Tag Archives: Chicago

In A Sea of Thousands by Maddie Fry

Moving from a small town of 30,000 to the bustling city of Chicago, home to 2.7 million, was more than just a change of scenery. I encountered more people on my morning commute to work in the city than I would in an entire week of living in Valpo. To many, the electric atmosphere of the city is intoxicating. There are restaurants open past 10 pm and people wandering around the park at all hours of the night. The endless possibilities which wait around every corner store and transit stop. 

For me, the city glow dimmed much faster than I expected it to. The unknown quickly lost its enchanting spirit and became overwhelming and at times, even scary. Living in a big city was not always what Gossip Girl and How I Met Your Mother made it seem. I took the wrong train more times than I care to admit and I ate way too much cheap pizza. Wandering around bright city lights does not always live up to the cinematic spectacle we dream it to be. 

In a summer program dedicated to helping us discover how our skills fit into the world, living in a city where there is a danger of feeling insignificant among the crowd proved to be a real challenge for me. I could walk down the street and not see one familiar face or have a meaningful interaction with someone. In those moments, I was so thankful to have our Valpo cohort. Having people who were experiencing similar feelings and being able to communicate openly about the struggles we were facing made them much easier to process. 

For any future CAPS fellows who may come upon this, I encourage you to reach out to those around you. Feeling swallowed up in a sea of thousands is a reality you may be facing, but you are not facing it alone. Lean on each other and check in with the people in your cohort. One of the most important takeaways from my summer was learning about the community I keep and what people in my life supported me. Make the most of the time you have and forge new relationships within your cohort. You’ll be surprised at the opportunities you find along the way. 

Steve’s Law by Juan Arellano

Hello, all! Last we spoke, I had just begun my adventure in the South Loop of Chicago’s downtown. Now I find myself in a period of transition, wrapping up my work at Ingenuity and preparing to return to Valpo for my final year of undergrad (crazy, I know). My time at Ingenuity has been everything I had hoped for and so much more. I have learned a wide variety of new things – from how to draft tweets for an audience of over 2,000 followers to how to write basic programming scripts in R. However, of all the new things I learned while interning at Ingenuity, one stands out to me like no other – Steve’s Law.

Steve Shewfelt is the director of the Data and Research department here at Ingenuity. Prior to joining the team at Ingenuity, Steve served in the military and later completed his PhD at Yale University. This summer, I have worked alongside Steve, Tom Bunting, and Emily Cibelli, the data team, in thought partnership around updates to artlook Map, an Ingenuity website that connects arts partners to Chicago Public Schools. Ingenuity launched artlook Map in 2015 as a one-stop-shop for Chicagoans to learn more about the arts education landscape in Chicago and since its inception, artlook has garnered attention on a national level. The majority of my work this summer has been centered around artlook in collaborating on the user experience and design, performing QA testing after a database migration, and collecting user feedback on potential new design implementations. However, here’s where it’s important to note something Steve said to me at the beginning of the summer. In the very first conversation I had with Steve regarding artlook, Steve said, “this is all completely new to us. We are not software people; we are data people.” And in a conversation I had later with Tom Bunting, Ingenuity’s Data Strategy & Products Manager, he would go on to describe the work they do around artlook Map as “making it up as we go along.” The phenomena that Tom described to me, I would later find out has a name – Steve’s Law.

So what exactly is Steve’s Law? Steve’s Law is the following: everyone, everywhere, all the time is making it up as they go along. That’s it. Steve told me about his law in a meeting we had along with the other Ingenuity CAPS Fellow, Claire Utzinger. I remember the feeling I had when he shared this lesson. I felt both terrified and absolutely relieved. At first, I began to question everything around me and what I have known to be true my whole life. I questioned the adults in my life who I have always looked up to and admired and began to question the advice and help they have shared with me. However, upon further reflection, I realized that Steve’s Law is not about a lack of knowledge but more so about endless possibilities. Steve’s Law tells us that life is unpredictable and filled with challenges, but that’s what makes life so exciting. No one knows what’s going to happen tomorrow, and that’s perfectly okay, because when we get there, we’ll figure it out. And nothing could more accurately describe the work being done at Ingenuity – and honestly, it’s been nothing short of inspiring. While it’s true that artlook Map is actually developed by professional software engineers at LaunchPad Labs here in Chicago, the ideas that power artlook are developed in-house. Steve, Tom, and Emily regularly meet to discuss what artlook is and what it could be – despite none of them having any sort of software background.

Although my summer at Ingenuity has ended, the lessons will remain with me for a very long time. I would like to thank the team at Ingenuity for having me this summer, and thank my friends and family for being so supportive of me in the last three months. My alumni mentor this summer was Gideon Litherland and I anticipate his mentorship and friendship will long outlive the summer. I would also like to thank Katie and Thais at the Institute of Leadership and Service for their help and guidance in navigating the waters of the CAPS fellowship. And finally, thank you, reader, for reading this. I hope you take Steve’s Law and run with it.

Times of Transition by Hilary Van Oss

Times of transition. They are different for everyone and people experience them in different ways; however, what usually links them together is the reflection that occurs from going from one chapter of life to another. This summer has been a time of transition for me as I am in the gap of time between being a student and being an “adult”. Graduating from Valpo this past May marked the end of my time as a student and my CAPS experience has been a blessing as it has been the experience that I needed during this time of transition within my life. It has provided me with time for the reflection, growth and self-discovery that is integral following a major chapter of life.

Below is an excerpt from my CAPS personal statement that I wrote as I was applying to the fellowship program:

One of the biggest question that I keep asking myself is how can I help people find their own vocations when I am so uncertain about how to enter into mine? I have found my calling, but I do not know how to get there; I am questioning how I can personally make a difference in the lives of refugees. In today’s political climate I am having a hard time understanding how people can be afraid of individuals who are just trying to live in a place where they feel safe and accepted. I ask myself where is the best place for me to begin working with refugees and immigrants when their future in the United States is so uncertain. Knowing that migrants are people that deserve to be treated with respect, how can I improve the environment in which they are entering into?

How can I improve the environment in which refugees are entering into? The answer I have learned from this summer… by walking alongside them wherever they are in life. These are individuals that are in major times of transitions within their own lives. They have packed their entire lives into a few bags, flew to a new country, and are trying to create lives for themselves in their new home. What I think is so valuable about the work that Heartland Alliance does and how they do it is the fact that they are meeting participants where they are at in their journey of resettlement.

It ranges from extensive interactions during the first few weeks and months upon arrival to assisting in navigating employment changes to times in which the participants ask for guidance down the road. For me, a majority of my interactions with participants occurred during the first few weeks after arriving in Chicago right in the heart of that time of transition. It included navigating social security and public benefits, accompanying to medical appointments, demonstrating how aspects of an apartment work and anything else that needed to be done.

While working with individuals that are going through their own times of transition really helped me in understanding about my own, it put some of my feelings into perspective as everyone goes through these times of transitions within their own lives. Yes, I learned that it is okay to feel scared and nervous. It is okay to feel overwhelmed and lost. It is okay to be excited while also being terrified and it is okay to lean on others and ask for support. This summer I learned that walking alongside refugees as they resettle in the US results in you being the person that they lean on sometimes. For me, I knew that it was okay for me to lean on others for support as well: my family, friends, roommates and the list goes on.

Everyone is going some through time of transition whether that is the time between student and “adult” like myself, a new job, a new relationship, a new health matter or any other new element of life. We all need to be the support for others to lean on just as we have relied on the support of others. One aspect that CAPS has taught me is that we can impact the environment in which the people around us are in just by walking alongside them wherever they are at with their journey especially during their times of transition.

Becoming a Sponge by Claire Utzinger

In my first blog post, I explained that I didn’t really have a good idea of how I will start the search for my ideal career. I want to find a job that combines my love of the arts and working with people, but where does one find that after they graduate? One of the many opportunities with which Ingenuity has provided me is to sit down with the directors of each department to learn about their role in the non-profit and ask them any questions I have. The big takeaway for me was that each person had different pieces of equally valuable advice. So far, I have learned some important life skills from my time at Ingenuity:

  1. Always ask questions. This could include asking for help on something, asking why something was done a certain way, or even asking to be apart of a committee that you feel passionate about. Sometimes things will happen if you just ask.

  2. When applying for a job, figure out what you want to do and find the place that does it best. This will set you up for success in the field you are interested in. If you do this, you will know that you are going to make an impact on the community because the organization strives to do good work.
  3. Have a plan and then do it. When you choose a job, think about how it could help you get to where you want to be two jobs from now. Planning in advance can really propel you on the path to the career you want.
  4. Network, network, network. Everyone always says this, but it’s true. In order to know people who can help you at some point in the future you have to meet people, introduce yourself, and talk about your job for a little bit. Not too bad for the payoff that could come from just a simple business card exchange.
  5. Be a sponge. Take in everything. See what the people around you are doing and how communicating, situations, and tasks are handled. Learn from these things. Also, ask for an explanation if something doesn’t make sense.
  6. Funding is very important in the nonprofit world. Matching a donor’s passions to your organization’s needs is crucial. This, in turn, can be great advertising because your funders will be interested in talking to other people about what they have taken part in.
  7. Step up, or step out. Demonstrate visibility in the workplace and don’t be a wallflower. Make thoughtful and respectful contributions no matter what position you have. Show up fully present each day because if you are not here to work hard and get the job done, someone else will.
  8. Customer service skills can get you a long way. Knowing how to communicate and work with someone in a way that takes into consideration who they are and how they operate is very beneficial.
  9. Expertise is created by hard work and creativity requires risks. From the beginning of time, people have been testing ideas and passing down what they discover. Someone might have more experience in a certain field than you, but they only got good at what they do from trying something out, failing, and coming up with a new plan that could potentially work better than the one before. Then it did. Sticking with it and working hard is a better strategy than luck — although a little luck doesn’t hurt either. Everything in the world was created by someone no smarter than you are. “It’s supposed to be inspirational and terrifying.”
  10. Make sure that you are confident in the workplace. People who put you down are only projecting their insecurities onto you and it isn’t your job to carry their burden. If something is toxic, get out of there fast. 

You can see from this list that many different people took part in giving these pieces of advice. All of them are relevant in different ways, so I look forward to being able to look back on these ideas and connect them to my decisions, projects, and career goals in the future.

Growing Home by Michele Poindexter

 

During my most recent reflect-in with CAPS, Katie asked us what we have grown into this summer. It took me a while to think of an answer. There are many ways in which I have grown this summer, but thinking of something about myself or capabilities that I have grown into proved more difficult. However, after reflecting about my past internships and how they have ultimately led me to Growing Home, I realized my answer. In these past several years, and especially this summer, I have increased my knowledge, passion, and skills for working in food access and community engagement. I still have plenty to learn, but I have grown into my confidence that I am capable of doing this work and doing it well. As I look forward to my future – I have graduated and will be starting a new chapter of my life soon – this realization is incredibly important for me.

As I continued to reflect, I realized that I could not have grown into this confidence without one very important, consistent aspect. Whether it be on a small farm in Northwest Indiana, a backyard farm in Wilmington, North Carolina, or on an urban farm in Chicago, strong women farmers have been present. Agriculture is historically, and presently, a male dominated profession. It is incredibly labor intensive, requires a lot of endurance, you get really dirty, and you see lots of bugs. For these reasons, and several more, women are not typically seen as capable of farming. Yay gender stereotypes and prejudices!…NOT. With that said, having met and worked alongside incredible women farmers has been such an empowering experience for me. I often feel incapable, downtrodden, and in over my head when I think about working in this industry, but having the influence of these women in my life gives me the strength that I need to push forward and pursue my passions. Then maybe someday, I will be for another young woman what these women have been for me.

As I do move forward, past my life in college, I plan to keep these realizations close to my heart. As I search for a job, I need to be confident in my abilities and in the fact that my gender does not diminish my qualifications for the industry I want to work in. If I do start to get those doubtful voices in my head, I will remind myself of the wonderful community of agricultural and food access workers that I have become a part of. Knowing that I have this source of support and knowledge will, hopefully, renew my confidence so I can continue working alongside others toward the goal of access to affordable and healthy food for all.

As my fellowship officially comes to a close, the two most important things that I have learned are that I am capable and I am stronger with a community. I think those are pretty great lessons to take away from a summer internship.

Creating Unity, Amidst Diversity by Ben Montgomery

I first heard this phrase when I was fifteen and participating in the Ulster Project, a cross-cultural program designed to build relationships between protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland. The project was created in response to historical conflict between these two groups and the goal was to bridge the divide between these two groups by building relationships and inviting dialogue about differences. Throughout my placement, this phrase has repeatedly entered my thoughts. While at Valpo, life is encapsulated into a bubble, one which I love, but also one that is comprised of people who come from similar backgrounds, speak the same language, and think in similar ways. I have likely never been amidst the level of diversity that I have experienced this summer which is one of the things I have appreciated most about my placement. During my week I am surrounded by people of different religions, nationalities, ethnicities, and languages. Old people, children, Hispanic people, Islamic people, African people, the list goes on. Part of what I like about my placement is the welcoming of this diversity on the path to creating unity. I am working with ICDI, the Interfaith Community for Detained Immigrants. Diversity was important enough to my organization that they included “interfaith” in their title. Diversity is obviously important when working with immigrants as they are people that come from all over the world. The people I interact with were raised with different values, customs, and traditions and the differences are certainly evident but there is something so meaningful about people coming together and having dialogue and working together across those difference to grow to appreciate them. The people who I work alongside, as well as those we are working to help are coming from different backgrounds but we all come together under a unified goal: to remedy a humanitarian crisis and to provide dignity and basic needs to immigrants and refugees in Chicago. This is why the phrase, “creating unity, amidst diversity” has been cropping up in my thoughts all summer and this is one of the things I have found most valuable about working with ICDI.

Not All New Things Can Be Packed Up by Haley Brewer

I love knick-knacks. Probably more than it is healthy — a part of me is so excited to be an old lady just because that’s when it becomes socially acceptable to buy multiple glass cases and showcase your dollar-bin souvenirs like treasures.

With my time in the CAPS program coming to an end, I’ve been in the process of packing up my things and, after going through all my things, I realized how much more stuff I’ve obtained during my time in Chicago.

These items document my summer almost as well as I could have if I wrote it all out. Some of the items include: A postcard from the Art Institute with Nighthawks by Edward Hopper printed on it. A small yellow waving cat I got from Chinatown. A box of chopsticks I also got from Chinatown, albeit on a different visit. A map for the Adler Planetarium. The poetry book Pole Dancing to Gospel Hymns by Andrea Gibson I got from a secondhand bookstore. A photostrip my friend and I got at a music festival in June. A skincare free sample from a booth at the farmers market. A pink sheer scarf and moonstone ring shaped like a heart, both of which my roommate promised were “my aesthetic.” A playbill for Come From Away. A food ticket from Taste of Chicago. Postcards my mom sent this summer. A journal and tin of tea I received as a going away present from my coworkers.

But, after looking through all these odds and ends, I realized there were so many more things I’ve gained this summer that I can’t stuff in a suitcase for move-out. These nonphysical things include: a steadier confidence, as well as a healthy amount of independence. Work experience by the loads. Connections with a career path I’m interested in. Insight into the nonprofit world, and what goes behind a successful organization (hint: it’s very passionate people). And while these things aren’t physical, they just as if not more valuable than the rest of the belongings I’m lugging back to Northwest Indiana.

Today is my last day of work and my last night in the city. This past week I’ve been allowing myself to splurge on my favorite city foods and drinks, as it’ll probably be the last time for a while I’ll have such easy access to it all. But even though I’ll be missing a lot about Chicago and my apartment/internship here, I’m so excited for my last year at Valpo. It’s gonna be a great year, and I’m sure I’m going to pack-rat even more knick-knacks and experiences.

Having a Child-like Faith by Maddie Fry

One of the fundamental lessons I have learned from working with kids is that you never know what to expect from them. Every day comes with another creative art project, an imaginative story, or crazy new game. So many ideas race through their minds and the world seems to be filled with wonder and excitement. The smallest object can be the source of immense joy. I have never seen a person be so consumed with a dead leaf as I have this past week. It never ceases to amaze me how children can see a generic object and transform it into something radically different. 

Working with kids is one of the most tiring jobs I have experienced, it has also been the most inspiring. Watching them learn and grow into better readers, skilled drawers, or professional lego architects makes everyday worth it. They find joy in everything and get along with everyone (most of the time). Even though they can’t always run fast or open their ranch packets at lunch, sometimes I feel like they have life figured out more than I do. They can see that friendships are easily built, learning is hard but necessary, happiness is everywhere, and naps are the best part of the day.

Being raised Christian, I have heard the following Bible passage read to me more times than I could count:

Matthew 18     2He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. 3And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.

I always figured it meant something along the lines of seeing God as a parental figure and honoring him. Some pastors I have met have claimed it was more metaphorical and it could also be read as if saying, “Children are young and impressionable, needing guidance and proper teaching.” I think both of these interpretations hold true but I think there is more to be said about the nature of being childlike. It is more than just being young or listening to your parents. In fact it’s about rediscovering our sense of joy, thinking of everyone as a friend, sharing your animal crackers, and always be open to learning something new. 

As educators or childcare providers, it may be easy to think about what we can teach our kids. However, taking the step further and asking what we can learn from them may be a little bit harder. Not only should be learn from them but we should aspire to be like them. In the simplest ways, I would love a day filled with toys and naps. Not only that but I want to view the world as an unlimited source of possibility instead of danger. Friendship instead of fear. Joy instead of repetition. I only hope that working with kids may bring me one step closer to that sense of life. 

Knowledge and Ignorance by Ty Snarr

Nearing the end of my summer, work at Heartland Alliance has proven both to be exactly what I expected and exactly what I did not expect. On a practical level, Heartland Alliance functions very similarly to how it was described. It is an underfunded non-profit. When I was originally told at the beginning of the summer that I would be taking participants to social services, health clinics, and completing administrative work, that has all turned out to be exactly true. However, the interaction with coworkers, participants, and the community has been anything but predictable.

Working in an office setting, I had both an expectation and hope for coworkers. Media often portrays office settings as problematic, dog-eat-dog, and full of annoying employees. Shortly after arriving, I realized how naive I was. Non-profits, or at least Heartland, cannot afford to function in this manner. The interdependence between departments at Heartland creates both a supportive work environment, but also one that can be slow as participants often cannot move towards independence without the backing of the whole office. If it weren’t for nice coworkers who were patient, work would be unbearable.

Secondly, working with the participants has been different than anticipated. Going into the job at Heartland Alliance, I expected to meet a population different than any I had encountered. I have worked with refugees from Central America in the past, but had not had the privilege of working with immigrants from elsewhere in the world. As I have spent more time with the participants (primarily from Africa and Asia), learning about their culture and way of life, getting insight into their histories, and talking with them about their lived experiences have taught me much about the world. Many participants have showed me videos describing their home countries and friends back home. This brings an extremely human element to hot button issue that is talked about in the news. The similarities between my family and theirs far outweigh the differences. Some citizens of the United States have a misconception about refugees draining social services of funding they have not paid into. This could not be further from the truth. I have not met a single participant feeling a sense of entitlement to any assistance they receive. More than anything, the refugees want to get off social services and become dependent from the help of the government. Finding a job and contributing to the United States becomes the number one goal for participants, which reminds me of anyone graduating college. This highlights a great similarity between the culture of the United States and refugees new to the country, and acts as a reminder that we share more than simply being human.

The DMV, Public Aid, Social Security Office, and health clinics, among many others, get terrible representation in the world. Although they provide services that are essential to most Americans, they are only thought of as slow bureaucratic offices never looking to help. I’d like to serve as a nice reminder that many countries do not have these institutions that help the United States run much more smoothly, and we should be thankful even during the frustration of interaction.

Ultimately, this summer has both a living and learning experience. I won’t say it was life-changing or that I am a whole new person coming out of this summer, but I will look at the world a little differently.

The Next Page of Forever by Veronica Campbell

“Forever is the most dizzying word in the English language. The idea of staying in one place forever was like standing at the border of a foreign country, peering over the fence and trying to imagine what life might be like on the other side, and life on the other side was frankly unimaginable.”

This is Lilia’s thought, from the novel Last Night in Montreal. In that moment her father, after being on the run with her for nearly her whole life, has finally settled down and invited her to join him. She enjoys the quiet life at first, living in a house with a family and routine, but finds that she can’t stomach the idea of forever in the same place. So she leaves them.

Most of us have not traveled so much as Lilia, that we, as she puts it, “don’t know how to stay.” But we do struggle with the concept of “forever.” An internship lasts two or three months; you can enjoy the good parts, learn from the new experiences, and remind yourself that anything that doesn’t quite feel right isn’t permanent anyway. But the very nature of CAPS, this taste of adult-ing, prompts thought about what comes after—what will come in the “real world,” once we’ve graduated and gotten a job that doesn’t end with the approach of the fall semester.

One of the very best parts about working at Lutheran Social Services of Illinois this summer has been talking to people in various positions about their jobs, because some of them exude an almost tangible joy for their work. I conducted a phone interview with a Child Welfare Specialist who reunites foster children with their biological parents, and even though we never met in person it was clear that she found deep meaning and fulfillment in what she does. An employee whom I see more often took me to Starbucks to tell me all about her work, and her enthusiasm for forming connections with donors was contagious. I want to have the kind of job that makes me light up, as those women did when they exclaimed in obvious sincerity, “Yes! I love my job!”

But there will always also be people, not only at LSSI but in every workspace I’ve experienced, who come to work because it’s a job. They do their work well, and may not dislike their job, but somehow lack that touch of passion, that touch of joy. They come in to the office, day in and day out, and life goes by, and the most exciting thing about work is jeans day every now and again.

I take that back. Jeans day is actually hard to beat. But you get the point.

Perhaps the line between these two groups isn’t really quite this pointed, but it still prompts one to question—what kind of response do I want to have one day, when the new intern at my office asks me about my job? The passionate enthusiasm, or the “it’s all right?” And, the far harder question—what vocation will I find that will light up that kind of passion in me?

That’s where I’m stuck currently. I don’t know.

But what I do know is that the path thus far has become clear, not far in advance the way I’d often like it to, but rather when the moment comes to move forward. Looking for options for the summer, I spent hours on LinkedIn and Handshake applying for everything, but none of that effort was relevant after a short conversation, originally about something entirely different, with Deaconess Kristin—“you should apply for CAPS, Veronica”—and I found an incredible growing experience without even looking. It simply came when the time was right.

So, as I move forward, I will keep trying to plan. More importantly, though, I’ll keep my mind open to the different opportunities that arise. I’ll try new things, I’ll gain experience, and I’ll see where the road takes me. Who knows? I may find passion in plain sight, but it may also be hiding somewhere I’d never look for it unless I had my eyes open.

Not knowing what my forever will be, as the somewhat obsessive planner I am, can be kind of terrifying. But I don’t have to worry about my forever. My forever will unfold as it is meant to, but only if I take advantage of the beauty and growth in my today.

Experiencing Through Stories by Ben Montgomery

I went into this summer expecting to gain practical experience, learn about nonprofit work, and contribute something to the organization I am working with. So far this has all proven true, but what has taken me by surprise is that the most powerful part of my experience has come from stories. I am spending my summer working with ICDI (Interfaith Community for Detained Immigrants), an organization that responds to the many needs of immigrants in Chicago. Participants in ICDI programs, detained immigrants, asylum seekers, volunteers, and staff all have a story of how they ended up where they are and what they are doing to try to improve the situation. In the four weeks that I have been working with ICDI I have been lucky enough to have listened to many of these stories. Part of what I do is spend Thursday mornings in a detention center speaking with detained immigrants who have found themselves in an unfortunate situation due to a vast range of circumstances. Hearing their stories, each one so different from the next, is not something easily accessed outside of this niche environment. Stories of walking through the jungle in South America, fleeing political oppression in Bangladesh, and separation from family members at the U.S. border. Some tell these stories as if they are simply a part of life, assumedly something that everyone has gone through and had to deal with. Others tell them while withholding tears at the remembrance of their journey or fear at the thought of returning to the places they have fled. Though all are different, all are impactful.

The most compelling story I can tell from my summer so far is from the day I spent in an immigrant detention center on the fourth of July. That day, outside was a celebration of freedom and the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for the ancestors of immigrants. Inside were thick white cinderblock walls, covered windows, armed guards, orange jumpsuits, and a solemn attitude brought on by the knowledge that what was being celebrated that day was something tragically unavailable to those wearing orange. Inside was a heavy tension induced by the all too evident awareness of this celebration in juxtaposition with the circumstances that weighed heavy on the hearts of the people detained. The story that day was one of a struggle for freedom. A struggle defined by arbitrary rules, obstacles, threatening circumstances, waiting, hoping, praying for an end to the circumstances that were keeping these immigrants from experiencing what most people outside of those walls and inside of our borders were celebrating. So far this summer, nothing has been as eye-opening and thought provoking for me as listening to the stories of detained immigrants, most innocent people simply seeking what I have always taken for granted especially on a day meant for celebrating freedom and liberty.

One of the most remarkable things about exchanging stories this summer has been the lack of disconnect between myself and those whose stories could not be more different from my own. There are of course intimidating factors that go along with entering a jail but these all quickly vanished as a I began speaking with people so different and yet so relatable. One would think that a social barrier would stand between a college intern and an asylum seeker or detained individual coming from a different part of the world and sharing a much different story, but conversation comes as naturally as talking to a peer at Valpo. Stories are shared and we all learn a little bit more about each other and the world we live in.  Almost all of the people I have met are more than willing to share their story and many are eager to hear mine, which took me by surprise at first. While I have certainly found value in the work I have had the opportunity to contribute to my placement this summer, easily one of the most valuable parts of my experience has been hearing the stories from the people I am fortunate enough to interact with on a daily basis.

Faces of Hope by Hilary Van Oss

You can learn a lot about a person by looking at their face. The face is a portal to one’s soul; it shows what they are feeling and thinking. These past few weeks I have looked into the faces of many individuals who have just made a huge, courageous leap of faith by moving to and settling into the United States as a refugee. Working at Heartland Alliance’s Refugee and Immigrant Community Services (RICS) office, I have had the privilege to look into many faces of hope.

RICS is a refugee resettlement agency that works with refugees from airport pick-up when they arrive in Chicago to navigating public transportation to English class to assisting with public benefits and government services to searching for employment and the list goes on. I am specifically a Case Management intern which means that I am helping our participants extensively within the first 90 days of arrival by helping to make sure basic needs are met and after the 90 days helping to guide the participants to self-sufficiency. For me every day is different as I could be doing a combination of a variety of tasks. Everything from accompanying participants to the Department of Family Services office to receive public benefits, to the Secretary of State’s office to acquire a State ID, to conducting home visits to ensure our participants have everything they need, to helping a new family learn how to use the CTA to get from their home to the office, to assisting with the mounds of paperwork that is required for grant-funded and federal funded nonprofits, and the list goes on. At RICS they say that no two days are the same and that is 100% true.

Throughout these last few weeks, I have had the privilege of seeing faces of bravery, strength, courage, determination, fear, anxiety, but most of all hope. Hope is something that is so powerful. It has the ability to encourage someone to take a leap of faith in order for the possibility of something better on the other side. It has the powers of motivation and calming sense of reassurance that you are doing the right thing. It provides comfort when times are difficult while also inspiring someone to do something big. Hope is a funny little four letter word, but one that encompasses all these emotions and more.

The participants at RICS have faces that are filled with hope. It is that hope that accompanies single mothers with their children, families where some family members do not make the move, those who leave their entire support network and come alone, and those fighting for a better chance. Although other emotions such as fear, anxiety, and stress flash across faces, there is always a glimmer of hope that can be seen.

It is that glimmer of hope and the flash of a smile that bridges cultures and communities together. It brings people from the Eritrea, Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Pakistan, Syria, Burma, and the United States together. It exceeds language barriers and allows one another to be linked; linked together through shared or similar experiences. It is a face of hope that encourages me to do what I do and it is a face of hope that shines bright on the participants face as they understand and settle into what their life here in the United States will be.

Following are portraits of RICS participants by Pam Ingalls. They were shown in a show entitled “Facing the New US” at Heartland Alliance in honor of World Refugee Day. The artist’s website is pamingalls.com.

Growing Markets by Michele Poindexter

Let me first briefly explain what Growing Home does. Growing Home is a USDA certified organic urban farm located in Englewood. They have a paid job training program each growing season for people with employment barriers. Production Assistants, participants in the program, learn transferable skills in agriculture, project management, and effective communication.

In addition to the job training program, Growing Home sells its produce through several outlets. In this blog, I want to talk about just one of the ways the produce is sold – farmer’s markets. Farmer’s markets are one of my favorite places to be and work at, so I thought I would tell you a bit about why they are so great and how they could be even better. To get the inside scoop, I asked Growing Home’s Food Access and Distribution Manager some questions about markets.

So why are farmers’ markets so great? For starters, a strong community around food is built. People in this community get super excited about things like a new variety of tomato, they are genuinely curious and ask lots of questions, and they truly value all of the hard work a farmer puts into growing their produce. It’s a super supportive, creative, and fun group of people to interact with every week.

But that’s not all! Many farmer’s markets have also made the local and artisanal products more accessible to all by accepting several forms of nutritional assistance, such as LINK and Farmer’s Markets coupons (WIC and senior assistance). One difficulty with farmer’s markets is that local, organic, and small business products are inherently more expensive, because they are higher quality, require more labor, and small businesses need to stay afloat. This can create a divide in who is able to access and benefit from these products. However, by accepting forms of nutritional assistance and offering a double value program, these products become somewhat more accessible to people with lower incomes.

Unfortunately, price is not the only barrier to accessing products from farmer’s markets. Location is also an issue. In Chicago specifically, there is a disproportionate number of farmer’s market on the north side compared to the south side. If you know anything about Chicago, you are probably aware of the racial and income disparities between the north and the south sides. With bus and train fare, the cost of transportation and time constraints of getting across the city can be an impediment for many. Fortunately, there are more farmer’s markets opening on the south side. This provides people who live on the south side easier access to farmer’s markets. It also provides farmers and artisans from the south side another place to sell their products. This way, people who choose to shop at these farmer’s markets are directly buying from and supporting local businesses from their immediate community. Growing Home looks forward to participating in a couple of these markets, so more of the produce stays in the community in which it is grown.

And this is just the tip of the iceberg! Farmer’s markets are extraordinary places with lots of good, and some not so goods that are being improved with awareness, creativity, and direct action. So if you haven’t yet, I’d highly recommend experiencing a farmers’ market soon (ps summer is the best time to)!

Exploring is the Nice Word for Lost by Haley Brewer

An hour and forty-five minutes.

That’s the longest I’ve gotten lost here amongst the Chicago streets. I’ve gotten lost looking for bubble tea, I’ve gotten lost looking for museums, I’ve gotten lost looking for countless bookshops and more. My second day here, I got lost looking for the Target and I still think a little part of me is out there looking for the red and white store.

When my mom asks, I tell her I’ve spent most of my time “exploring” the city because that sounds a lot better than “my google maps lost connection ten minutes in and I wandered up and down Washington for thirty minutes.” It’s all about the rebranding, folks.

However, a month in, my hopeless sense of direction has marginally become less so. I say marginally because just last Friday, I almost exceeded my record on time lost when I was looking for a new ramen place.

Although, it’s not like I’m gifted in directions back home. If it weren’t for the multiple map apps I have on my phone, I’d hardly be able to leave me apartment parking lot in Valpo.

I hate getting lost, I really do. It’s the constant bone I have to pick with myself and the universe, my complete lack of direction. But it’s not all bad. While lost, I’ve found adorable little parks, farmers markets, a secondhand book store I would literally die for, and rainbow roads.

While “exploring,” I’ve also tried things I never would have considered back home. Numerous small coffeeshops that are nothing like the Dunkin Doughnuts I usually stick to, little bakeries smell like sugar and bread, thai ice cream shops where they roll up the cream right in front of you. Wonderful little places I’m happy to find and even more happy to share with my friends when they visit.

Usually, when I’m in stage 4 of being lost (the first stages being 1. Obliviousness, 2. Creeping Dread, 3. Denial and/or the Bargaining stage) I’ll wander over to the nearest Wifi providing establishment, buy a drink of tea/coffee/juice/etc. to provide sustenance for my journey, and attempt to find my way with the assistance of the Wifi. This usually works, and I usually get the perk of whatever iced drink I’ve just acquired. With my mood instantly given +5 HP and some newly loaded directions, I’m off again. Despite how much I hate getting lost, it’s almost enjoyable nowadays.

With a month left in the program, I’m sure I’ve still got loads more time I’m going to dedicate to finding my way. At least I have all those iced drinks to look forward to!

P.S. Here’s the ramen I got lost for on Friday. Totally worth it.

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

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 organization called Ingenuity, which is focused on ensuring that every Chicago Public Schools (CPS) student receives a quality arts education. As they say on their website, Ingenuity constantly works “to institute the Chicago Public Schools Arts Education Act by collecting and managing arts-related data, supporting community arts partners, and advocating for CPS programs and resources.” (ingenuity-inc.org) I have learned a lot since I have started working with this organization especially because I usually view public art education through a different lens. My mom is an elementary school art teacher in a public school system in Virginia, so it is very new to me to work with a company that is working to improve quality education as an outside third party, not as someone who works directly with the kids. Ingenuity constantly strives for the children in CPS to not only have a valuable arts education, but to also thrive and grow through the arts by making them the best they can possibly be. Not only is this impressive because it is so important to integrate studio arts, theatre, dance, and music into everyone’s lives, but also because a team of 11 people run this entire company that gives millions of dollars to CPS and other arts organizations every year. They have shown me already in my three weeks here that hard work and dedication can make a difference in a child’s life even if you do not know them personally. 

One event that I went to was an Institute put on by Ingenuity called, “You Are Your Teaching Artists: Frame. Train. Retain.” Although I do not work at an organization with teachers or Teaching Artists, it was important for me to participate in this Institute because I will be running a similar event at the end of the summer. One of the main goals of the program was to understand the importance of organizations empowering Teaching Artists to demonstrate their skills and build a positive classroom culture, engage in personal and artistic self-awareness, and positively represent the organization– which really stuck out to me. Everyone at the event sat at tables of five, and participated in different activities to spark conversation and different ideas. One activity that I found quite compelling was when each group was given a different challenging scenario and we had to figure out the best way to respond to the situation. In my group’s scenario, a child exclaimed to the teacher, “I just don’t get what the point of all this is. Art is for rich white people.” I was startled. Not only was I mortified by the scenario, but I had a moment where I realized that if a second grader said this to me, I would have no idea what to say even though I firmly believe the statement to be false. To my amazement, the four other educators I was sitting with immediately rose to the occasion and offered an impressive system of how one could go about interacting with this hard conversation. The first step was to affirm that there may be a reason the child felt this way. In an example of the arts through dance, it could be possible that the only interaction the child knew about was ballet, where people pay hundreds of dollars to attend. One teacher said, “Do they know that styles like hip hop and breakdancing are art?” The second step that was collectively decided was that there needed to be a change in the classroom. This was an opportunity, one Arts Partner said, to ask yourself what you have done to contribute to this child’s idea of art and then bring great cultural examples into the classroom. The third idea was to remember how important it is for children to explore the things they are curious about, and not to react by scolding the child for saying this. “You should build and grow on this in your curriculum from now on.” The last point was to perhaps scratch the lesson for the day to take the time and explore this with the children– to have a collective discussion with the class, with the idea that the statement would be more resolved by the end of the session. 

At another event, Elizabeth Robbins from Gwendolyn Brooks College Preparatory Academy spoke in a fireside chat. She received  “The Civic Education Leadership Award” which is given by the Obama Foundation to honored educators who model civic leadership by providing opportunities for young people to engage actively in their community. She explained that something an educator in the arts needs to realize is that everyone has a story. You connect your own story to art and that is what makes it accessible to everyone. She explained that how she approaches telling her story, of a middle aged white teacher, to a classroom of predominantly children of different ethnic backgrounds is very important. I found topics like these in the forefront of the arts education scene, and I had never really considered these issues before as an individual who wants to go into the arts in some capacity. So back to my first question– how these scenarios that educators strive to face with their students everyday connect to me, a 21 year old in college who is still looking for my place in the world?

I’m still forming my answers. In the meantime, I am going to make sure I am taking in the world from every perspective. Whether helping to write a guidebook for Arts Partners at my internship with Ingenuity or trying to figure out what kind of career I want to pursue after I graduate, I need to remember that I am not trying to pursue this career for just myself. It’s also so that a bold second grader knows that they have a place in the art world, same as me. I just have to figure out how I will do it.

My Kind of Town by Juan Arellano

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 for some fun and creative people in the office (it’s not uncommon for my supervisors Karla and Nicole to break out into song and dance). Since I arrived, I have worked primarily with two Ingenuity departments, Public Affairs, and Data and Research. For Public Affairs, I have started drafting social media posts and email newsletters, hoping to engage a broader audience on all of our communications streams. On the Data and Research team, I have helped them with reaching out to Chicago Public Schools (CPS) to fill out the Creative Schools Survey, an annual survey that informs Ingenuity on the state of the arts in CPS. The work is not only fun, but in many ways, rewarding because Ingenuity’s mission is so admirable. I am very grateful to be a part of such a strong team that works very hard. I am looking forward to the rest of my time here. 

Working at Ingenuity has been nice because after 5 PM (and 3 PM on Fridays!) I have the rest of the time to explore and engage with the city of Chicago. My first week here I went to the Vampire Weekend concert at Huntington Pavilion park, an outdoor venue at Northerly Island. I got to go with my best friends from high school who first introduced me to the band which has since become my favorite band of all time. The concert was something special – VW puts on an amazing show. I also have had the chance of seeing stand-up at the Annoyance Theatre, a place where many talented comedians have gotten their start. My friend and I have been interested in trying to do stand up for quite some time and decided to go to an open mic to test out the waters. There were about ten comedians, each at different levels of expertise. Some made us laugh, some made us cringe, but they all entertained. My favorite joke of the night was about a guy playing wingman for a friend in sweatpants at a bar. It was hilarious. 

All-in-all my first few weeks in Chicago have been very special. I have very much enjoyed my time here and I can’t wait to see how the rest of the summer goes. I’d like to give a quick shout out to the Institute of Leadership and Service at Valparaiso University for giving me this amazing opportunity. I am eager for the rest of my summer in Chicago and I will make sure to keep you all in the loop on the fun adventures I’ll have in the city. 

Transitioning into Transition by Veronica Campbell

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 employees I would later be working with in the department. As the internship progressed over the next two weeks, while there were slow moments when everyone was too busy to give me work, my supervisor would continue to go out of her way to welcome me when we went to Aurora to tour a foster care center and she drove me all the way back to my apartment afterwards, then picked me up from downtown two days later when we attended the ELCA Synod Assembly. Despite her assurance that downtown wasn’t out of her way, I greatly appreciated it.

As evidenced by our going to both a foster care center and the ELCA Synod Assembly in one week, Lutheran Social Services of Illinois is involved in many different areas of the world of social justice. They have so many programs, in fact, that I think even after sitting at my desk and reviewing pamphlets and powerpoints for hours I’m still not quite familiar with them all. LSSI has centers all over the state, and there are foster care programs, where foster parents are specially trained to welcome traumatized children with behavioral problems into their homes and hearts; there are mental health programs, where individuals receive counseling and support; and there are programs that work with those without employment, those with addictions, those with disabilities, and more.

Because the focus of my internship is in the Communications and Advocacy Department, my largest role with LSSI will be to take stories from all of these different programs and write about them, for the website, Facebook page, and potentially other platforms. As a writer who wants to expand her experience beyond the academic essays and “just for fun” fiction she was used to, I am hopeful that conducting phone interviews and writing articles will prove a practical way to dabble in other types of writing while simultaneously learning what a nonprofit is like and seeing the myriad ways LSSI helps people to, as they often say, find comprehensive healing that goes beyond any one problem, but rather helps the whole person. Just as the insanity of an office move couldn’t stop them from welcoming me, it can’t stop them from helping all of those whom they serve, and this summer I’m excited to see more of the awesome impact LSSI has on the lives it touches.

Coming to Chicago by Ty Snarr

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 organization where many CAPS fellows have worked before. Their tagline “Ending Poverty” illustrates the broad range of services the non-profit offers. The refugee and immigrant community services (RICS) office, which I am working in for the summer, helps refugees, immigrants, and asylees integrate in the United States. As a public health major, helping program participants access all of these services is vitally important to promote health amongst the population.

Arriving at my first day of work, about 20 participants sat in the lobby waiting to go on an employment trip, looking to get their first job in the United States. It became clear that this would not be an average internship, but an opportunity unparalleled. As with most placements, the first day consisted of getting accustomed to the office and doing necessary paperwork to ensure I’m not a felon. My co-workers were wonderfully accommodating. They invited me to lunch and gave me a complete rundown of all of the best deals in the neighborhood. As the afternoon came around, my work began to slow. This was not because there was little to be done, but the opposite. My boss and co-workers were extremely busy and did not have long chunks of time to dedicate to training an intern.

As the week has gone on, I have started to pick up on quite a bit. I have had the chance to help out the organization by creating case files, going on home visits, traveling with a family to pick up prescriptions, amongst many other activities. For someone who has only been to Chicago twice before and never using public transportation, I now feel as if I have been doing so for years. Looking forward, I am excited to see where the next nine weeks take me. Acting as an assistant case manager, I will have the opportunity to work with numerous families and learn about the rigorous, and at times defeating, process people go through for a better life in the United States.

My life feels dramatically different than a week ago in my hometown. Living on my own for the first time, in the third biggest city in the country, with no pressing matters outside of work, I’m undeniably gaining a new perspective on the world. This inspirational work will be guiding me this summer. Although there is no guarantee that this is the workplace, lifestyle, or city I want to end up in, I nonetheless know I am humbled by the work I will be doing this summer. By the end I hope to see in a new light.

-Ty Snarr, Heartland Alliance

It’s Complicated

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 time,  coming to a new place where you don’t know the language or culture. I was blessed when I went abroad that I had such a big support system, composed of people who were not only familiar with the culture but loved and cared for me, wishing the best for me. And I had them with me every day, available for whenever I needed them. Yet, I still struggled. To come here and not have that kind of support seemed incredibly difficult. To also have a language barrier seemed impossible. To call this strange place your new home seemed a recipe for depression.

From my limited observations, I think that the first few weeks are the worst. After that, the participants seem to start forming lasting relationships with other participants and staff members and learn more English. After a few months, they eligible to apply for a job, the key to their independence. Although they may go through a lot of pain, the participants can and do overcome. This is very admirable, but I came to realize that these participants are not extraordinary. They are determined, strong, and smart. They are determined to make the best of their life, simply trying every day for themselves and their families. Their strength helps them endure the challenges they continuously face. And they are smart because they allow and strive to learn more on a daily basis. And they are not unique.

I am not trying to minimize their situation or even ignore the fact that they are the 1% of refugees that are actually resettled, but I do want to recognize that the determination, strength, and knowledge that they use in their day to day life is something found in human behavior. Something amazing about human beings is our resilience. To clarify, I’m not saying that there aren’t people whose success is attributed to uncontrolled privileges, chance, or miracles. In fact, I think that all aspects of life are affected by circumstances that an individual can’t control. This is also not meant to glorify struggles brought by injustice and inhumane treatment.  I am saying we are capable of amazing things. You may think to yourself, “I don’t know how she/he can do it; I could never do it.” These people didn’t accept their circumstances as a challenge, it was forced on them. Survival is partially choice, but it’s also a reflex.

In particular, I think about a family that I meant in the first few weeks of me being at RICS and their first time being in the U. S.  I remembered how scared they look. I had no idea what was going on in their minds. Did they feel regret, overwhelmed, fearful? As time went by I was able to witness a change. They became more confident in where they were going and what they were doing. They learned more English and were happy to have a conversation with me, even if there were misunderstandings. Time went by so fast that I didn’t even realize how much they were progressing each day. It seemed like all of a sudden they were in high spirits, progressing and learning more. Even when things went wrong (which they often did with me frequently guiding them to a place I’ve never been to), they didn’t show anger or frustration.

But I’m not ignorant of the people that aren’t as happy as them. It’s not to say that those participants are failing, their path is just different. They’re adapting to their situation in a different way. This blog seems to be the result of me recognizing the struggles of other, but not pitying them or not giving them the credit they deserve. I think that realizing how “privileged” people are, can mistake our lives as being better than others. What is a successful life, anyways? However, we should still recognize poverty as a global, human being issue and strive for equality and opportunity for all, as Heartland Alliance does. Honestly, I’m not sure if I’m making any sense here. This is just something that has been on my mind. I’m trying to figure it out and articulate my thought process, but I’m not sure if I’m losing you along the way. I’m sure someone more experienced than me could look at this and point out my ignorance.

Embracing Options

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 time to evaluate it all. What you liked, what you didn’t like, if it’s the path you want to pursue. In such a pivotal time in one’s life, it’s a great resource for helping to decide what steps to take next.

I knew coming into this summer that I might not end it with clarity about what I want to do. It might provide me instead with some clarity about what I don’t want to do, or help me to grow or shorten my list of potential career options. While this is a frustrating concept for someone who is surrounded by people in their life who graduated from college and immediately found that fit for them, whether that be nursing, engineering, or any other number of professions that has a more linear path, it is something that we liberal arts majors are just going to have to live with.

My education at Valpo, through Christ College, leadership positions, and studying sociology and political science, has equipped me with a wide and unique set of skills. That being said, these skills are applicable to a multitude of fields and careers. I have a lot of options post graduation, and I’ve felt the weight of that since very early on in my college career. It often feels like an impossible task to decide on one career or path. And now I realize that I don’t have to.

One of the things I’ve tried to make a priority while working at Concordia Place is to ask my coworkers their “story”. I have been collecting the stories of how they ended up working at this nonprofit in Chicago, and have learned that the answer is exactly what I suspected (and kind of feared) to be true: trial and error. They all come from different schools around the country, whether it be Tennessee, Colorado, Illinois, New York, etc. And they all have worked in several different fields, and different positions within those fields. They learned what their strengths were as they progressed through each position, and some of them are still trying to figure that out now, at Concordia Place. Some went immediately to graduate school after college, some waited a few years after working a few different types of jobs so that they could be more sure of what they want to go into even more debt studying.

As a “planner”, it can be disheartening to hear to that I can’t fully plan out my future in a linear way. I know that it should excite me that there are endless possibilities, but it’s not the easiest idea to get used to. No one prepares you for that, especially in a society that expects you to have an idea of what you want to do with your life when you graduate high school at a mere 18 years old.

One beautiful Friday morning, I went to a nonprofit panel geared towards interns. I plugged the address my boss gave me into Google Maps and started walking. I was pretty surprised when I ended up in front of the Sears/Willis Tower (I’ve gotten a lot of crap for calling it either, so pick your poison). I got to listen to career advice while looking out at Lake Michigan, and it was an experience that will stick out when I think back on this summer. The most important piece of advice was that you can’t plan out your whole career path now, and you shouldn’t even try. Hindsight is 20/20, and only when you’re looking back does your career path make any sense, according to the knowledgeable and highly qualified panelists. Seeing how far the panelists had come in their careers, despite their paths being completely different than what they had anticipated at my age, is a comfort. I’m working on learning to let go of my obsession with planning and instead, let life do its thing.

 

Concordia Day on Milwaukee, which we finally cut the ribbon and opened on August 1st!