What is your name, the school you attend and your major?
My name is Meg and I am a junior at Whitman College in Washington state. I am a sociology major with minors in Spanish and psychology.
What interested you about interning at Sojourner?
I have always been passionate about helping women, especially in the realms of violence prevention. Domestic violence and sexual assault are very close to home for me, and I wanted to devote my summer to something I was truly passionate about. In my college town, I volunteered and completed victim advocacy training at the local YWCA, which initially sparked my interest in Sojourner. I really love working with people and enjoy knowing that I am making a positive difference in their lives, even if it is something small like watching their kids for an hour. As I was investigating summer opportunities and came across Sojourner, I knew it would be a great match for my interests!
What other background/experience do you bring with you to Sojourner?
I see this as my first "real" job. The past four summers I worked as a day camp counselor and worked with children from a variety of ages and backgrounds. Additionally, I volunteer in a bilingual classroom during the school year. I have lots of experience with little kids, and it has been great to still have some kid time this summer at Sojourner! As I mentioned earlier, I volunteered with the YWCA throughout the past few semesters while at school. I am also one of the sexual violence prevention interns at my college. Specifically, I work as a strategic planning intern and evaluate how effective Whitman's violence prevention efforts have been and researching new ideas to implement, which is a great way to put my sociology degree to use!
What has been the most interesting about interning here thus far?
For me, the most interesting thing has been seeing the social systems at play in both my time in the community program and at the shelter (I'm a big sociology nerd). Domestic violence is such a complicated issue, and it manifests in many different ways for women of many backgrounds. I have enjoyed diving in and learning more about these issues. Additionally, it has been very interesting learning more about the legal side of domestic violence. I came into my internship knowing hardly anything about the court system, and am now going to court every week!
How do you hope to use this experience moving forward in your career?
I see this internship as such a wonderful learning opportunity. I wanted to see if social work was something I am interested in (it is) and I feel a lot more confident in my degree and interests as I head into my last two years of college. Having so many unique, educational, and hands on experiences at Sojourner will definitely be valuable to building my skill set and resume, and will hopefully attract future employers!
What is your name, the school you attend and your major?
My name is Elena and I attend Luther college in Decorah, IA. I'm majoring in Health Promotion with a minor in Exercise Physiology.
What interested you about interning at Sojourner?
I have always been very passionate about helping people, especially women. Sojourner’s mission statement really hit a personal spot for myself and it made me want to be a part of the work. I was also interested in being able to work with a diverse population, as domestic violence can happen to anyone and it happens every day.
What other background/experience do you bring with you to Sojourner?
I have always been very involved in the community. From working with the crisis nursery making meals for children who are in crisis situations, to making meals and loading a truck for Mobile Loaves and Fishes, to working with the elderly, to playing with children at Children's Hospital. I have always felt passionate about giving back and making sure to give to others.
What has been the most interesting about interning here thus far?
I think the most interesting so far is being able to be so hands on and help around the shelter where I'm needed and having freedom to do what interests me. It's been very eye opening to realize the privilege I have. I am also able to learn about the client’s stories and to help them, which is great. Even the smallest things can make a difference.
How do you hope to use this experience moving forward in your career?
I hope to use all the information for my future job and connect it with information that I have already learned from school. I also hope to use this as a way to keep giving back to the community. It makes me feel reassured that I know I want to help people for the rest of my life.