News
Email
Print
Intern work gives students direction
Nonprofits get help while students learn about themselves
Journal Photo by Jennifer Rotenizer
Jessica Armstrong (right) talks with Diana Smeeton at Crisis Control.
ADVERTISEMENT
Published: July 12, 2009
Updated: 07/12/2009 12:30 am
The other day, Jessica Armstrong had to tell a young woman with a 6-month-old baby that Crisis Control Ministry would not give her $116 to pay her utility bill.
The woman accepted the decision and quietly walked out of the office. Others have not taken it as well when Armstrong delivers bad news. They've yelled and cursed at her.
It's not quite what Armstrong, a rising senior at Wake Forest University, expected when she signed up for a summer program to be an intern at nonprofits in Winston-Salem.
"This internship weighs heavily on my spirit,'' she said.
Armstrong has a soft spot for children and had hoped that the ministry, which helps people in need, would pay the woman's bill.
But in discussions with another volunteer, it became clear that the client was leaning too heavily on public assistance and most likely she hadn't followed through on a program that would have found her a job. The request was denied.
"I wanted to go into social work," Armstrong said after escorting the client out of the office, "and this has made me feel like it's not what I want to do."
Helping students discover what they are passionate about is one of the goals of the summer internship program, which is affiliated with Wake's Pro Humanitate Center. The program also, as in Armstrong's case, can point out issues students may not have considered, and could lead them to pursue other careers.
The Pro Humanitate Center was named after the school's motto. "Pro humanitate" means "for humanity'' in Latin. The center was established to help students choose a vocation based on their values. The internships and other programs run out of the center are funded by a grant from the Lilly Endowment.
The nonprofit internship, now in its fourth year, matches students with nonprofits in the area. Students pick an area they are interested in, and with help from Linda Dunlap of the Pro Humanitate Center, talk to local agencies about working as an intern for eight weeks. Students are volunteers, but they receive a stipend through the grant.
This year, students are working at such places as Big Brothers Big Sisters, Second Harvest Food Bank and the Darryl Hunt Project, which helps former inmates return to life outside of prison.
Students work 32 hours a week. One day a week, they gather at one of the nonprofit sites, learn about and tour the agency and get instruction on the business of nonprofits from Cyndi Skaar, an adjunct professor at the Calloway School of Business and Accountancy at Wake.
A significant portion of those weekly sessions is devoted to "vocational reflection." Students are required to write papers on what they've learned and how it is affecting them. The students discuss those reflections during group time.
David Yamane, the chairman of the sociology department, moderates the sessions.
"Everyone comes away from the process with a deeper understanding of who or what they want to be, and that's the primary goal of the program," Yamane said. "You're not going to change the world with eight students in eight weeks. This is about students learning something about themselves."
Trayonna Floyd, who graduated from Wake in May, interned last summer at the Children's Law Center. Floyd's experiences at the law center helped her decide that she wants to go to law school and concentrate on children's issues.
"It gave me an opportunity to explore an area that I had neglected to see," Floyd said. "It brought back what really mattered and reminded me of the importance of giving back and serving your community, and if that means getting a smaller check at the end of the month, so be it."
Although her assignment at Crisis Control has been challenging, Armstrong has not written off working at a nonprofit. She still has a strong desire to help people. The internship has taught her where her strengths lie.
At the group's weekly gathering last week, Armstrong and her fellow interns talked about how she might be more valuable working in administration or on the business side of a nonprofit.
"Working with people is something I enjoy doing," Armstrong said. "But if I'm on the administrative side, maybe I could meet with people one day a week. I don't want to be closed off."
Dunlap, the associate director of the Pro Humanitate Center, said that the program is also a way for students to engage with the Winston-Salem community.
"They're receiving great personal development day in and day out," she said. "It's a unique learning experience."
■ Lisa O'Donnell can be reached at 727-7420 or at lo'donnell@wsjournal.com
Email
Print
