This fall, Sojourner Project has welcomed three wonderful new interns to our team. Whether it's helping residents and staff in the shelter or assisting with our youth education program, they have all been a great asset. Meet two of them below and learn what they've been up to and what they've enjoyed most about working at Sojourner.
Meet Kelly (she/they)
What school/program are you in?
I am a part-time Masters of Social Work graduate student at Augsburg University. I am in my second year and concentrating on clinical/micro social work.
What interested you in interning at Sojourner?
I knew I wanted to intern at an agency doing work around the topic of domestic violence. Domestic violence is an issue of both personal and professional importance to me. I ultimately chose Sojourner because of the opportunity to work directly with domestic violence survivors as well as go out into the community and educate middle and high school students on domestic abuse and healthy relationships. Education is prevention and it's important in lessening the impact of domestic violence.
What background/experience do you bring with you to the role?
In the past, I have worked and volunteered as a counselor at reproductive health clinics, as well as at a suicide intervention hotline. In these positions, I encountered clients who had experience with domestic violence and I provided support and resources as needed. I'm also learning awesome things in my MSW program at Augsburg that help me be a better advocate and educator for the clients at Sojourner and the community we serve!
What have you enjoyed or learned so far at Sojourner? Any particular experiences or stories stand out?
I am really enjoying the educational presentations at local middle schools, and hearing from the students their super smart insights on what makes up a healthy or unhealthy relationship! I am also enjoying being a part of the weekly support group for survivors, and facilitating space for them to learn and process with other survivors. But what has stood out the most to me so far is how knowledgeable, compassionate, and dedicated all the staff members at Sojourner are. I am very grateful to have the opportunity to learn from them and be a part of this organization during my studies.
How do you hope to use this experience in the future?
The reason I am pursuing a social work degree is to become an individual and couples therapist with my own practice. I know from my previous work that domestic violence is something that many of my future clients will have experience with and my hope is that I can apply the skills and resources I'm learning from Sojourner to better support them.
Meet Yadira (she/her)
What school/program are you in?
I am currently a Junior attending Concordia University, Saint Paul with a major in Psychology.
What interested you in interning at Sojourner?
Initially, what caught my attention about Sojourner was the mission statement of Advocating and supporting those who have gone through domestic violence. I noticed that Sojourner was involved in working alongside the person and offering full support, which is something I was interested in and knew I wanted to be actively involved in. Though it is something different from what I had previously done I knew it was a good opportunity to step into as the topic of domestic violence is something I wasn’t heavily informed about and I wanted to know more.
What background/experience do you bring with you to the role?
My most recent internship was being a community outreach advocate with the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office, which involved volunteering and informing the public about the outreach program. At this internship, I learned about the program and got to be actively involved in meeting other organizations throughout the twin cities. I have also Interned at an elementary school and worked alongside teachers as an aide. In this position, I was a teacher's aide and helped kindergarteners with their homework and tested their math and reading skills.
What have you enjoyed or learned so far at Sojourner? Any particular experiences or stories stand out?
I have enjoyed getting to know the other advocates as well as the residents. I have gotten the opportunity to learn more about the process from the beginning and the end of a resident’s stay. It’s nice to see how advocates actively work together with residents to fulfill their needs and goals they have to successfully transition from shelter to a new journey. Additionally, it is nice to spend time with kids and interact with them and see their personality shine whether it is by playing with their favorite toys or drawing with them.
How do you hope to use this experience in the future?
In the future I plan to become a clinical psychologist so by interning at Sojourner I hope to educate myself about domestic violence and its effects it has on people. As well as becoming more self-aware and advocating and supporting others who are going through difficult moments in their lives. I also hope to use my internship experience in the future to gain some knowledge in non-profit organizations as I envision myself opening a non-profit organization that focuses on helping low-income communities and giving resources surrounding mental health.
Interested in interning at Sojourner? We are currently recruiting for Spring Shelter interns! Visit https://www.sojournerproject.org/get-involved to learn more and apply.