2022 First Generation Summer Internship at
Origami Works Foundation
Wow! These past 10 weeks went by faster than I could imagine! I've truly enjoyed spending my summer with Origami Works and I'm very thankful for the experience I've had. This is a reflection of my role with Origami Works as time went on.
When I first arrived at Christopher House Career Paths project I remember looking over the Tasks spreadsheet and Draft Content document to gain a foundational understanding of our goals. Based on this, my first assignment was to summarize an interview from a Christopher House employee so that it could be presented as a case study for successful career advancement at CH. Later I condensed the interview into a more succinct Q&A format intended for distribution.
Soon after, I met with Becca, Directory Manager for TSC, to learn more about Talent Solutions Connector and the custom CRM within the site. To gain some familiarity with the CRM, I was given a list of employer contacts and provider information to add to the CRM in a data entry capacity. Having gained experience with the kind of information entered into the CRM, I was assigned the task of finding contacts for potential new employers to work with in the future.
I had the opportunity to help set up and facilitate the Innovations Workshop at Christopher House.
I attended the Innovations Workshop at Christopher House and helped set up and facilitate the meeting. I took some personal notes to make sure a team member (who could only attend virtually,) was able to feel just as involved in the meeting as the rest who attended in-person.
Daniela, the Communication Intern, and I planned and organized what is now known as the FIBI event - For Interns, By Interns! The goal of FIBI was for summer interns - one group from the Impact House and another group from the CAFÉ LEAD Summer Internship Program - to spend time together and get to know each other as students, friends, and maybe someday - colleagues. The event ended up being way above our expectations! (Of course, that was due to a lot of planning and organizing.)
The FIBI Event (For Interns, By Interns) a way to spend time together and get to know each other as students, friends, and maybe someday - colleagues.
For the latter half of my internship, I conducted extensive research for a book on the Chicago area workforce development system. I researched and identified resources and articles that I found to be most relevant for the topic of workforce development, specifically in Chicago. I reviewed the resources carefully and then documented and organized the relevant information and the specific questions each resource addressed within the research.
My capstone project was to describe what I found regarding the workforce development system at the federal, state, and local levels. I presented my project at the Origami Works Foundation August Team Meeting. The team found my presentation useful and I feel confident knowing I have this information in my toolkit now.
For my capstone project I conducted extensive research for a book on the Chicago area workforce development system and presented my findings to the team. They found my presentation useful and I feel confident knowing I have this information in my toolkit now.
In the CAFÉ LEAD Summer Internship Program, we learned that "you are valuable no matter where you go because no one knows what you know". In this case, I'm very appreciative of the experience I've had with Origami Works and believe I'm leaving with valuable knowledge and a new perspective that will elevate my career. Knowing the groups and services that make up the Chicago area workforce development system provides opportunities for me to grow and learn more about reformative acts that I can be involved in. Origami Works Foundation, thank you for an incredible summer!
I'm leaving with valuable knowledge and a new perspective that will elevate my career.