Mid-term Evaluation

I have been very pleased, to say the least, with my internship placement. Every day is a challenge: the work is not always in my comfort zone, and I do not always succeed in my endeavors, like finding utility assistance for a client or answering difficult questions that come up in relationship classes. Some weeks I feel stretched to my limit, and other weeks I feel like a superhero capable of changing the world.
When I first arrived here, staff members often referred to me as ‘the marriage intern.’ At first this lulled me into a feeling of false security. Thinking I was in my safe zone—teaching ACHMI classes that I had worked on for several semesters—I came to work everyday ready for the paperwork and intense classroom discussions. Soon, though, my role as intern evolved into much more. I have observed after-school programs designed for underprivileged elementary and middle school children to be mentored and tutored, where a 7-year-old girl astutely pointed out that I needed to shave my legs. I have gone on home visits to assess the needs of those who are home-bound. I have conducted many intake processes where I met with and evaluated a client’s needs and referred them to agencies that can meet their needs, like food banks and clothing assistance. I have attended committee meetings whose topics span from the agency’s fall festival to the community's Hispanic Service Providers coalition.
Many people struggle with relationships, but I thrive on interaction with others. In a service agency, human contact is not a plus but a necessity; my ability to communicate with others is something I have grown to pride myself in. Of course, where there are strengths, there are also weaknesses. I am a people person, and that is to say that I love getting to know people and building relationships based on mutual disclosure and shared experience; leading a group, however, is stressful to me. In front of an audience, I am unsure of myself and consult my notes often... probably too often. I co-facilitate and assist with several classes here, and each time I have to mentally prepare myself for public speaking. In my head, I rehearse each line and anecdote over and over again. Sometimes I even write out a script because when put on the spot I falter and fumble with my routine.
I consider myself quite blessed to have alighted on this agency. The atmosphere is familial and laid-back, the services provided are precious to this community, and the experiences as an intern are priceless. I have been exposed to so many people groups, and my awareness of a community’s needs is heightened exponentially. I feel like my metaphorical bubble has been burst—not everyone lives on their parents’ payroll, whose perks include an expensive education, frequent dinner dates with friends, a nice apartment, new clothes as often as trends come and go, and membership in every club or society possible—and, because of that, I am a better and more thoughtful person.
At the end of the day, I often have to remind myself that I cannot change the world. I cannot single-handedly restructure and rehabilitate a client's lifestyle and circumstances. But the little moments-- the food referral that fed a family for a week, or the relationship class that encouraged a client to call his estranged daughter-- those are what make this type of career worthwhile. Even if we only help one person out of every ten clients, then we've done our part.