WOW Fellowship Blog

Hey! My name is Leah Goldstein, a rising junior studying Psychology, Film, Television, and Interactive Media (FTIM) and Health, Science, Society, and Policy (HSSP). This summer I have the wonderful opportunity to work as a Counselor at the Child Mind Institute. The Child Mind Institute is a non-profit organization dedicated to the treatment of children and young people with mental health and learning disabilities.

The Child Mind Institute provides support to communities experiencing violence or facing natural disasters. They offer free, multilingual trauma resources to help parents, teachers, and other adults talk with children about potentially traumatic events. They reduce disparities by providing evidence-based care to thousands of children each year in their clinical centers and schools nationwide. They prioritize public awareness campaigns, tools, and educators to reduce stigma in underserved communities.

My proposed duties and responsibilities involve working as a counselor in the Summer Program, a four-week summer care program for children ages 5-10 who have ADHD or need help with behavioral, learning, and social issues. I work with children with disruptive behavior, encouraging them to adopt positive and prosocial behavior when interacting with other children and adults. I learn to use positive behavior management strategies, help implement individually tailored behavior plans, and promote and supervise recreational activities/games and exercise skills. I also volunteer extra hours before the program starts. I plan to strengthen my knowledge of clinical psychology and mental health counseling. I can achieve this goal by helping to implement individually tailored behavior plans and managing behavior data as directed by key personnel. As I train for these topics and assignments, I can build a stronger foundation in psychology, especially when working with children. This experience gives me practical insight into creating daily treatments and I learn positive behavior management strategies. Through this opportunity, I plan to hone in on what I want to do professionally after I graduate from Brandeis.

Thus far, I have gone into the non-profit to help them with volunteer work and preparing for the Summer Program. With the Summer Program starting July 10th, and training for counselors starting June 28th, I have inquired about going into the program earlier to assist in any tasks I can. With the team agreeing to my offer, I have been organizing binders, creating slideshows for the children in the program, and prepping orientation and training materials. I additionally met Dr. Guterman, who is the director of the Summer Program and Psychology at the Child Mind Institute. My internship so far has allowed me to understand the environment I will be working in and be less intimidated on the first day of the program. I expect adjusting to my role will be initially challenging, as this is my first experience being trained to learn empirically supported behavior management techniques and working with children with disruptive behavior concerns. However, I am dedicated to studying and learning about these procedures and am open to learning from my experience throughout the process. With this opportunity, I am grateful to start my career in psychology and explore my interests!

Despite the small and humble-looking entrance, The Right to Immigration Institute, or TRII, is a non-profit law firm that aids immigrants in navigating an unwelcoming system. While the organization is ready to help where it can in every section of the immigration process, the bulk of the work TRII undertakes is assembling asylum applications.

An asylum is a form of protection in the United States for those who are in danger in their home country and fear for their lives should they return. An asylum seeker must make their case to the government on why they have a well-founded fear of persecution (as defined under US refugee law and international human rights law). Establishing this “well-founded fear” is very difficult, especially without those trained on how to do so. Many law firms charge thousands of dollars for these services, which is inaccessible, especially for most people fleeing for their lives. This is why we especially put effort into making our services available to those who don’t have the income to afford an attorney, as TRII does not charge any person who walks through our doors. 

Once TRII agrees to take a client on, our staff works with our clients over the course of about four to six months to assemble an application for asylum. This requires frequent meetingswith the clients to capture their story. It is often a challenging experience for the client to relive traumatic parts of their lives in detail, which demands we do everything in our power to lead with kindness and patience.

A good asylum application includes the necessary form and supporting identification documents and numerous other components to prove the validity of the asylum seeker’s claim. These items include a testimony of the asylum seeker’s experiences called an affidavit, documents that lend validity to their affidavit, letters of support from those who are familiar with the asylum seeker’s story, and extensive research on the country conditions that have fostered the asylum claim.

Once all the necessary components are assembled, TRII submits the asylum application to our clients. We navigate the intricate bureaucracy of the immigration system, ensuring that the application is complete and meets all the requirements set by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The importance of a well-prepared application can be the difference between life and death, meaning TRII takes this work very seriously.

While I work on a variety of immigration cases that aren’t related to asylum, I also am involved in every aspect of the asylum application process. I help schedule intakes with potential new clients seeking asylum, I work with clients directly and frequently to build their cases, I research countries, and I have helped review applications ready for submission to ensure there are no errors. 

The above only scratches the surface of both my experience and the work accomplished by this organization. There isn’t a more directly impactful way to spend my time than the work I am doing at the Right to Immigration Institute. 

This summer I am interning with Oxfam America in the Private Sector Department, focusing on how corporations contribute to inequality and how we can work with them to alter their internal and external structures both constructively and critically. Oxfam is an international organization that works on inequality, poverty, and injustice, specifically focused on furthering economic justice, gender equality, and climate action. The Private Sector Department works through the private sector on these issues. I’ve been interning remotely in this department for about a month. My position consists of tracking the Private Sector team’s progress, accomplishments, and media hits in their respective projects and compiling this information for quarterly reviews and newsletters. My position also has the opportunity to assist on various specialized projects such as working with and promoting gender disaggregated data and tools in agriculture supply chains, working on a campaign to protect workers rights as e-commerce advances in big corporations, researching how to measure how corporations contribute to inequalities through their practices, and many more.

One particular project I’ve been particularly active on has focused on advocating for gender equality in the food sector, mostly in supply chains. I’ve been able to follow the planning process and attend an investor workshop on gender in the food sector (Investor Workshop – Gender in the Food Sector). It was extremely informative to research how gender is such a central issue in food supply chains, and observe conversations concerning the different routes to improve this disparity. In just a month of working with this team I have already been exposed to many different issue areas and projects that have extended my knowledge of the private sector and of Oxfam.

My greatest goal for the summer is to learn from this team how to engage with the private sector effectively for change. This way of working on these issues is a new perspective for me. I’ve spent a lot of time in organizing spaces concerning climate justice, where it is often essential to be combative and confrontational to corporate power and responsibility. Large corporations have contributed unimaginable amounts to the climate crisis, poverty, gender and racial inequality, and many other humanitarian crises. Given their position in these issues, it’s incredibly easy to blame them for their behavior and dismiss their role in the solution. And this route holds much truth – it is essential to hold them accountable! However, the reality is that these powerful corporations are not vanishing any time soon, and we must seek ways to hold them accountable effectively given that reality. I am grateful to be witnessing the difficult work that is taking place to do this. It is incredibly challenging to actually do the work of guiding these corporations towards more equitable business practices whilst holding them accountable. Oxfam navigates a difficult path between the relationships they must uphold to do this and the goals they are ultimatley seeking to achieve. It’s truly a joy to observe and assist such impressive projects being done by people so knowledgeable and experienced. Given my experience so far – I can’t wait to see what lessons the rest of my time at Oxfam holds!

My summer internship is at the Center for Virology and Vaccine Research (CVVR) at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Their mission is to advance research, education, and outreach “focuse[d] on the development of vaccines against infectious, oncologic, degenerative, and other diseases” (cvvr.hms.harvard.edu). I primarily work with the CTU, or clinical trials unit, of the CVVR which focuses on the human side of vaccine research. Their important work includes outreach, obtaining IRB approval, and starting observational trials and/or working with sponsors such as pharmaceutical companies on interventional studies. They also help run participant visits for each trial and help transport samples to the labs within the CVVR.

In terms of current projects and tasks, I’ve completed several trainings because of the importance of ethically working with human participants in a healthcare setting, particularly because many of the demographics in the studies being conducted at the CTU involve vulnerable groups. Nevertheless, I’ve been fortunate enough to sit in on meetings and shadow the RAs (Research Assistants). Some of the meetings I attend are:

• Monthly Student Meetings: Meeting with the undergrad and graduate students as well as Dr. Dan Barouch, the physician and immunologist who runs the Barouch Lab. During this check in meeting, each student goes over what we’re working on, and Dr. Barouch advises us.
• Weekly CTU Meetings: Discuss updates on community engagement projects as well as ways to spread the word about recruitment for future clinical trials. Go through updates on ongoing trials, including the Covid-19 Biorepository, Infant Vaccine Biorepository, Yellow Fever trial, HIV interventional studies, and MPox study.
• Weekly Post-doc Meetings: See presentations on ongoing research being conducted by post-docs in and out of the Barouch Lab. So far, I’ve learned about projects regarding HIV vaccine research, beginning a new MPox study from a public health lens, and updates on potential cancer vaccine research.
• Barouch Lab Meetings: Collaborative meeting where several departments within the Barouch lab provide updates. These departments include, but are not limited to, the Protein, Immunology, and Clinical groups.
• CVVR Weekly Seminar: Weekly zoom meetings where a professional either within or outside of the CVVR gives a presentation on their current projects. These presenters can be from many fields. The ones I’ve attended so far have been about advances in HIV vaccine research and imaging techniques used to find treatment for melanoma.

I have several learning goals as well as things I’m looking forward to as I continue my internship. They include:

• Learning about as many components of the CVVR as possible, including laboratory research, clinical research, and Bioinformatics.
• Learning more about genetic counseling, a field I’m considering as a career option.
• I will have the opportunity to see an assay in the lab next week, as well as shadow the Bioinformatics team.
• Continue to make connections with my coworkers (they are such a genuine and fun team!).

The first few weeks of WITNESS to Mass Incarceration’s internship program have been dedicated to diving deeply into understanding the details of incarcerated life. The director of the organization, Evie Litwok, designed a rigorous curriculum, where each day focuses on a different realm of life in prison. Though some topics may seem to be easier, perhaps, to digest—traveling while in prison, for example—each lesson has been, truly, horrific and difficult to hear. Not a single day of lessons has felt easy to get through. But this is the point. There are so many atrocities happening behind prison walls on a daily basis that most people are simply unaware of. Evie has dedicated her life to exposing the horrible realities of life in prison, and, taking it a step further, attempting to change this reality. Evie clarified that we will be continuing to learn more about life in prison throughout the whole summer, but that before we can actually begin working on prison justice, we must have a sense of the atrocities that incarcerated people are forced to endure. 

Each lesson either consists of a film or article that we watch or read together, or a live interview between Evie and a co-worker or friend. The amount of knowledge that I gained from these lessons has been exponential. We have learned about medical care, mental health care, prison air travel, solitary confinement, parole, voter disenfranchisement, the three-strikes law, and the experience of leaving prison, to list just a few of the topics we have thus far discussed. 

Evie also shared her story with us . She worked for 30 years in the non-profit world and on Wall Street, but was sent to prison at 60 years old for two years. During her time in prison, she wrote publicly about the lack of adequate medical care in the prison system, which then led to her being put into solitary confinement for seven weeks, an experience that severely traumatized her, and to this day continues to make her life difficult. Evie has written extensively about the trauma she has endured due to being placed into solitary confinement and the sheer inhumanity and torture of it. When Evie was released from prison, she had just $30 and a one-way Greyhound ticket. Though she had an extensive, decades-long resume and a Master’s degree, she did not receive a phone call from any of the 200 jobs that she applied to. No one wanted to hire someone who was in prison. She stayed homeless and penniless for 16 months, until a friend helped her find housing in a low-income building for seniors and provided her with money for a year until she found a stable job. After witnessing the generosity and kindness of her friend, she committed herself to helping those who experienced the same difficulties leaving prison that she has.

The topics we have learned and discussed thus far have been some of the hardest information I’ve ever had to digest. I have already heard countless stories of immense pain and suffering. There are no words for me to adequately express my horror at the sheer inhumanity those in prison are forced to endure. It has, however, been inspiring to juxtapose the inhumanity and cruelty of life in prison with the compassion and humanity that those working toward prison justice have. There is so much pain and suffering happening on a daily basis, but there are, at the same time, so many individuals and organizations who are working tirelessly to stop this suffering. Each story of pain and suffering has further reminded me of the necessity to raise awareness and continue to fight for prison justice.

This summer, I have the privilege of interning with the Boston-based Citizens for Juvenile Justice: an independent, state-wide nonprofit whose mission is to improve the juvenile justice system and other youth-serving systems in Massachusetts – the only of its kind throughout the entire state. CfJJ’s work centers around changing systems: they conduct research, organize in and involve local communities, produce reports, and advocate at the legal level for systemic policy reform. Joining in coalition with a number of other Massachusetts-based organizations, they advocate together for an end to the school-to-prison pipeline and school-hardening policies that criminalize youth in their educational spaces, emphasize rehabilitation, advocate for raising the age of juvenile court jurisdiction, and much more. Overall, CfJJ is committed to creating the basis for more equitable and developmentally appropriate youth-serving systems in Massachusetts.

As the Community Engagement Intern, my focus is on helping to involve the community in CfJJ’s work. It is also the responsibility of my Coordinator and I to collaborate with and show up for other organization’s rallies, discussions, and events. In my three weeks so far, I helped to see that CfJJ’s Annual Youth Justice Lobby Day was a success, and I supported a rally led by the Youth Justice and Power Union, advocating for a more just city budget – one that funds affordable and safe housing, youth jobs, resources for community mental health crises, and participatory budgeting systems.  Additionally, I attended a gathering led by the MA Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence outside the State House, calling for stronger gun violence prevention legislation. Lastly, I listened in on an Education hearing at the State House, where lawyers, advocates, and parents encouraged legislators to support a number of equitable education-related bills.

My tasks this summer revolve around two main projects. The first is creating a Respect Youth Stories Presentation, which will be delivered to youth-serving advocacy organizations in Massachusetts at the end of the summer. I have been working on formulating this presentation based off of a Respect Youth Stories Toolkit, published by CfJJ and the National Juvenile Justice Network in 2021. This toolkit, made in partnership with a number of youth advocates, details steps that advocacy organizations should take to more ethically include youth stories in their work. Its main goal is to ensure that advocates are not tokenizing, taking advantage of, or re-harming youth when they share their experiences. Drawing on my previous facilitation experience, I have been exploring how to make this meeting engaging and productive for our participants. 

My second project will be building Youth Roundtables on school safety. CfJJ’s Community Engagement Coordinator and I will be leading these roundtable discussions to offer youth an opportunity to speak openly about what a safe school means to them. While CfJJ produces reports that prove the harm of school-hardening policies like metal detectors and police presence in schools, we also want to hear from young people directly. 

Further, I will be offering support to another CfJJ staff member on their writing of a Restorative Justice Best Practices Guide. This has first involved speaking with both local and national Restorative Justice practitioners, with a specific focus on RJ practices in schools. 

My first internship goal is to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the framework of restorative justice and other developmentally-appropriate alternatives to school discipline policies. I will achieve this by engaging with CfJJ staff and other youth-advocates. My second goal is when adapting, designing, and co-facilitating trainings for other advocacy organizations on the ethical use of youth stories, I will aim to incorporate the lived experiences of impacted young people and to uplift their stories. My third goal is that by the end of the summer I will have read three books and listened to at least one podcast about issues concerning the juvenile justice system, the child welfare system, the school to prison pipeline, and other such issues. I also intend to read one article per week about these issues as they pertain to Boston and surrounding cities. 

This summer, I’m working remotely as a Research Intern for the American Economic Liberties Project, a nonprofit based in Washington D.C. that fights against monopolies and concentrated corporate power. As a political advocacy group, the organization seeks to demonstrate that the government can leverage its powers to promote a fair and competitive economy (as opposed to directly encouraging corporate accountability).

One aspect of the work Economic Liberties does is create reports and other policy products to inform various audiences. For instance, policy briefs like this one on hospital mergers are brief informational write-ups that help both the public and policymakers understand an issue and the best practices to address them. The organization also creates full reports, such as this one, analyzing antitrust policy under the Obama administration, and toolkits such as this one about Big Tech, which are directed more towards and provide guidance for lawmakers.

I am currently assisting on the research team of the organization and just finished my first project analyzing junk fee legislation on the state level. In terms of how my work impacts the greater organization, the work Economic Liberties does necessitates a research process to investigate issues that are especially salient or where there exists a political landscape (or the potential to create one) to take further action. Research around how and why something is an issue, which agencies can act, what legislators are currently proposing, etc. sets the stage to launch campaigns, employ strategic communications and advocacy, create political conditions or outside pressure on enforcers and Congress to act, etc.

My goal for this summer is to be a sponge and learn as much as humanly possible. I would be lying if I said I didn’t feel a little out of place at times among a team of highly knowledgeable and experienced experts and advocates. However, when my imposter syndrome rears its head, I’m choosing to use it as a learning opportunity to embrace my beginner’s mind and learn from this incredibly qualified team, rather than wallow in self doubt.

I hope to continue learning about corporate power and monopolies in a real-life context and how they impact everyday households beyond what is typically discussed in the classroom. Even just a few weeks in, I’m beginning to see monopolies and the effects of concentrated corporate power everywhere – as one of the members of the organization has said, “once you see it, you can’t unsee it.”

Finally, I hope to gain a better understanding of economic justice and the various tools for fighting for economic and social justice. I’ve previously done social justice work in the form of grassroots activism (things like protesting and coalition-building), but the work I’m doing with Economic Liberties adopts more of a policy-oriented approach. It’s been illuminating to expand my capabilities in various avenues of activism and justice, and I look forward to continuing my work with Economic Liberties this summer.

Hey There! My name is Grace Lassila and I am a rising junior here at Brandeis University! I am studying economics and mathematics, on track to complete a five year masters program with the International Business School! This summer I have the honor of interning at the National Consumers League, a non-profit advocacy group based in Washington, DC. NCL is one of the oldest consumer advocacy groups in the country! They work on a wide variety of topics including health, child labor, fraud, and so much more. I am their Health Policy Intern, and I started just a few weeks ago! I work remotely from my home in Southern New Hampshire, but that does not mean I am any less engaged! 

As the Health Policy Intern, I work with the Health Policy team doing research about the various topics and issues that the team works on. My main responsibility currently is working on revamping the Health pages of the NCL website. The website is currently very outdated, and requires a refresh of content and organization. I am excited to be working on this project because not only does it expand my understanding and knowledge of these topics, but this has been an area that has really needed some work for NCL. My goal is to make the website content easily digestible and easily understandable for consumers, i.e. anyone would care about these issues! The work I am doing will really improve the relationship between the group and the people they serve. I am also working on several blog posts about health policy related topics, which I will be publishing throughout the summer internship. 

My main goal for this internship was to really gain professional experience working within an advocacy organization. At Brandeis, I am passionate about menstrual justice and the advocacy work that comes with that. I have been a part of PAD (period activists at deis) since I was a freshman, and I have thoroughly enjoyed that work. For my summer internship, I wanted to experience what advocacy was like on a larger scale, in a professional setting, to really see if I could envision advocacy work as a career path. I thought, what better way than to submerge myself in a consumer advocacy group? I have learned so much from my boss and the other employees here at NCL about the kind of work that contributes to real-time advocacy. 

I have also really enjoyed the fact that my internship is remote! It has allowed me to be in charge of my own schedule and to work where I can! I have included below a picture of my typical work set up! I like to go to my local coffee shop and work there. This internship has allowed me to work hard, and also play hard over the summer! I am excited to see what challenges this summer will bring, and seeing how I overcome them!

Until Next Time!

After brainstorming what I wanted to do during the summer after my freshman year at Brandeis, I realized I needed a specific direction. I knew I wanted to find an internship where I could write extensively, but I needed to figure out what I wanted to write about. I also wanted the internship to be with an organization that aimed to help others, but I needed to figure out how. I am thankful to the Hiatt Career Center for helping me find an internship that works well for me. Their postings of Social Justice internships gave me access to the type of work I was looking for.

I am interning with the Integrity Institute as a Communications Intern. The role of an intern in a small think tank, like the Integrity Institute, is not fixed. Although the Communications Intern title fits some of my work, it doesn’t encompass everything I am capable of.

The Integrity Institute is a small think tank that “advances the theory and practice of protecting the social internet.” The institute is comprised of a small staff led by Co-founders Sahar Massachi (a Brandeis alum) and Jeff Allen. Before founding the institute, both Sahar and Jeff had professional experience with Facebook, doing the integrity work which the institute is known for. The largest demographic in the Integrity Institute is its fellows. The fellows, who have all done six months of integrity work before joining the institute, are tech professionals working across social platforms such as Meta, Twitter, Airbnb, and many more. As unpaid volunteers, the fellows bring their research and overall knowledge of their fields to Weekly discussion groups on topics like “AI taxonomy of harms,” “How elections affect social platforms,” and whatever else the community wishes to discuss.

I have had the privilege of spending a large portion of my internship with visiting fellow, Talha Baig, a former ML engineer with Facebook and a graduate of Cornell University. Talha is the co-founder and producer of the weekly Integrity Institute-backed podcast Trust In Tech. The Trust in Tech Podcast discusses integrity issues across social platforms with fellows of the Integrity Institute. The latest episode, which features guest, Alex Leavitt, and co-founder, Alice Hunsbereger, in the hosting role, discusses protecting the LGBTQ+ community on social platforms. For this episode, I worked with Alice to edit the podcast.

In the past week, I have focused on the podcast, expanding my role from exclusively editing to researching, scriptwriting, and producing. In addition to my work on the podcast, I attend institute member discussion sessions to learn more about integrity work. The most engaging session I joined last week discussed generative AI and its potential role in content moderation. In the past three weeks, I have learned more about generative AI than I previously knew, and now I use it to correct my notes.

The work environment of the Integrity Institute differs from what I expect most professional organizations to be since it operates remotely. However, the lack of in-person interaction doesn’t hold the institute back, and they make great use of short but to-the-point meetings, as well as Slack messenger, to ensure that everyone is on the same page.

I look forward to learning as much as possible from this opportunity and am excited to see where my work takes me this summer.

This summer, I am interning at the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office located in Worcester, Massachusetts. Within this office, I am interning for the supervisor of the Victim Witness Advocacy Program. The mission of the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office is ensuring justice is sought through tough and fair prosecutions, working to prevent crime before it happens through progressive community programming, seeking justice for victims, and protecting the safety of its citizens. This office not only does prosecutorial work, conducted by Assistant District Attorneys but also provides victim services and community outreach resources, among other services.

While I have yet to learn about all of the tasks that I will be responsible for, what I have done so far includes observing trials and attending presentations by various court actors such as Assistant District Attorneys, judges, the Clerk Magistrate, and the District Attorney himself. I think the impact my work will have on the District Attorney’s Office will contribute to its mission of conducting fair prosecutions and seeking justice for victims. Since I will be working for victim advocates who assist victims throughout the criminal justice process, I will have an indirect role that helps to ensure the needs of victims are heard and reflected during the prosecution of offenders.

My academic goal for my internship will be to draw comparisons between my previous experiences with the criminal justice system and this new experience, be able to apply what I have learned about the criminal justice system, and be able to expand my knowledge on the system. Observing court proceedings is a task that will help to address and achieve this goal. Observing court proceedings will allow me to see how the court actors work within the criminal justice system to seek justice or defend people, how the criminal justice system impacts the lives of real people, and what the immediate problems with the criminal justice system are.

My career goal for my internship is to develop networked relationships with the attorneys and other office members and be a dependable team member. The best way to address and achieve this goal is by producing the best work I can from every task I am given and listening to and applying feedback whenever it is given to me. Producing strong work from my responsibilities will aid in developing strong networked relationships because I will have demonstrated to be a good worker, which will lead to connection-building.

My personal goal for my internship is to enjoy and feel fulfilled by the work I am doing and develop a sense of excitement for my future career as a District Attorney. I hope every task I am responsible for will help me to address and achieve this goal. I look forward to the next weeks to solidify what my responsibilities will be, to learn from my internship supervisor, and to get advice from the Assistant District Attorneys.

Through this internship, I have met my goals to better understand New England’s caterpillars and plants. By caring for the animals, I began to familiarize myself with each species’ characteristics as well as gaining an understanding for identifying the native plants they eat. I especially furthered my learning of these species by listening to my peers at the lab and during programs. Once I grasped these facts and concepts I was then able to share it with visitors at programs. Programs were an important aspect of diving deeper into each caterpillars’ unique evolutionary traits as well as teaching broader concepts of ecology and the importance of species interactions. 

While I always loved insects, I was mainly drawn to the larger vertebrate species growing up. These used to be the animals I wanted to conserve the most, but through this opportunity, I gained a new appreciation for invertebrates and their critical roles in the ecosystem. The world of conservation is extremely devoted to protecting the large animals and this leads to people forgetting to protect and fund invertebrates. By learning the important yet overlooked facts about the roles of insects, it became apparent that these larger iconic animals and ecosystems cannot be well protected without conserving the staple organisms such as plants and insects. 

In New England, caterpillars consume more plant material than all other herbivores combined and are crucial in breaking down plants and becoming a new energy source for other organisms. On top of this, we can then see that wasps are the most prevalent consumers of caterpillars and without them, the caterpillar would be overpopulated and far too destructive to the ecosystem. This example interaction demonstrates the need for both caterpillars and wasps in an ecosystem to sustain a healthy ecosystem.

Insect decline is a serious threat to most ecosystems, yet it is often left behind in conservation planning. I’ve learned about the declines and local extinctions of these amazing caterpillars that provide significant ecosystem services and become far more aware of the need to protect and restore their populations. 

This experience has inspired me to explore new topics and ideas that I would like to pursue in the near future. It has completely changed the way I view wildlife, and I believe that it is a great internship for any students that are interested in conservation. I would recommend applying for this internship even if you may not love or be familiar with entomology. It can definitely make you fall in love with these beautiful animals and provide you with a learning experience from extremely knowledgeable people.  

A central concept that I have taken away from my internship is that the mechanics of social justice work are just like they are in any other position. An organization may have an inspiring mission, but achieving these goals may involve a lot of grunt work. My internship at the Volunteer Lawyers Project (VLP) helps low-income people facing eviction get access to legal aid. Through this experience, I have had the opportunity to meet amazing people and hear their stories. However, on a day-to-day basis, I was working with spreadsheets, PowerPoints, and online filing systems. Social justice work can be life changing and extremely powerful, but it can also be quite boring. However, what makes it boring is also extremely important and this is a lesson I have learned quite recently.

Over the past few months, I was trained to complete what VLP calls “outreaches.” This is a task on VLP’s online filing system called Legal Server where I record what clients VLP has served. This entails documenting the client’s personal information (name, address, citizenship status, etc.), what services VLP provided to the client, which attorneys worked with them and how much total time was spent with said client. Initially, I enjoyed completing outreaches because it was fascinating to read all the different stories of who VLP has helped. However, after a while it got quite dull, especially because I was just copying information from an Excel spreadsheet into Legal Server. This puzzled me. Why did the information VLP had in Excel also need to be in Legal Server? What purpose was I actually serving? 

I posed this question to my supervisor, who had a very satisfactory answer. VLP is funded largely by a Legal Services Corporation (LSC) grant, which comes from the federal government. Along with this grant comes strict requirements about what type of clients VLP can serve and what aid we can provide. For example, all of VLP’s clients must be legal U.S. citizens or have proof of lawful residency. Even though VLP may wish to serve undocumented people, we are unable to due to LSC requirements. It turns out that making sure that VLP is compliant with LSC requirements is the entire purpose of the outreaches that I was completing. This detailed documentation in a legal filing system ensures that VLP has a legitimate record of the work they have completed, and that it was done so in a manner appropriate to the funding they receive. If this process is done incorrectly, VLP could be at risk of losing their funding.

In this instance, I learned a lesson that I wished I knew at the beginning of my internship. When doing social justice work, every little task matters. Even if an assignment seems mundane or pointless, it is likely part of a bigger wheel that keeps your organization rolling. This is advice I would give someone pursuing an internship in legal aid or at any kind of non-profit. Grunt work is often given to interns, but this in no way means you are not doing meaningful work. You are still contributing to the valuable mission that your organization is striving to achieve.

It has been quite a fulfilling experience interning with The Right to Immigration Institute (TRII) this summer. I’ve not only been immersed in immigration law, but I’ve had an opportunity to witness the law in action and learn more about the world of work. In addition to feeling much more prepared to take on the challenge of law school and hit the ground running, I have continued to build on soft skills like communication, self-accountability, and work-life balance in preparation for life beyond college.

One of the most important things that I have learned this summer is the importance of developing and nurturing soft skills, such as those mentioned above. A person’s ability to complete a job isn’t necessarily defined by their experience or qualifications, but rather by their ability to adapt, effectively communicate, and hold themselves accountable in terms of asking for help and managing deadlines. In the world of social justice, this is especially important, as clients put their lives in the hands of their attorneys, accredited representatives, and/or advocates.

In terms of the impact that I have had on TRII, I believe that just by participating in the first cohort of trainees to become accredited representatives helped to pave the way for advancing the program for future trainees. Having the opportunity to participate in a six-month program tailored to undergraduate students who want experience in the legal field is incredibly rare; what is even more rare, at least on the undergraduate level, is the opportunity to work alongside professional attorneys who are passionate about devoting their extra time and energy to bettering the skills of those who intern alongside them. While working on cases, I have been encouraged numerous times to take the lead on client meetings, file paperwork, or write client affidavits, on top of legal research. I have deeply appreciated and enjoyed the learning experience working at TRII and the support from our executive director and attorneys, and I plan to continue to intern with the organization until I graduate from Brandeis.

If I were to do it all over again, I’m not sure that there is a lot I would change. I got lucky in the sense that I found the program when I was able to find the time to do the training and to take on an internship doing consistent client work. In terms of advice to those interested in working with TRII or in immigration law in general, I would encourage you to not be afraid to ask all the questions you have. In my opinion, education is the greatest gift in the world, and you won’t learn unless you take an active role.

I am grateful to the World of Work fellowship program for supporting me in my internship with The Right to Immigration Institute this summer. This experience is an important step on my path to becoming a lawyer and the skills I have developed over the course of this internship will no doubt propel me further. Law school, here I come!

My time at NCL will be my framework for shaping my expectations for future jobs and how I approach social justice. Through this experience, I learned the value of communication and collective action. Without them, nothing I worked on would have been possible.

In order to create positive change on the national level, collective action is critical. The likelihood of achieving desired goals increases immensely when organizations and individuals work together and form a unified front before lobbying Congress, governmental institutions, and more. Together, distinct groups can place pressure in different ways and offer diverse perspectives, incentivizing targeted parties to support or even vote in the best interest of the collective. However, this collaboration cannot succeed without effective communication.

This is imperative at all levels, from planned strategic meetings between organizations to my boss laying out clear instructions on what she needs from me as her intern. Some of the ways I have applied this at NCL are: replying to emails in a timely manner; asking questions when I do not understand an assignment or issue; and being direct with what I need and how I can help my bosses. I will take these lessons about the world of work with me throughout my career and incorporate them into future social justice advocacy.

At NCL, I wrote policy statements covering a range of health issues including copay accumulator programs, the monopolistic practices of PBMs, the unfair treatment of pregnant workers, the FDA’s ban on Juul, and the ongoing gun epidemic. In addition, I assisted in breaking down specific issues during lobbying meetings and took notes for my supervisors in meetings they were not able to attend. I also had the privilege of assisting the Director of Health Policy in her testimony to the Senate Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights. This included helping craft her formal statement, opposition research, and strategy recommendations for the Q&A portion of the hearing. Currently, I am working on expanding NCL’s “Where We Stand” health policy platform by drafting a section on health equity.

One of my most significant takeaways from my experience at NCL was how to approach lobbying. Before starting at NCL, the lobbying tactics I employed were almost exclusively rooted in applying pressure in order to achieve a desired result. However, watching and learning from NCL staff highlighted the importance of maintaining a more balanced approach. While pushing hard and using pressure-based incentives are direct and effective, it is also critical that this does not come at the cost of losing contacts and connections. Before going into a meeting, both parties have researched each other and have likely made their mind up about the issue. In this respect, lobbying can be a formality with a predetermined outcome, and therefore is not something worth burning bridges over. This is something I wish I had known before starting my internship and I will inevitably keep this lesson in mind throughout my career.  

For future interns that have the privilege of working at NCL, my advice would be to be proactive about asking for work and to prove early on your ability to produce high-quality material. Oftentimes with internships, bosses do not know what you are capable of and correspondingly will delegate tasks that are not up to personal standards. Illustrating prowess with smaller assignments and then asking to be a part of larger ones not only leads to a more targeted and robust learning experience, but will ensure all parties feel fulfilled throughout this unique and amazing opportunity that WOW and NCL facilitate. 

I learned two things about myself throughout my internship at United for a Fair Economy (UFE). One is that I would prefer to work at a nonprofit as a part-time job, and the other is that community organizing involves a lot of new client introductions and unpaid work. Overall, I learned the importance of organizing and networking in your community, especially maintaining and growing networks. These lessons are vital for understanding how grassroots organizations collaborate and help each other.

I am now brainstorming what skills and prior knowledge I wish to have to create a significant, powerful impact on my community and bring that talent back home. I learned much about project management, team building, fundraising, and healthy relationships during my internship. I was able to help the office accountant with receiving, cataloging, and cashing in donations. More importantly, I was involved in the correspondence process, thanking individuals, creating letterheads, and mailing them. One memorable quote from a colleague about this process was, “the best way to obtain new donors is to re-engage with old ones.” I also helped my manager by fine-tuning and editing prompts for the Conversation Deck project and arranging a focus group with a diverse group of outside partners. Last but not least, I helped promote and market UFE fundraising and informational events.

I will say that although popular education was a new concept to me, it was amazing to see it in practice. I learned a lot about this type of work. I also realized that the more I did focus groups, the more I learned about the last one and better ways of facilitation.

Someone I wish I had met when I started is a staff member called Eroc. His work is concentrated around Healing Justice and community resource pooling. I wished I had met him earlier and worked with him more often, mainly since he was remote. He was the type of person you would speak to and feel like you got something out of the discussion.

One piece of advice I would give to someone pursuing an internship or career in this field is to take advantage of the learning opportunity and be careful of burnout. Burnout is the reason why I would pursue nonprofit work as a part-time job. I would also recommend that people do their research into organizations, ex-employees, and the work and impact an organization has done because we must be careful of the nonprofit industrial complex. A high concentration of nonprofits in an area signals a structural problem in how society operates. Moreover, being a 501(c)(3) means that the organization does its taxes in a particular way. This means you could end up in a nonprofit organization that mimics and operates the way a corporation would. Therefore, good things to look for in a nonprofit are whether they acknowledge mental health struggles and burnout, and if they work on projects collectively and cooperate with tasks and roles.

Overall, I am leaving this internship very fulfilled and appreciative. 

As student activists, leaders, and change-makers, we know that change is a slow and ever-evolving process. This also applies to the work we do at Fulphil as we try to impact as many high school students as possible. We update our curriculum each year to include the most up-to-date content, examples, and scenarios, which involves consistently supporting and aligning ourselves with the mission and values of the organization. I think of Fulphil’s work as slow but impactful steps towards building the next generation of highly motivated and like-minded students. 

At Fulphil, I have been able to support my own team of students working on the Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion curriculum while assisting the development of other curriculums in Social Entrepreneurship and Financial Literacy. In addition to crafting curriculums, I created slides that teachers across the country can use in their classrooms as supplementary materials to the curriculum. The work that we do sits at the intersection of being independent and collaborative. Being able to work on multiple projects that I was in charge of, on my own schedule, while coming together with the larger team to discuss challenges and brainstorm ideas and solutions has been a great balance in work style.

If there is anything I’ve learned this summer, it is to never be afraid to be creative, bring your ideas into the space, and take chances to make it happen. We are at a time in our lives where we can make mistakes, own up to them, and stand up again with a new road map in our grasp. What’s special about working at Fulphil is being able to bring your creativity to your tasks and projects—and that is how you make something personable and unique to you and enjoy your experience to the fullest. I learned to be adaptive, flexible, and curious, which allowed me to take on many opportunities throughout this experience. I was given the opportunity to facilitate team and department meetings, create curriculum and content surrounding topics and issues that I was passionate about, and provide suggestions and ideas for future iterations of the internship program. 

I’m incredibly grateful to have been able to work and grow with the staff at Fulphil, and I know that the impact we are creating together is huge, despite not being able to see it immediately. For others interested in pursuing a path in social impact, know that what you do on a day-to-day basis is always valuable and will contribute to the larger organization in ways you may not expect. This learning experience has taught me that the work and effort one puts into anything is always impactful, beyond what is visible to the eye. With that in mind, I know that with everything that I put my energy and efforts into, I am making a difference and contributing to the gradual process of building and creating impact.

The opportunity to spend this summer working with Science Clubs International  (SCI) allowed me to grow and learn in many ways. Having the chance to be involved in such an impactful organization certainly shaped my goals for my professional career. I understand the importance of making science education accessible to spark social transformation, especially in Latin America where there aren’t as many opportunities in the field. Teaching high school and college students about the impact scientific research can have on the world and introducing them to the field is the way to create change-makers. Through engaging assignments, I have grown into a better educator, collaborator, student, researcher, coordinator, and team member. My confidence and understanding of non-profit STEM education has grown, and I know I want to continue collaborating and working with a project like this in the future.

During my time with SCI, my confidence working in a professional environment increased. As an intern, I have been involved in the growth, development, and organization of an SCI international event that will happen next month for over 300+ students from different countries. Every year, the organization hosts young scientists, graduate students, and postdocs to share their knowledge and stories about pursuing careers in science with high school and college students, and to organize workshops to offer a hands-on scientific experience for them. As I worked in the organization of the event, I demonstrated initiative by increasing the number of Brazilian students applying to the event. I improved my communication skills by translating the website, documents, and tutorials across three languages: Portuguese, Spanish and English. While I’m working at the event next month, I’ll be able to see all of our work actually coming to life.

I’m proud of all of the work I’ve been involved in this summer and grateful I had the opportunity to pursue this internship. For those interested in interning with SCI or a similar organization, I believe I can offer advice on how you can make the most of your internship experience.

The main advice I would give is to learn from the experience each professional brings to the team. I understand that as an intern, it may seem scary to approach them in the work environment, but most individuals are open to talking about their careers in and contributions to the STEM nonprofit sector. When I felt comfortable doing that, I received extreme support from those I work with, developed a professional relationship with them, and learned to better advocate for what I believe.

Working with SCI was an incredible experience. This is something that I have always wanted to do since I participated in one of their programs in high school, and being able to be on the inside and learn how everything is put together was a rewarding experience. I also loved reflecting on my experiences by writing these blog posts throughout the summer. I hope  these posts inspire other students to pursue similar internships and apply to be a part of the wonderful WOW cohort in the coming years.

The more that I learn, the more I realize how little I know. I’ve felt this to be the case in life, and certainly in my work this summer. Working with Consensus, I very quickly found out the depth of knowledge involved in expertise in the field, and my own excitement to delve deeper.

Unsurprisingly, conflict resolution and peacekeeping is a vast field. I knew this going in. What I failed in some ways to grasp was the degree to which it is tied in with academia. There is a massive body of work dedicated to these topics, and leading experts whose studies are focused on these disciplines.

This is all to say that a person could devote a lifetime to the field. From the delicate intricacies of mastering one on one negotiation to the unbelievable complexities of resolving conflicts between millions of people, it’s a field that requires real expertise. For any good work, including social justice work, success is dependent on deep research and experience, and learning from others more knowledgable.

My own expertise is more limited, but I do have skills to bring to the table. I hope that what I have been working on will have some sort of impact at Consensus. I’ve worked hard to help develop their online presence, and I hope that they will continue to succeed in connecting and communicating with clients in some small part thanks to my work.

But I realize that I am working with a team of talented experts, people who happen to have studied communications extensively. These are people who I am lucky enough through this work to have had access to. Considering my desire to improve my own skills, I have tried my best to take the fullest advantage of this opportunity.

I think if I were to start over again, however, I would have worked harder to connect with and learn from the experts at Consensus Group. Working virtually makes forming professional connections more difficult, but that’s the reality of the world we are in today.

If I were to talk to someone just entering into the field like I did, I would give the same advice I wish I had: Do not shy away from talking with the people you work with, as it is all an opportunity to learn. The experience you have in work such as this is very much “what you make of it.” This is an opportunity to meet interesting people and learn more about a certain field, so use that chance to the fullest. While I was able to do this with some success, I wish I had done so more.

I have learned a lot from my work this summer, but I can see now how I have only scratched the surface. I hope to dig far deeper in the future, and to use this as a jumping off point for further work in the field of conflict resolution.

Throughout this summer internship, I have learned so much, and learning feels like the number one thing I do every day. What stands out to me the most out of my entire experience is that you are not going to be able to help everyone. Sometimes you have to recognize when you are not the one to help, and either the person may have to figure it out on their own or there may be other resources for people to turn to. What is upsetting is people who we help in this work who we turn away do not have the resources to get the proper help. It can be hard to put your own personal feelings aside and not try to do everything in your power and do something small. An important and difficult skill to develop is learning how to turn people away. Along with putting feelings aside, it can be difficult to help someone who has done something terrible. Learning to respond in an appropriate and professional way to anyone who comes in is also essential. 

One of the biggest impacts I had was updating all of the in-person resources/pamphlets and helping to create templates of information that future interns will use to guide litigants. Some of these resources have not been updated since 2016 or before the pandemic. A lot has changed, and many people turn to these physical handouts to further educate themselves. One of the big projects I undertook when days were slow was to go through stacks of papers, see if what is there is the most up to date information, and update the information if necessary. The templates will make it easier for the next interns to understand the basics of what litigants will need in basic scenarios. This will benefit the interns and will serve as a better helping hand to the managers and supervisors from the start.

Something I wish I knew before I started this internship was that this internship requires you to constantly learn as you go, and that nearly every case that comes in will not be super cut and dry. I expected to know every kind of situation in a general sense going in so I could be prepared for anyone. This simply is not possible. You must be prepared to adapt and try to do everything to the best of your abilities. At the end of the day it’s okay to make mistakes because white out will always be there!

If I could share pieces of advice for the next person who wants to pursue an internship or career in the Court Service Centers, there are two big things I would want to share. First, sometimes you are the person who takes the heat for not being able to assist someone and know that this is not your fault. And second, advocate for yourself and do not be afraid to help someone with an issue you have not seen before. Again, the biggest thing you will be doing is learning, so do not be afraid to dive right in. Overall, I am very appreciative of the experiences that have come out of this internship. I have been able to grow as a more confident person, and most importantly, I have been able to get a better understanding of the characteristics that I want in my future career.

At the beginning of my internship at Our Sisters’ School (OSS), I was naïve about the world of nonprofits. As a Title I, independent, tuition-free school, the dedication of its community members is vital for its success. I started in May knowing that my contributions would significantly aid the school, but I did not realize the impact the students and educators would have on me. As an alumna, I was nostalgic each moment I stepped foot on their campus, yet I was invigorated by the changes I witnessed daily. As a staff member, I experienced new additions to the school in a way that fueled my inner child like eating lunch and completing tasks in the outdoor classroom, creating pottery, and attending surfing camp (as a chaperone and camper). As a low-income student myself, I felt grateful for the opportunities OSS afforded me years ago. I now feel even more committed to their mission as I witness other kids with similar backgrounds experiencing even more than what I could. 

One unique aspect of nonprofits is the unwavering commitment of the staff to the organization’s cause. To describe OSS’ team as dedicated is an understatement. My supervisor this summer, Tobey Eugenio, started at OSS during my 8th-grade year in 2016. As the Creative Director, she has encouraged students to view themselves as creators, engineers, and critical thinkers. She is who I think of when I encounter the term “social justice” within an education framework. As I worked to incorporate social justice in an educational context this summer, I realized that we need to help students redefine themselves. When working with kids from economically disadvantaged areas, there are more obstacles than what appears on the surface. OSS successfully educates students because they provide a space for authenticity and recreation. When a student can view themself as capable and intelligent, we see the barriers begin to dissipate.

A facet of OSS that should be applied to other institutions of education is the dissociation of grades and success. Students are encouraged to try their best and are supported when they find material challenging. In addition to providing support, OSS strays from traditional academia. While they still offer the necessary classes, they expand these constraints through their Creative Suite, offering courses such as Art and STEAM. The interdisciplinary nature allows students to discover their niche and releases the pressure to just be “smart” in a society where the term does not have to be defined one way. OSS’s students are intelligent, courageous, persistent, and always ready to try something new. When approaching an internship or career within education, especially if you plan to serve a disadvantaged population, it is paramount to get to know your students. Without understanding your students’ backgrounds, strengths and weaknesses, you will never be able to justly serve them. 

I am honored to have spent my summer back at my home base, where the foundation was set for me. I genuinely associate my personal and academic successes to the characteristics that were instilled in me during my time at OSS. I am eager to see what the future will hold for them. Thank you to the Social Justice World of Work Fund for enabling me to complete this work. Most importantly, a huge appreciation to the OSS team for being the most supportive and committed team—you are the reason change endures. 

I had an incredible time at my summer internship with NNABl, a women’s health startup that is creating a natural supplement for women experiencing perimenopause, the lesser-known stage prior to menopause. The experience has given me valuable insight into the world of work due to its focus on entrepreneurship. The brand has yet to launch, and plans to do so in March, meaning that my internship was crucial in laying the groundwork for their branding and consumer interaction.

Because the company is still in its infancy, I was given a unique perspective working directly with NNABI’s founders. I learned of the many factors someone needs to consider when starting a company, ranging from the look of the website to social media outreach to analyzing the results of a clinical trial. I can confidently say that if I had worked for a larger, already-established company, my work would not have been as varied nor as important to the company’s growth as it was with NNABI. An important lesson I learned was that working for a small company means you experience incredible highs, such as hearing good reviews from the trials, as well as incredible lows, such as seeing other, larger companies, making similar product claims as you are.

In terms of social justice, I have learned a valuable lesson about empowerment. While knowledge and research on perimenopause is growing among experts, there is still much work to be done to educate the general public about the symptoms that women go through and how they can impact a woman’s life. It was uplifting to see my bosses recognize a growing field and ask themselves how they could contribute to solving a problem that they themselves were experiencing. There is a lot of social injustice aligned with women’s health, particularly in issues like the gender data gap, the lack of comprehensive sexual education, and the misdiagnoses of women experiencing perimenopause. However, NNABI has made it clear that they do not plan to shy away from any of these, and their efforts have been reflected in my work for this summer, like the conversational “cheat sheet” between patients and doctors and a survey asking younger women about their views on menopause.

There are many things that I wish I knew before I started my internship. The first is that time management is a crucial part of any job, but especially in a virtual internship. The fact that there was no office for me to commute to meant I was the one holding myself accountable for getting the work done. It is important to know yourself and how you work, so planning my work time has been crucial for my success. Another important lesson is to adapt to your supervisor’s leadership style. I had gone into the internship assuming I would be given orders and tasks only, but due to the small nature of the company, my relationship with my bosses was much more collaborative. It meant I had to be much more creative with my work and come up with ideas outside of my tasks.

Finally, I would say a good piece of advice for anyone wanting to pursue an internship in women’s health is that you must learn how to collaborate with everyone.  My internship in women’s health was marked by the constant collaboration that my bosses and I had with other women, some of whom weren’t even involved with NNABI. One of my supervisors is involved with a company called Chief, a networking community for women, and through that service, we were able to meet with lifestyle influencers, naturopaths, doctors, and graphic designers, each with unique advice to give. The lesson is that nothing can be gained from not reaching out to others, and it is always beneficial to ask for advice if you need it—a message that will continue to be helpful for me during my time as Brandeis.

Working for BAGLY Inc. this summer has been very informative for me in regards to social justice and nonprofit work, as well as learning how an office job works. This has been an especially amazing way for me to learn about work after college because it is explicitly safe for members of the LGBTQ+ community. The organization is staffed by many people within the queer community and its purpose is to help the members of the LGBTQ+ community. My coworkers and bosses have all helped make this an informative work environment while feeling socially comfortable within my own identity. Although this internship has been mostly online, I have gone into the office once to do some written work and it was interesting seeing such a safe queer working environment. The office also functions as a community center for Boston, so it has a very safe and open feel to it.

While I was at BAGLY Inc. as an intern, I mostly did work behind the scenes that most people would not see. My impact mainly took work off the plates of the paid employees and made it easier for them to do less monotonous and more person-to-person work. I essentially helped BAGLY function better by doing administrative work such as sending emails to donors or thank you letters to people for donating. Although this is not very direct work for social justice, it does help to get more donations for BAGLY that can then enable the company to grow and help more people. It has also been nice seeing my coworkers help the company grow along by doing similar work because we know what we are doing is meaningful and a good cause. Getting to know my coworkers who are within the LGBTQ+ community also helps expand my connections as well as expands the LGBTQ+ community. My coworkers and I have come a long way since we first met.

Starting at BAGLY, I wish I had not been so afraid to meet and get to know my coworkers. Sometimes I can be hesitant in social situations and this time I was very hesitant. Through working at BAGLY, I have learned how amazing and supportive my coworkers are. This will help me greatly in a post-college career because I know not to be afraid to reach out and make connections. I have especially grown to know my coworker Mary, who is the one always in the office.

Someone who is going into the social justice or nonprofit field cannot be afraid to make connections. Connections are extremely important not only to secure a job, but also for doing anything within the field. If one needs people to donate, someone to write a blog post, or speak at an event, then one must be able to make connections. Social justice is not an easy field for a career, but it can be an extremely satisfying one if one truly believes in what they are doing.

There is no better teacher than experience. Being an intern allows you to gain work experience and helps you to understand the inner workings of a field. Even when the internship doesn’t live up to your expectations, it still provides a valuable learning opportunity. While interning at Someone Cares Atlanta, I learned many important lessons, although they were not necessarily the lessons that I wanted to learn when I started my internship this summer. 

When I applied to intern, I was interested in doing outreach work with people who have been exposed to or have contracted HIV. Unfortunately, I was not able to do this during my time at Someone Cares. Instead, I worked primarily with clients participating in the Intensive Outpatient Substance Abuse program (IOP). This provided me the opportunity to learn about how intensive outpatient programs were run and operated. I was able to look into the lives of people recovering from substances and understand them better. I also learned about the link between substance abuse and mental health and how mental illness can be a co-morbidity for addiction. Many people turn to substance abuse due to untreated mental illness. This emphasized to me the importance of making sure everyone has access to mental health services.

During my time at Someone Cares, I also learned the importance of clear communication. Unfortunately, my internship was sometimes hampered by the failure to communicate important information and general disorganization. For example, I arranged for the first day of my internship to be June 6; however, when I arrived they were unsure of who I was or what to do with me for almost an hour. Problems like this persisted throughout my internship experience, many of which could have been avoided through communication from management. I believe one solution would have been allowing me to have access to general communication channels for my department so I could stay in the loop.

Despite some of the setbacks, I believe I was able to have a positive impact during my internship. I assisted with the intensive outpatient program group and provided consistency for clients since I was the only person who was in the office every day. I also helped to lessen the load placed on case managers by doing administrative tasks and data entry. Overall, I was able to improve the quality of life for both employees and clients.

One thing I wish I understood back when I started my internship is the importance of knowing what you want to get out of an internship and being able to advocate for it. This is especially important when you’re not participating in an established internship program. If there is a particular experience that you are looking forward to getting during your internship, you should let your supervisor know. Being an intern is about gaining experience and opportunities for growth. It is important to take an active role in your internship experience.

For someone looking to find an internship, I would recommend interning with an organization with an established program or an organization that is willing to work with and support you as an intern. If you’re not participating in a program, I would meet beforehand to establish an itinerary for the internship. Overall, I believe it’s beneficial for someone interested in social justice to do an internship. The work is not easy and the world of nonprofits can be a little disorganized, but the opportunity to have an impact on even one person’s life is why I came to Brandeis.