It's not uncommon for upper class college students to do internships-- after all, they're the best way to ensure that your chosen major/field is for you and to gain hands-on experience by the time you graduate. I have completed four internships in four years, but my current one is at a domestic violence agency called HAWC (Healing Abuse Working for Change). And honestly, it HAS changed me. I have laughed, cried, struggled, thrived, and, most importantly, I have grown. It has been a whirlwind of a semester, but my time with HAWC has been nothing short of incredible and I'm sad to be leaving in just a week. HAWC, thank you for the experience of a lifetime. I will never forget you.
1. My fellow EC intern.
When I applied for the internship position, I was told that there was another Endicott intern also applying. I thought that was a bad thing in case we'd be stacked against each other, but then my supervisor told me that she'd be happy to take both of us on. We were both relieved and immediately started talking about our background, our interests, and what we expected. When it came time to start, we talked about transportation and have carpooled every day of the internship-- 4 days a week-- plus worked two shifts at Endicott's tutoring center together. Needless to say, we spent a lot of time together this semester. We joked about it often, but now that I'm reflecting, I wish that we had more time to chat and laugh about random things. I will miss all of our days yelling at Massachusetts drivers, aimlessly driving around because I can't follow simple directions from Siri, chilling in the car to pick up odd items for the agency only to find out that it isn't there, and a whole array of other things. I wouldn't have survived without my fellow intern, and quite frankly, the internship wouldn't have been the same without you.
2. My supervisors.
Interestingly, I had two supervisors-- one directly in the HAWC office and another through the local police department's domestic violence unit when we spent time there. They both treated us like professionals but also had a soft spot that gave us the ability to joke and laugh with them. We got super close this semester to both of them, and I feel that we hit the jackpot with our supervisors; I know some interns who weren't so lucky. I'd like to thank both of our amazing supervisors for taking so much time to teach and train us, and for providing us with so many fantastic opportunities.
3. My coworkers.
The office environment is one that I never envisioned myself enjoying, but I was fortunate enough to be surrounded by empowering women who all hold the same image that I do: a world free of domestic violence, a world where equality for all truly exists. I learned this semester that office work is actually really fun if you're surrounded by the right people. I already miss all of you!!!
4. Random road trips that often ended unsuccessfully.
Me and the intern I spent the semester with were often sent on somewhat random trips to pick up donated items for the agency, and there were two days that I can remember in particular that we left to go get the items only to sit in the car for nearly an hour and then receive a call that the mission was a no-go. It was funny and we enjoyed ourselves despite the fail, but it happened fairly frequently.
5. Listening to clients' stories.
Meeting with clients was probably my favorite part of the internship. This was the "meat" of the internship, if you will, and this is where I learned the most. While the stories were often heart-wrenching, I found them to be eye-opening and very valuable for my education. They confirmed my interest in the field and made me strive even more so to do what I can in the mission to end domestic violence.
6. The cafe upstairs from our office.
Silly, right? No, you don't understand. There's a cute cafe called the Green Tomato on the floor above our office and they make fantastic food. I often got mozzarella sticks on the days when I was sick of peanut butter sandwiches or crackers and tuna fish. My other favorite item on the menu was their iced coffee. It was nearly as good as Dunkin, but not quite.
7. Distributing flyers for all of our events in freezing, rainy weather.
This one might sound sarcastic, but it was actually really fun to explore various towns and cities and go into coffee shops and family-owned restaurants. We met lots of people and got to promote HAWC and domestic violence-related events in places that might otherwise not have known about the agency at all, or the events we were running. Even when the weather was sub-par, it was a good time.
8. Sharing jokes and laughs with coworkers.
I know I already mentioned the work environment within the office, but it was really a difference-maker in my experience to have coworkers making jokes and trying to lighten the mood. What I found most impressive is that they lightened the mood without reducing the seriousness or severity of the work.
9. Sharing all I learned and experienced with other people.
Each week in my internship class, I was able to share events and stories from my internship with my professor and classmates, which provided a sense of validation for me. It was exciting to spread awareness and simply talk about what I was feeling and going through each day with a group of people who understood.
10. Attending community events and meeting DV allies.
One aspect that I found most rewarding in this work was meeting "average, everyday people" who commit themselves to advocating for survivors and, thus, identify themselves as an ally. It was SO cool to see people in coffee shops or at events come up to our table or talk to our employees and profess their support and admiration for our agency. Just when I thought humanity was going down the tubes, there were people in coffee shops or walking down the street who let us know that they see us and the work we do; this was enough to restore all faith I had lost.
