Summer 2008 Dartmouth Partners in Community Service Interns

Paige will be travelling to the West Coast this summer to work for the Klamath Tribes. The focus of her work will be with elementary school students who are both directly and indirectly affected by the abuse of methamphetamines, an illicit drug that has become a serious problem in Native American communities. She will be joined by another DPCS intern, Pete Sabori, in carrying out “culturally relevant opportunities for activities, education and engagement,” and developing and implementing community outreach activities to educate the community about problems associated with methamphetamines and substance abuse. While at Dartmouth, Paige has taken several courses in Native American Studies and Sociology; she then hopes to study law and use her education to better the lives of other Natives.

Marjorie is excited to work with The Defender’s Association as an investigative intern. The Defender’s Association is a large non-profit law firm of 80 attorneys that works to provide Seattle’s low-income community with legal services in cases ranging from felonies to misdemeanors. DPCS has the opportunity to provide Marjorie with an incredible experience that will allow her to develop a skill set necessary to becoming an attorney. Through her intended work of interviewing witnesses, conducting background checks and diagramming crime scenes, Marjorie will be assisting the lawyers in providing necessary legal services to Seattle’s low-income population who often struggle to get fair representation. To this internship, Marjorie brings a wealth of service experience. Before coming to Dartmouth, Marjorie organized a soccer team for underprivileged girls in her hometown of Seattle. In Hanover, she serves as a mentor to a six year old girl from Vermont through one of Dartmouth’s youth mentoring programs. Marjorie describes herself as a compassionate person who is used to working with people from diverse backgrounds and has developed the abilities to communicate well and work independently which will serve her well during her internship.

Ahra will be working as an intern with the Children’s Advocacy Center of Lubbock, Texas, which works with families that have been affected by child abuse. The CAC’s primary goal is to address the rising occurrence of child abuse within the Lubbock community by providing support, education, and resources. A large part of Ahra’s internship will focus on family advocacy through assistance with paperwork, conducting follow-ups, assisting with courtroom preparation and alleviating children’s stress through activities. In addition, Ahra will also participate in community education of both children and adults through workshops designed to address physical and sexual abuse. In addition to being a Mentor Against Violence here at Dartmouth, her past experiences at the Jardin de Ninos (an orphanage in her hometown) and Amnesty International have well prepared her to navigate the multitude of issues that may arise during her internship. It is her hope that “Working with the Child Advocacy Center will help [her] learn more about the rural community and how poverty and violence may be connected, if at all”.

Diana will be spending her DPCS Internship with Slow Food Chicago. Slow Food Chicago works to build connections between local farms and communities to create just, fair and sustainable food systems. Diana has a wealth of experience with issues of sustainability, environmentalism and community service. At Dartmouth she has studied food politics and international development and will continue academic work in these areas during her senior year. In the summer of 2006, Diana travelled to India where she worked for an NGO on issues of water management and sustainable development; and this past winter she worked on a permaculture farm in Lesotho. Locally she promoted relationships between Upper Valley farms and the community through an internship last summer with Vital Communities in White River Junction, VT. Diana has also traveled to the Gulf Coast and served the Katrina stricken city of New Orleans. This next experience will allow her to explore issues of food security and access as well as sustainable food systems in a more urban area. Diana hopes to bring back what she learns from Slow Foods and apply what she learns to her continued work with Vital Communities and possibly to future development work in New Orleans or elsewhere.

Kimberly will be spending her summer in Manchester, NH working to improve children’s literacy. The host organization, Families in Transition, addresses issues of homelessness by providing both temporary and permanent housing, child care, counseling, and tutoring. Kimberly says, “as an intern, I will be working mainly with the children of homeless families. My tasks will include planning the curriculum for the children, teaching art and possibly music, helping children academically, mentoring and taking the children on fieldtrips.” Kimberly will draw on her wealth of volunteer and educational experiences to assist her in the internship. She currently works with America Reads, a literacy tutoring program, and has previously worked in an orphanage in Russia where, partly as a result of a language barrier, “[she] practiced a great deal of patience and understanding.” In addition, she has a strong background in art and music which she will be incorporating to her everyday classroom activities. Kimberly is mindful of the challenges this internship may present, but feels equipped to handle them and hopes that this internship will help her discover what she wants to do after graduating from Dartmouth.

Susanna will use her DPCS internship to teach Physics and Art classes through Breakthrough Philly in Philadelphia, PA. During the summer, Breakthrough provides academic enhancement to promising middle school youth from underprivileged backgrounds. While Susanna understands that this will be a challenging experience, she hopes that she can make science education fun. She writes, “I plan to show them that learning about science is not just the memorization and regurgitation of facts- it has real world applications!” To her DPCS Internship Susanna brings a strong science background and previous experience with youth as a mentor in Dartmouth College’s STAR Mentoring Program and as a camp counselor. She is an accomplished equestrian and has used this talent to teach therapeutic riding to children with autism. For Susanna, this is an opportunity to give back while testing the waters for her future. With diverse interests in education, medicine and research and as a first year student, Susanna will use this internship to begin to differentiate career options, while opening doors in science for the youth she serves. One of her recommenders writes, “I can honesty say that there are few that shine as brightly as Susanna Kurnick.”

For Alexandra’s DPCS Internship this summer she will be returning to her hometown of New York to work at Bellevue Hospital in their Emergency Department. One of New York’s finest public hospitals, Alexandra’s work in Bellevue’s Emergency Department will have her working in patient in-take, serving the hospitals client populations of the uninsured, homeless, and incarcerated, among other medically underserved communities. She will work directly with patients, and have responsibilities such as escorting patients to their treatment rooms, performing EKGs, and acting as a patient advocate. Alexandra’s Spanish skills will also allow her to help with translation work. An aspiring doctor, her EMT training and internship experience at a birthing center have helped prepare her for this stressful work environment, but Alexandra is excited for her upcoming internship at Bellevue. Looking forward to all she will learn this summer, Alexandra writes, “I am thrilled that this internship will allow me to make a small impact on the healthcare system, I anticipate that its larger impact will be as an education to me on how to serve others in the healthcare field and it will inspire and prepare me for more service in the future as a physician.”

This summer Joe’s DPCS Internship will take place at the Rutland Dismas House in Rutland, VT where he will work with recently released prisoners. The Rutland Dismas house provides support for former prisoners who are re-entering society by providing with room and board, community support, and job search support. Joe’s work at the Rutland Dismas House will focus on fostering a strong community ties amongst its residents, and he will help organizing activities such as dinners, hikes, and discussion sessions. Joe write that he is, “very passionate about music, photography, pottery, and the outdoors, and I hope to be able to encourage participation in some of those activities.” The activities that Joe will help to facilitate are designed to not only create bonds amongst the Rutland House residents, but also to mend the gap between former prisoners and those in greater society. Joe’s long-time interest in incarceration and criminal rehabilitation compelled him to this work at Rutland House, and Joe writes that, “although I have always revered the idea of ex-prisoners assimilating back into society, I, myself, currently know very few, if any of them, and it will be a large but very worthwhile challenge to gain mutual trust and respect with people who may have a very different outlook on life.”

For Graciela’s DPCS Internship this summer she will be returning to her hometown of New York City to work with the Youth Employment Summer Program (YES Program). Working in conjunction with the Children’s Aid Society, Graciela will be responsible of mentoring gifted and ambitious teenagers from under-resourced communities throughout the summer as the students themselves work in professional internships. In addition to holding resume work-shops, mock interviews, and aiding the students throughout their summer jobs, Graciela will also be responsible for planning weekly Friday enrichment activities for students that focus on exploring and enjoying all of the cultural and educational opportunities New York has to offer. Graciela’s responsibilities also include a good deal of college preparatory work, and in addition to explaining the college application process and college opportunities to her students, she will also be organizing a four-day trip up to Dartmouth. Graciela’s past work as a tutor and a mentor in the Bronx, NY has prepared her well for the great deal and responsibility she inherits with this position, and she identifies her own college and academic success as a strength that will make her an inspiring role-model for her students. This internship is particularly meaningful for Graciela for she sees it as an opportunity to give back to her own community; Graciela writes that, “I was once an inner city student and now attend an excellent institution; my experience will serve for them as proof that they also have the opportunity to succeed.”

Kolleen will be spending her summer in Cambridge, Massachusetts working with Breakthrough Collaborative. At Breakthrough, inner city low-income middle school students choose to sign up for this minimum two year program where they receive tutoring during the school year and a variety of classes during the summer. Kolleen will be working long hours as a teacher, spending 10 hours a day in the classroom on top of her time at home developing lesson plans and grading students’ work. She will be in charge of 3 classes, one of which she will design herself and hopes to incorporate some of her own interests into the classroom. She will rely on her experiences as a tutor and mentor in a variety of settings in addition to her experience with Dartmouth’s Outdoor Leadership Experience, a program that teaches leadership to middle and high school students through the medium of the outdoors. Kolleen hopes that this experience will give her some perspective on what it takes to be a teacher, a position she hopes to hold after graduation.

Katie will make the daunting transition from Duluth, Minnesota to New York City where she will be exposed to a completely different part of America. While in New York she will be working with the Children’s Aid Society (CAS), a program that “fills the gap between what children deserve and what life has dealt them”. To accomplish this mission, CAS addresses everything from pre-birth counseling for parents up through college planning and career training. Katie will be specifically working with children ages 5-10 in a summer camp type atmosphere, where she will help run a variety of educational and fun activities for the kids. Katie says, “Ever since I’ve been old enough to be considered an ‘adult’, I’ve wanted to work with children…I love gym games, have a talent for all things arts-n-crafts, and my favorite movies are all Disney movies. I fit right in with the kids.” Katie would like to be a pediatrician one day and hopes that this experience will teach her about working with children of different ages.

Harlem RBI is a program designed to enrich the lives of Harlem’s youth. Karen will work with the REAL Kids Summer Program, a subsidiary of Harlem RBI, this summer teaching classes and coaching baseball and softball to kids aged 9-11 years old. In the mornings she will assist a class of 15 students with a focus on improving literacy. In the afternoons she will coach the students in baseball with a focus on teaching them about teamwork, respect and effort. While the idea of overseeing a group of young children in the middle of summer can be challenging, Karen hopes that she can develop personal relationships with her students and teach them some valuable skills. In return for her efforts, Karen hopes that she will learn how to manage a classroom, how to create a lesson plan and how to work with inner-city youth, as she hopes to pursue a career in education after Dartmouth.

Clare is excited about the opportunity to work with St. Elizabeth Shelter this summer, an organization whose mission is to alleviate the issues faced by the homeless of Northern New Mexico. As a native of Maine, Claire expects this internship will be challenging both in its cultural setting and in the nature of the work. However she is used to taking on challenging positions, having served as an Undergraduate Advisor to first year students, worked as a camp counselor for physically disabled youth, and served as the president for Mentors Against Violence, and expects this one to be as valuable a learning experience as the others. While at St. Elizabeth, Clare will organize the basic chores for the shelters residents, assist with the preparation and serving of meals, clean and restock the shelter and provide translation services for the large Spanish speaking population. She hopes this experience will assist her in honing her Spanish as well as provide valuable experience on her way to becoming a social worker.

Bill will be returning the Gulf Coast this summer to continue his work rebuilding New Orleans. He participated on an Alternative Spring Break trip this year to Hands On New Orleans, an organization that Tucker has partnered with since 2005. While his role this summer will be different, the experience gained during the 10 day trip will be of great value to him. Hands On takes large quantities of volunteers and partners them with organizations throughout New Orleans that are engaging in a variety of relief efforts. Bill will be a Volunteer Leader. In this capacity he accompany other volunteers to the Singleton School where he will assist in the running of the library, works with teachers in the classrooms and tutor students. Although he is only a freshman, Bill has learned a lot through being a mentor with the DREAM program and will look to draw on those experiences while at Hands On.

Kareem will build on his background in economics by providing financial literacy services to the people of New York. The Coalition for Debtor Education is a small two person company that collaborates with other New York agencies to work with New York most underprivileged and provide them with sound information about foreclosures, predatory loaning practices and investment and spending strategies. Kareem will undergo a training program to bring him up to speed on the information he will be providing; he will then advise individuals on how to avoid risky financial decisions and take advantage of services that are available to them. In the future, Kareem would like to use his economics background to address public health policy in the United States and abroad. Through working with the population served by Coalition for Debtor Education, he will better understand the financial decisions America’s poorest must make on a daily basis and how to make health care more affordable.

Connie’s internship with Operation Breakthrough will address literacy deficiencies in Kansas City’s working poor. Connie will be the primary coordinator for Breakthrough’s literacy volunteers and students. In this position she will create and execute literacy activities for multiple age groups, teach in small classrooms, and train and match volunteers. One such program Connie looks forward to implementing is a Book Club for at-risk teenage girls. Connie has extensive experience that will benefit her in this position; she developed her organizational and leadership skills when she founded Rachel’s Challenge, a program that develops student understanding, she has tutored students in preparation for the SAT and conducted reading circles in a children’s hospital. Her dedication to volunteerism has been prevalent in every aspect of her life. She will pursue a career in international community development upon graduation.

Tyrell will return to his native Navajo Reservation this summer to work with youth in the community. Motivated by his own experiences as a child, he has first hand knowledge of the struggles children on the reservation face, and what it takes to overcome them. Tyrell will be working in the pediatrics unit this summer, bringing his own passions and talents of reading, singing and story telling to the children of the hospital in order to improve the quality of life of the children. In addition, he hopes to design, implement and lead mini-sports camps in the area for other children in the area. The internship will be valuable to Tyrell as he pursues a degree in Medicine and hopes to return as a physician to Indian Health Services.

Trevor will be returning home to the Pittsburgh area to serve a community different than his own. While at the Children’s Museum he will be working in a variety of educational programs that target students from the North Side of Pittsburgh, a traditionally poorer region. Using the resources of the museum, he will teach students both in a traditional classroom setting as well as on the museum floor allowing the children to interact with the exhibits. Trevor has served as a tutor, camp counselor, mentor and babysitter in previous capacities and feels equipped to work with children of different ages. Trevor’s internship falls in line with some of his aspirations after Dartmouth- he would like to teach in the Marshall Islands and work for Teach For America, both of which serve under resourced communities.

Lannie will be spending her summer working with the women of Boston and the surrounding area to formulate business plans for start up companies. Approximately half of the women who come to the Center are underprivileged and all are women seeking success in a historically male dominated field. As an intern, Lannie will be working in the venture capital and consulting department and will look over business plans, assist in securing funding, and plan networking events. This position is of particular interest as she finds it “unbelievably rewarding to be able to draw from [her] own personal experience and knowledge and help others in a way that is unique”. The opportunity to assist women as they enter the business world also works well with Lannie’s interest in a business career and hopes to pursue future opportunities in which she can use her wealth of knowledge to serve similar communities.

The Non-Violence Project is an organization that seeks to educate the youth of the greater Miami area about the issues of violence within their community in hopes of preventing the occurrence of violent acts. There are several components to the program, including the POWER mentoring program, leadership development, and after school activities, and Alina will serve as the Project Coordinator for these programs in addition to her position as a mentor. As a freshman, Alina already has quite a bit of experience as a leader – she co-founded Sin Compas, the college’s first Spanish newspaper and was president of Habitat for Humanity during high school. In addition, her fluency in Spanish, experience as a Mentor Against Violence, understanding of issues of diversity, and involvement in the education department here at Dartmouth have equipped her with the skills she needs to serve this community.

As an EMT, Mark will be a valuable addition to Bensalem’s EMS squad, which operates 6 ambulances in the Bensalem community of Pennsylvania. The majority of his time will most likely be spent on third watch ( a late shift) which will bring him in contact with various types of serious injury. Mark has had a long standing interest in public safety and has pursued opportunities to serve as a DAPA, act as a board member for Dartmouth Emergency Medical Services, and participate in the DEA’s Explorer program in high school. In addition to providing his skills as an EMT, Mark also has experience in health education and will teach CPR and First Aid classes during his time with the squad. As an EMT, Mark has a well developed philosophy of community service and understands the importance of compassion when dealing with patients and his DPCS internship will give him more experience in this field.

Pete will be working with the Klamath community by serving as a mentor to Native American children affected by methamphetamine usage. Pete plans to broach these issues by offering opportunities for education, recreational activities, tutoring, and traditional skill learning to provide a safe space for children. Pete has the “enthusiasm and energy needed to completely invest [himself] and [his] time in activities which are healthy and expressive”. Pete’s motivation for working with the Klamath community stems from his desire to “be part of a project that gives back to the Native American Community and addresses an issue prevalent to all of Indian Country” and ties in with his personal and interests and goals.

Tiffany will be interning with St. Anthony’s Foundation, which works with homeless individuals in the San Francisco area by providing food, health care, shelter, and resources. Her service experience will include working in St. Anthony’s free health clinic to administer tests and treatment plans, provide nutritional counseling, and support, as well as in the communications department. Tiffany firmly believes that “those with disadvantaged circumstances have the possibility to rise out of their circumstances with help,” and believes she can use the skills learned while serving as a DREAM mentor, teaching English, diet, and hygiene in Taiwan through the A.I.D summer volunteer program, and interacting with diverse communities.

The population of Buckeye has grown rapidly in the past few years, but the shortage of teachers and other resources has caused a great deal of strain and is compounded by language barriers as more resources are drawn from the ELL program. Cynthia hopes to return to her former highs school to act as a supplement in the under resourced math department where her one-on-one work with students will employ her Spanish and tutoring skills. Cynthia’s desire to teach stems from the “challenge it represents in having to be able to adjust your teaching style according to the student’s learning style” as well as a strong desire to give back to her community.

The CFR seeks to reunify families that have been separated due to domestic issues but qualify for reunification efforts. Many of these cases are complicated by issues of domestic violence, unemployment, substandard housing, failing school systems, and various other challenges. Marisa will build upon her past experience with the CFR and expand her role within the organization by making home visits, working with lawyers to help prepare clients for trial, and advising clients during their initial contact with the organization. Her previous experience exposed her to the intricacies of this type of work and encouraged her to pursue issues of immigration, race, and culture. Marisa has a broad range of skills and personal traits that she will bring to her internship -including fluency in Spanish, a deep commitment to the communities she serves, and the patience and understanding needed to broach these issues.

Located in one of the 5 poorest counties in the US, the CRYP serves the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe by addressing issues of poverty and its impact on families and individuals. Jiles seeks to return to the same organization that helped him as a child by providing a similarly positive mentor experience for future generations. Jiles lead a spring break trip of Dartmouth students to the Reservation this past spring to address similar issues and will build on their success this summer. As a mentor Jiles will facilitate events that encourage youth to pursue higher education, build community relations through activities at the teen center, and promote healthy lifestyles through healthy living, outdoor activities and nutrition. His commitment to his community is quite strong- “I feel it is my obligation to spread my knowledge and live my life by the four Lakota values- Wisdom, Knowledge, Bravery, and Respect”, all of which he intends to employ during his internship. This internship is of particular interest to him as it combined both his past experiences and aspirations for the future- he would like to start his own non-profit to support youth in their career goals and practice medicine within the community.

IRCO works closely with immigrants to assist them as they transition to American society through education about health care, education, and assistance in finding employment. Sam’s role involves working with the youth through the Upward Bound program at Reed College, most of which belong to minority groups, are refugees or immigrants, are first generation college students, or are taking English as a Second Language classes and he will serve as a TA for classes, provide tutoring, and act as a mentor. In a personal sense, helping others acclimate to new environments is important to Sam due to his own experiences with relocation from Australia, Egypt, and Portland, OR and associated issues of cultural identity. His interest in education began in high school speech/debate club- the discussions there showed him the subtle ways in which various subjects weave together and expand beyond simple memorization of facts, and he’d like to share this aspect of learning with the communities he will be serving.