Getting Settled in the Windy City

by Ann Hersey

Hello everyone! My name is Ann Hersey and I am a Social Work student at Hope College in Holland, MI. I moved into my tiny studio apartment a little over a month ago and time is flying by! Although it’s small, it’s furnished, safe, and in a great location in the Gold Coast. My roommate and I get along really well, which is a huge relief. The first week was filled with orientation activities, learning to use the CTA public transportation, and getting to know the other students in the program.

This fall semester I am doing my practicum with Chicago Semester. I am interning at a nonprofit organization in West Town called Erie Neighborhood House that works primarily with Latino immigrants. The organization was founded in 1870 and is the oldest “settlement house” still providing services (sadly, Jane Addams’ Hull House closed a few years ago). Erie provides an extremely long list of services to clients, including early childhood education, after school programs, ESL classes, citizenship and immigration services, technology programs, workforce development, and much more. I work in the YOU (Youth Options Unlimited) department, an after school program for youth ages 12-18.

A typical day for me will involve administrative work in the morning. For example, making sure client files are up to date in their folders and in the computer. In the afternoon, I am with the kids for the rest of the day. The kids have to do at least 45 minutes of homework and I help out during this time with any questions the kids have and keeping them focused. The kids can hang out, use the computers, play video games, or go to the gym/outside for the rest of the time. These first few weeks I have been trying to get to know the kids better. It has taken a while for some of the kids to open up, but each day the kids get more used to having me around. This past Friday  some of the high school students planned a party to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. We played pin the tail on the donkey, danced, hit a piñata, played a Hispanic bingo game, and ate amazing Latino food made by the parents.

On Tuesday and Thursday mornings, I work in the Citizenship and Immigration department. I am assisting clients with the Application for Naturalization, a very long and detailed 21 page form! I am learning so much about immigration and the citizenship process. Every day that I spend in this department makes me thankful that I was born a U.S. citizen, because the naturalization process is long, selective, and confusing.

With that being said, my first month in the Windy City hasn’t been all work and no play! I have done a lot of sightseeing and exploring. I have been to Navy Pier, The Art Institute of Chicago, Shedd Aquarium, The Lincoln Park Zoo, Jane Addams’ Hull House, a local farmer’s market, and the beach to name a few. I love to eat and Chicago has no shortage of great food and restaurants to try. I have had delicious Chinese food in Chinatown and classic Chicago deep-dish pizza at Lou Malnati’s. There are so many things to do in this city and I can’t wait to see what the rest of the semester brings.

Semester wrap-up by Mark Davis and Kirsten Harms

Hello Jenna’s blog’s followers!  Today, we (Kirsten and Mark) are guest bloggers who are going to wrap up the semester for you.  We are both senior social work majors at Trinity Christian College and are participating in Chicago Semester with Jenna, and we would like to give you a little overview of where we have been interning and how the semester has been coming to a close.

Mark:  I have been interning at West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park, Illinois.  This internship has enabled me to gain further insight as to what it is like to be a medical social worker.  Over the course of the semester, I have been learning about what it is like to perform social work assessments/initial evaluations, discharge planning, and consults related to domestic violence, substance abuse, psychiatric, and child/elder abuse.  These experiences have shaped my understanding of the social problems that are impacting neighborhoods in the Chicago-land area.  I have experienced many difficult and troubling situations, but it is a joy to see God working in these times.  My worldview and foundation have been strengthened and are an essential aspect in helping me to be a successful intern.  I have really appreciated being a part of the social service department at West Suburban and it has been a joy to be a part of such a wonderful staff.

Kirsten: I have been interning at the Council for Jewish Elderly’s Adult Day Services program (ADS) in Evanston, Illinois this semester.  Over this semester, I have learned a lot about myself and working with the elderly.  My confidence has grown exponentially as I built relationships with the elderly clients, led groups such as the Feelings Group, and worked with the social worker and the nurse on staff in care plan meetings.  The Adult Day Services program is a welcoming and joyful place for elderly to come to during the day and be able to socialize, participate in activities, and feel loved, and I am so grateful that I was able to be a part of that for one semester.  Throughout my time at ADS and Chicago Semester in general, I was exposed to a lot of diversity on a daily basis, which opened my eyes to new experiences and made me grow in my own faith and relationship with God.  Participating in Chicago Semester as my last semester in my college career has helped me to grow not only as a professional social worker but also as a Christian.

As the semester comes to a close, we would both like to say that we are very thankful that we had the opportunity to do Chicago Semester.  It has been an amazing experience not only interning in Chicago but also living in the city as well.  We have had many fun opportunities in Chicago such as going to a Cubs game, exploring museums, experiencing neighborhoods, attending church in the city, and eating in historic places such as the John Hancock Building.  We are appreciative of what Chicago Semester has done for us, and we are looking forward to the end of the year celebration dinner tonight in Greek-town!

Experiencing Chicago as a Tourist, by Jenna Harms

These past few weeks, I have been a tourist in the city of Chicago. There have been many touristy activities that I have been a part of but it has really helped me gain an appreciation for the city. I had a friend visit me on President’s Day and we went on an adventure to Chinatown and walked around and enjoyed some authentic Chinese food. We then went to the top of the Hancock and had dessert while enjoying a great view of the city. After that we enjoyed a walk to Navy Pier.

While it has not been entirely warm here, I try to take advantage of the warm days as best as I possibly can even when warm means that it is like 35 degrees outside. I have also been to some awesome theater events through the Chicago Semester fine art events option. In two weeks I got to go to Chicago the Musical which was really cool to go to because of its roots in Chicago. We also were given the opportunity to go the production called Heartbeat of Home which had Irish dancing that was phenomenal. It was great to get to see this production so close St. Patrick’s Day.

Speaking of St Patrick’s Day, Chicago has some cool events that happen that weekend. They are known for the dying of the river.  I attended this event with a couple of friends. It was fun to cheer on the guys pouring dye into the river and watching it turn a bright green. After that we ventured over to the parade for a while and heard some great marching bands and saw men in skirts.

I also was given the opportunity to attend a Bulls game at a discounted price through Chicago Semester. It was so much fun to get to go and watch a team that I had grown up hearing about. I had never been to a professional sporting event before so this was great.

I have gotten to do many other things this semester but these last two weeks have been jam packed with activities that have given me a better view of the city. My internship is still going great, each and every day I learn something new and get to experience a new thing.