Professional Documents
Culture Documents
change immediately, it still feels rewarding to be able to be part of a system working for change,
to get to touch some lives along the way.
4.) Did you ever travel abroad to volunteer or do anything related to your major?
I have been very lucky in that Ive been able to travel abroad quite a bit. When I was in
undergrad I studied in France for a semester while I had an internship at the Council of Europe,
which is a humanitarian organization, and I was working on project that advocated for the right
of Roma children to a quality education. After I graduated I joined the Peace Corps. I spent two
years in Burkina Faso as a community health volunteer working in a small village. Then I spent
an additional year in Botswana working as a NGO capacity building volunteer, where I got to
work with the Red Cross Youth Center in Dukwi Camp. As part of my Masters degree, I did an
internship in Tanzania with the United Nationals Population Fund analyzing different funding
options for family planning work, and I did a research project back in Burkina Faso on womens
health care. I have been very fortunate in getting to travel and to learn about other cultures, to
make new friends, and to work towards helping improve health care for young people.
5.) Whats one thing you know about social work now, that you wish you knew when you
still in school?
One thing I wish I knew about working with young people earlier was that its important
to try to be more open and more connected. Im a naturally introverted person, so sometimes I
get shy and closed off. I think that makes it harder for young people to open up and to feel
comfortable. Its been a process for me to learn how to be more outgoing and to try to be more
relatable and engaged with young people.
6.) Have you ever worked in an orphanage? If yes, what was the hardest part about it? If
no, would you want to?
I havent ever worked in an orphanage but I would be very open to it. I have worked with
children that have lost their parents, that have gone through traumatic incidents, and who
struggle in systems that werent designed to support them. Throughout every experience, Ive
been impressed by how resilient and impressive the young people are. Given opportunities for
education and growth, they thrive and preserve through unimaginable odds. Its humbling and
awe-inspiring to be around these young people. And to just be one small part of a support
system, is very rewarding.
7.) How hard is it to be able to get a job overseas when you graduate?
It can be difficult to arrange some of the logistics of working internationally, finding visas
and things like that. But if you are willing to volunteer, or to work for a stipend, its much easier
to get a first position, and from there you can put yourself in a better spot to negotiate a salaried
job. The Peace Corps was a great chance to get to work abroad, and to have the US government
arrange all the logistics. Programs like that are great opportunities, and I would really encourage
all young people to really consider them.