Broken Stereotypes by Jenna Harms

My name is Jenna Harms and I am a Social Work and Political Science major from Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa. This semester I am doing my social work practicum with Chicago Semester. I am interning at an organization called Heartland Alliance. They are an organization that assists refugees in the United States. I am interning in the section of their organization called Refugee and Immigrant Community Services (RICS) in their Resettlement and Placement department (R&P). The department that I am in works with refugees for the first 90 days that they are in the United States. This means that we organize and communicate with the government or their U.S. ties (UST) before they arrive arranging housing, food, and airport pickup for when they first arrive.

With that said on my first day, I was given the opportunity to go shopping at Target (something that I love doing anyway) for apartment supplies that we did not have on hand at the office. Then I helped set up the apartment for a family that would be arriving the next day. Now that I have been interning for three weeks on Wednesday, I can pretty much do all of the tasks that are required of my position. These tasks include: apartment setups, shopping for furnishings and groceries, conducting home visits when participants have been here for a week, 30 days, and 90 days, conducting intakes for new families, teaching participants how to use the CTA, taking participants to apply for public aid and social security, and taking participants to the clinic. Other responsibilities include writing case notes, sending emails to providers, calling participants, creating files for new participants, and much much more. Check out their website when you have time: http://www.heartlandalliance.org/ It is never a dull moment at my internship! Each day I learn something new.

During my internship so far, I have had some of my personal stereotypes torn down. I knew before starting my internship that I would be working with people from the Middle East such as people from Iraq. Honestly, I was scared to be alone with them because of all of the bad things you hear about people from the Middle East. I am not really sure what I was exactly afraid of,  looking back on this situation, but my fear has since disappeared. The other day I was given the task of teaching three Iraqi men in their mid 20's how to use the CTA (public transportation) back to our office. I had to travel to their apartment alone and ride back with them. So I did that and it was great. I have been in multiple situations where this population of people have been so respectful towards me. They always hold the door open, always let me walk ahead of them. One time one of the participants tried to stop me from crossing the street when we had the "walk" sign because he was afraid I was going to get hit.

I have heard stories from participants about times when they have been alone and struggling here in the States. Because of confidentiality I am not going to describe specific situations but I have another request for you. Please help out your neighbor no matter who they are, where they come from, or what they look like. When you see someone in need help, do not just pretend like you are not home.

My semester though has not just been all work! I have had time to have some fun. Each week my roommates and I try a different ethnicity of food at a non-chain restaurant. So far we have had burgers, Chinese, and Mexican food. If anyone knows of any great restaurants to try out in this city we are always open for suggestions. I have attended an improv show, a play at the Lookinglass Theater, observed animals at the Lincoln Park Zoo, ice skated at Millennium Park, gone to the Field Museum on a field trip, and done lots of shopping! Below you can see some pictures from these events. I have mastered the CTA so if anyone would like to visit I know how to get us around by avoiding traffic. One of my prayers has been answered because I have also found a church that I am planning on calling my home for the next four months.

There’s No Place Else I’d Rather Be

by Aleesa Ribbens

Termination. It is a process that has been talked about often throughout the course of my social work education. It is an important method of smoothly and successfully bringing your work with a client to an end. Although it is a term that I am familiar with, it was not until this past week that I had to put it into practice.

Last Friday marked the last day of my internship at Cabrini Green Legal Aid. The weeks leading up to it were occupied with making sure my clients knew that I was leaving and that they were being transferred to another social worker upon my departure. It was also a time for me to tie up the loose ends on various projects I had been working on. I knew going into this semester that termination was important when it comes to working with clients, yet I am starting to realize that it is also important for the social worker; these past few weeks have also been filled with wrapping up my course work, reflecting on these past four months, saying goodbye to the friends I have made, and preparing to go home and graduate.

Recently I was asked whether or not it has been challenging for me to be away from my home college the last semester of my senior year. I will admit that when I first decided to participate in the Chicago Semester, it was challenging for me to transition out of Hope a semester earlier than I had anticipated. But as I look back, this semester has been full of new adventures and an immense amount of growth both personally and professionally.

Each week, I spent thirty-six hours interning at Cabrini Green Legal Aid. In addition to my internship, I took two classes at the Chicago Semester office downtown. It was the perfect transition from the classroom into the working world. Through my placement, I slowly stepped into the “real world” by taking on new responsibilities and working toward becoming a professional social worker. I was able to shadow experienced social workers as they carried out their work, plan and implement a series of Life Skills classes, and eventually reached a point where I was able to take on cases of my own. As I slowly eased into a professional role, I am tremendously grateful to have had a supervisor to help guide my practice. Through weekly supervision I was able to seek positive and genuine feedback on the work that I was doing, ask for help on projects that I was in charge of, and was pushed to become more confident in who I am as a social worker.

In addition to gaining confidence and competence in a professional setting, I am grateful for the richly diverse context the city of Chicago provided to both work and live in. As a self-proclaimed foodie wannabe, having one of the nations largest culinary playgrounds at my fingertips was pure bliss. Some of my favorite restaurants were The Bongo Room, DMK Burger Bar, and Joy Yee Noodle.

Weekly arts event outings provided a break from the working world and allowed students to relax with each other and take in well-known performances such as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Joffrey Ballet, and the Shakespeare Theatre at an affordable price. In addition to the food and the arts, I will miss little things like riding the Red Line to class, late night trips to Yogurtland for frozen yogurt, and mid-evening walks through Lincoln Park.

Next month will bring on a slew of life changes for me. I am moving back to Holland, Michigan and will be graduating from Hope College. I will have three short weeks to sift through my belongings, pack up my stuff, and move to Fairfax, Virginia where I have accepted a yearlong internship working at a respite care facility for children with special needs. As I terminate this period of my life, I look back at this semester and incredible opportunities the Chicago Semester has presented me with. While this might have been one of the most challenging semesters of my life, it has also been one of the greatest. I have developed a great appreciation and love for the city of Chicago and hope to move back someday soon. There’s no place else I’d rather be.

Life Changes

by Kristin Kujawa

Life is but a breath. This phrase from James 4:14 has been brought to my attention recently in several situations.
                                                          

A friend of mine passed away tragically in a fiery car crash on Good Friday. He was 28 years old and in a matter of seconds his life on this earth was gone and he is home with his Savior. James Sauter was a man full of energy and impact with a promising future ahead of him. In a moment, because of another man’s mistake, his life was taken. Though his time was short, his influence on so many others' lives was evident by the thousands who gathered to pay their respects. As I was thinking about the situation, it brought to mind the verse I Peter 1:24 “All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field: the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of Lord will stand forever.” We do not know what tomorrow holds, we do not know how short our life will be. We can be called home anytime. So we must make the most of the time God grants us on this earth.

 

As I was reflecting about this quick end of a life, I realized that my time at my internship is coming to an end quickly. Though it is ending, I feel like my time here has really just begun. I have just begun getting to know a number of my participants and feel comfortable with all the staff. The reality of life is that you are here for a moment. But during that time you will impact so many people. One of my favorite life verses that I choose to live by is Colossians 3:17 “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” The question that I continually ask myself not only in my internship but on a daily basis is, am I giving my all to serve him? Because this life is short, time moves quickly, and that is something that we cannot get back. We need to choose to live each day giving thanks to God the Father and doing His work while we are here.

Life quickly changes and this is has been more evident as of late even throughout the country. There is threat of war from North Korea, the bombings in Boston, crazy weather across the country; each reminds us that we cannot control everything. Through all of life’s changes we need to look to the Creator and the Omnipotent One. He is the only one who understands, because He holds the world in his hands.

As we look to the future as graduating seniors or returning to our colleges for another year or two, be reminded that what we are here for only a short time. We can choose to live our lives as a testimony of what He has accomplished, making an eternal impact for the kingdom, or we can focus on worldly success. The question is what will you do with the time He gives you?