Going into my internship , I did not feel overly connected to Baltimore , nor did I see how working at a non-profit serving immigrants would change that . I felt as though my placement merely happened to be in Baltimore , rather than truly ingrained in the city . Furthermore , I feared that I was not qualified to perform the job I had been given . Despite having general knowledge of immigration and an interest in politics , I did not believe that I was knowledgeable enough to be an intern at ERICA .
Very early on , I realized how integral the physical location of ERICA was to its success . The fact that ERICA participants , regardless of where they were living exactly in the Baltimore area , were able to travel to the ERICA using public transportation , greatly increases ERICA ’ s accessibility and reach . Moreover , I realized that , within and beyond just the community of Baltimore City , ERICA was working with other nonprofits to achieve similar aims through collaboration . In short , ERICA ’ s geographical location is crucial to the way the organization both serves its participants and engages with other nonprofits .
I feel a greater connection to the Baltimore community as a direct result of this internship . Although I cannot pretend that I now feel entirely secure in my knowledge , I did employ two methods to help myself feel comfortable in my placement . The first method was simple : I worked to accept that I could not expect to know everything , and instead simply challenged myself to learn all that I could . I found that my direct interactions with ERICA participants were helpful in building my confidence and expanding my worldview : after I surveyed a few ERICA participants about their experiences , I began to feel more self-assured in what I was doing . Regardless of what story or commentary the participant responded with , I felt I would know how to respond as long as I approached each conversation calmly and with a willingness to listen and offer empathy , I can ’ t pretend that my experience with the survey was always perfect – I spoke very jumbled , anxious French to one participant – but I do believe that it was critical to the wonderful experience I had at ERICA .
Solicited donations for ERICA ’ s Silent Auction
Surveyed past and present ERICA participants to garner feedback
Drafted an advocacy page for the ERICA website
Worked directly with ERICA participants to assist them in solving the problems they were encountering
23
BALTIMORE BALTIMORE CENTRAL CITY 29TH HARM
PUBLIC BALTIMORE STREET CHILD REDUCTION DENT SCHOOLS FIRST COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP
EDUCATION AUTHORITY - ENGAGEMENT CENTER
EPISCOPAL REFUGEE & IMMIGRANT CORNER CENTER TEAM COALITION , ALLIANCE INC .
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Supervisor Supervisor : Rebecca Intern : Madelyn : Amanda : Aaron : Harriet : Richardson Nathalie
Baxter Kye Supervisor Aija Kaufman
Monique Allen Smith Werebe Simms
Supervisor :: Sara Betty Artes Symington
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