listening to people’s stories is that the movies couldn’t be further from the truth; employment does not need to be a miserable, never-ending cycle of insipidity. Every person I’ve met has been full of life, and full of love for their position. I’ve really gained hope for my future these past two weeks, knowing that I am not doomed to de spise the career path I’ve chosen (and currently love).  I have also learned about my versatility. […]

Water is everywhere. Above the Earth in the form of both air and clouds. On the surface of Earth in the forms of rivers, oceans, and ice. Inside the Earth just right under the surface.  Could this be why it is the most basic, yet taken for granted, human need? Because it’s everywhere. With nearly 71% of the Earth’s surface being water, and for a person who has water at their daily disposal it can be hard to understand how water could be unavailable, or that people could be going without.  I mean if you think about it, people in the United States even associate water with recreational activities and even vacation, some people might even take its far to say that being in or near the water is their “happy place”. Now let’s think about a few things.  How many times a day do you think the average person […]

I began the application process for the CAPS fellowship by working on a personal statement which took me days – even weeks – to complete. Coming to Valparaiso University, I had struggled trying to simply decide what I wanted to study. Now I found myself sitting in front of a blank page on my computer screen struggling to discuss what my interests were or what possible career endeavors I hoped for in the near future. The only thing I have been certain of since childhood is my desire to help others. Throughout my life, numerous things such as hobbies, sports, and extracurriculars have pulled my attention in various directions. However, the one thing that threaded everything together was my desire to help people. It was not until nearing the end of my internship experience and having an intellectual conversation with a mutual friend of mine that I discerned what it […]

During my time in DC I have found a favorite pizza place, as one always should when living in a new place. Situated perfectly on the route to the Lincoln memorial, &Pizza is the ideal pick-me-up after a long day of sightseeing and easily found when wanting to meet a new friend for dinner. It’s also a chipotle-style pizza place, meaning that you’re able to customize your pizza from the sauce to the drizzle on top and an excellent size for dinner plus leftovers. I’ve found myself going often when with others and it was the first place I ate when moving in for the summer. Like &Pizza, my time as a CAPS fellow has been very customizable both in and out of the workspace. I have been able to choose whether to live at home or move to a big city, to work with child welfare or senior services, […]

Traveling to a new city is one of my favorite things to do. I enjoy the challenge of figuring out where to go, planning itineraries, and observing the distinct culture of the new place. So, needless to say, I was elated to get the chance to stay in Austin, Texas for three weeks as part of my internship with Water to Thrive. Before arriving, I spent time researching and learning about what Austin was like and all of the activities to-do. I have learned when traveling that it is better not to hold tight to expectations, and to come into a new place with as open a mind as possible. Of course, it is impossible to have no preconceived ideas of what a new place will be like, but it has helped me to truly enjoy a new place. Keeping an open mind while traveling has also translated into starting […]

My time at LINC Ministries is quickly dwindling; I am feeling very downhearted towards this memorable chapter in my life ending. I have felt incredibly humbled to be both a CAPS Fellow and an intern for my dream nonprofit. This month I have started a project that has differentiated from the rest of my internship tasks. I have had the privilege of kickstarting a LINC Ministries project called Root to Rise. Saint Philip is a Lutheran church nestled in between the neighborhoods of Logan Square and Rogers Park of Chicago. This region is overflowing with diversity; many of the residents are from different countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. The church has an abandoned Early Childhood Center which has been closed for three years now. At one point, learning was cultivated inside these walls for young children through the hands of passionate teachers, however, it is now […]

My first two months here at the Grünewald Guild have flown by. As the hospitality intern for summer programming, I have been busy getting the campus ready for guests and creating a welcoming and comfortable environment during their stay. I order supplies, assign weekly responsibilities to staff, and oversee the turnover of guest housing each weekend. Since programming is at half capacity for the summer, the groups have been smaller, allowing us to form close connections during shared meals, classes, and free time. The biggest change over the past two weeks has been switching from almost completely unstructured days without guests, to having a daily schedule with meals and activities. This has shifted my daily work routine and my timeline for getting things done. Instead of being able to plan out my day according to my most productive times and the specific tasks for the day, I am guided by […]

Going into CAPS, I had the assumption that most if not all of the placements would be remote, i.e. work from home. While this work style offered flexibility of location giving me the opportunity to travel and work anywhere I had Wi-Fi, I was worried about the potential lack of connections to the organization and staff. How could I form meaningful relationships and create a positive change if I was never in the same place with the people I was working toward that change with? To my surprise, after being selected as a fellow, many of the placements were in person or had in-person components. Going into the organization interviews, I didn’t let the pros or cons of either modality of work skew my opinion of the nonprofit organizations. Rather, I was focused on two somewhat simple things I am looking for in my future career: connection to the people […]

Writing this, I find myself over halfway through my internship at BallotReady. It is hard to believe! There is much left to do, but there has been so much I have learned since my last entry. BallotReady provides a wide variety of learning opportunities. Recently, we were introduced to entering officeholder media pages into TAFT Satellite, BallotReady’s database created by their engineering team. In addition, our data team supervisors have been hosting Excel and SQL “jams” or learning sessions. SQL is the programming language used within their databases. As a Global Service major, I have not had much experience with programming and databases. Therefore, these training sessions have been very helpful for me in expanding my set of hard skills as well as boosting my confidence in using them. We have also had the opportunity to watch and participate in lunch and learn sessions every week; thus far, my favorite […]

On June 30th, I visited LSSI’s Sterling Addiction Center, Sterling Group Home, and the Nachusa Lutheran Home campus, and I could not be more grateful to have the day trip that brought a lot of perspective to what I have been writing about. It would be no surprise to anyone that non-profit organizations can struggle, even in the simplest ways. But when you start to see these struggles in application, it really changes what you thought you knew. On July 14th, I visited Bethel Christian Church in south Chicago, delivering new and exciting books for LSSI’s Visits to Mom program where families of incarcerated women are taken on a 3 hour drive to their moms, friends, and daughters. I talked to the main coordinator and he opened up about his passion for the job, staying connected with the community, and being excited to push his innovative ideas further. Something that […]

Much has happened since my previous blog post. On a logistical end, my IT issues have been resolved and I have begun working more directly with Heartland clients. I find it especially difficult to articulate the vast array of feelings and thoughts that cross my mind when doing my work. There is awe at the strength of our clients for enduring countless struggles, all for the hope of a better life. Along with it, a deep sense of appreciation for the comparatively easy, coddled life I have. On a practical level, there are feelings of incompetence whenever I make a phone call and stumble across language barriers. Many of these individuals know 2 or more languages even before English, a truly outstanding feat as anyone who’s tried to learn a language knows. To complicate matters further, my work has not been near the caliber of a clinician, it has been […]

Ingenuity: The quality of being clever, original, and inventive. While I’d like to believe that I’ve always been clever, I can definitely say that my time so far working with Ingenuity Inc. has grown my skills in every definition of the word.  Ingenuity is a nonprofit organization that connects arts partners with Chicago Public Schools, as well as collecting and providing data on inequality and disparities throughout the system. As an intern with the Partnership and Learning department, I have been working on forging the connection between partners and the ever changing requirements of CPS. This year, the annual event for new partners has been revamped to include two other organizations: Communities In Schools of Chicago and the Chicago Literacy Alliance. My role has been a smattering of different tasks: finding speakers, creating social media posts, writing scripts, organizing the gist of the conference, and getting out of my comfort […]