Abigail’s Summer Internship Experience
“….I have found a community of passionate individuals committed to social justice, and together we will create beautiful change.”
Throughout the internship we explored how our identities have shaped our experiences in this world. We bolstered our leadership, communication, and collaboration skills. Together we brainstormed our passions/interests and brainstormed/planned volunteer events that incorporated them.
During this internship we participated in six different workshops covering the following topics; intersectionality/identity development, interview techniques, post-high school planning, financial foundations, resume building, and imposter syndrome/growth mindset. My favorite was the interview techniques workshop because interviewing is such an important skill, one that will make or break your professional career. I learned that the interview process is a two way street, the interviewee should brainstorm questions to ask the interviewers beforehand and have a S.O.A.R. (Situation, Obstacle, Action, Result) story ready to share.
I learned a plethora of invaluable lessons watching and reflecting upon various TED Talks. My favorite TED Talk was The Urgency of Intersectionality by Kimberle Crenshaw. In this Ted Talk Crenshaw explains the reason why the level of awareness of the level of police violence that black women experience is exceedingly low. She said that when “facts don’t fit the available frames” people have a difficult time incorporating new facts into their understanding of an issue.
Black women have slipped through our consciousnesses, have continuously been neglected by politicians, and are less likely to be publicized in the media because there are no “available frameworks” to “see” them through. To prevent this, Crenshaw urges us to establish intersectional frameworks when approaching social justice so that all facets of an issue are addressed.
We immersed ourselves in the thought-provoking alternate realities of Dark Matter, an amalgamation of social justice themed short sci fi stories. Science fiction is such a powerful genre because you can challenge widely accepted societal norms/ideologies by re-envisioning our world.
I am so thankful I got to participate in Passion Impact’s summer internship. Through this experience I have found a community of passionate individuals committed to social justice, and together we will create beautiful change.
Abigail