CAPS Fellowship

The Vocation of Silent Heroes

This entry was tagged art ArtMix CAPS Fellowship disabilities Indianapolis vocation and posted on by

My family has always found me to be creative, whether that meant eating hot dogs like corn-on-the-cob at a young age or creating marvelous stories in school through my writing. Even though I, too, find myself to be creative to some extent, I would have never imagined working for an arts organization. Wait a minute- it’s not just an arts organization. It’s an art organization for everyone and anyone. You may be thinking, Felicia, of course, anyone can do art, or at least, they could try to… why is it so special? But that’s where you’re wrong, imaginary conversationalist. I would venture to say most people think that spaces (whether outside, in school, at work) are inclusive and welcoming to all people, that is, until you are the person excluded by happenstance or purposefully. And this is where ArtMix comes in.  ArtMix meets people with disabilities where they are at, which […]

Reflections on Mentorship

This entry was tagged CAPS Fellowship CFA Society Chicago Fellow Finance Lambda Chi Alpha Mentorship Service and posted on by

My time interning with the CFA Society Chicago has come to an end as of last Friday. As I traveled back to Valparaiso,IN on an hour and a half long ride bus, I thought back to the experiences from this summer. My mind kept coming back to the theme of mentorship. Of course, it is important to expand your knowledge in any topic by communicating with someone that has “been there, done that.” If you read my first blog post, you know that I interviewed numerous CFA Charterholders whom are outperformers in various areas of finance. I noticed a common theme in all of these interviews that I did not expect, mentors. All of these Charterholders mentioned someone that impacted their career decision, inspired them, or advised them in a direction that has lead them to where they are today; passionate about their roles and willing to extend a helping […]

Home and the Yellow Man 1 comment

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

I have never been a fan of change. Until college, I lived in the same house my entire life. I’ve gone to the same church since I was a toddler. I attended the same school from preschool to eighth grade. And my taste in food hasn’t changed since I was eight (corn dogs continue to be a staple in my diet). So when I had to move (a whopping two hours away) to Valpo, you can probably imagine my feelings on the topic. You know that Yellow Man on Google Street-View Maps that you drag and drop to different places? Have you ever noticed how much that Yellow Man squirms when you move him? That’s how I felt about college. Squirmy. Going to Valpo meant removing myself from a safely content life of friends and family and faith, and dropping into a Street View I didn’t recognize and didn’t particularly […]

How to Put a Giraffe into a Refrigerator? 1 comment

This entry was tagged CAPS Fellowship Chicago Concordia Place Friendship Fun Internship Learning Summer and posted on by

Time flies, I must say. It has passed half-way point of my position at the Concordia Place as a CAPS Fellow and my first time living in Chicago – I am very grateful for everything thus far. Concordia Place is a nonprofit with a focus on providing growth and opportunities through inclusive early childhood, teen leadership, and senior wellness programs to the community. Having the opportunity to work at an organization that has been changing the lives of Chicago children and families for 35 years is such a great honor. However, initially I almost didn’t take the offer: The fact that I lack experience in an organization for children before in addition to any advancement related work experience gives me worries because I hope to do a good job with my limited time there. Prior to my first day of work, I was very nervous and timid and did not […]

Learning from Outperformers

This entry was tagged CAPS Fellowship CFA Society Chicago Fellow Finance Service The Chicago Council on Global Affairs and posted on by

I have just completed my sixth week of interning with the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Society Chicago, a non-profit whose goal is to “lead the investment profession by promoting the highest standards of ethics, education, and professional excellence; to shape an investment industry that serves the greater good; and to serve as the premier local resource for Chartered Financial Analyst designees, candidates, other investment professionals and our communities.” As a part of the global CFA Institute, the CFA Society Chicago focuses on providing opportunities to their members for development through all stages of their career and creating a comradery where individuals share opportunities and insight with each other. One earns their CFA designation, the global gold standard in the investment industry, by completing four years of industry experience, and passing a series of three, six hour long exams. These exams focus on basic knowledge of investment tools at the first level, […]