Wow, I write this almost speechless, as I cannot believe my time in Chicago is done. As I reflect on these last two months, so much has happened and so much has changed that in some ways I don’t even believe that I am the same person I was when I first came to Chicago. This summer was one of the most transformative summers I have had in my life next to my first summer in Laos (2003) and my experience with Summer@Brown (2009). Chicago was truly something amazing, heartbreaking and captivating and I will never forget it.
I have to be completely honest about how I got to Chicago in the first place. I initially never really wanted to apply for the IWJ internship, let alone actually participate in it. My hopes and goals where vested elsewhere for this summer since Fall of 2013 and I really did not think IWJ would be a good fit for me. Of course, after a lot of convincing from various professors, classmates and alumni, I caved. I don’t like disappointing people, so I thought I would take my hand at applying to see what happens. Researching and learning more about IWJ in some ways also did not help my case in wanting to be an intern this summer; I knew nothing about the labor movement, had no idea how the movement could be tied with religion, and failed economics twice. Can you see how this could have totally turned me off from IWJ?
However during a class period one day, we were talking about post grad life (dun dun dun) and discussing whether not as a global studies major if its okay to go into very institutionalized organizations such as big cooperate businesses that actually hurt the causes we study. The professor in the class has noted that even after our post globalista life if we do end up in big business or situations that are opposite from our aspirations, that we should still take any experience has as learning one and treat it as a classroom. I then all of a sudden look forward to an internship with IWJ and was extremely delighted when I was accepted.
I was placed in Chicago for my desire to gain experience in event planning, communications and public policy research. Working in the communications department was something that was interesting because while I had some desires to study marketing and business at one point in my life, I never thought it was something I would love completely. Working the communications department made me experience things that I had always want to experience but would never have been able to given what I chose to study in college.
I discussed earlier in the summer, that a lot of the work I was doing for the National Interfaith Worker Justice Conference that was taking place at DePaul, I had the pleasure of working behind the scenes with the staff for what was an amazing conference working for solidarity and a just economy. After the conference was over, I was put on a project to market the first book IWJ has published written by the deputy director. Waking the Walk: A values centered approach to building a strong nonprofit is handbook that tells you how to run a small nonprofit through a labor and social justice lens. I did not know this before IWJ but there are quarter million nonprofits in the country and a lot of times some of these organizations flop due to being negligent to certain workplace laws. It is a great handbook that was very resourceful. The entire marketing plan and execution was all my own and some parts where sexy while others were not. For one, setting up an Amazon Seller Account sucks. Sorry about it. And in other instances, no one freaking emails you back. It is what it is. However, I then realized two weeks in my internship, this was my chance: the business and marketing chance that I always wanted!! And yes it kind of boring, just like I expected but I am glad I know that now! But other than the boring days, some days were more eventful than others. A lot of big time nonprofit networks were actually interested in my pitch in my book and accepted complimentary copies; some local bookstores in Chicago took the book too and wanted to do events with the authors. I was very grateful that my opinions and values mattered when discussing the marking of the book. I was taken very seriously and attentively and even though I was an intern I felt respected and dignified just like any other staff member. I was sad to leave this project behind because I was learning a lot from the real and hands-on experience I was getting but all good things really have to come to an end.
As far as being placed in Chicago, it was pretty perfect. I mean I know I was a drama queen the whole time on Facebook and Twitter but we all have our coping mechanisms and mine is overreacting. I was vested into a lot of Netflix this past summer and one episode of How I Met your Mother talks about “Graduation Goggles” and to my surprise I have had these for the past two weeks. I am going to miss the beauty of being 5 min away from public transportation, my unlimited L pass that could take me ANYWHERE I wanted, living behind Starbucks, resisting the urge go to said Starbucks everyday, cute hipster cafes, and Chicago in general. So actually, I really didn’t have graduation goggles. I never actually hated Chicago as much as some of my social media rants implied. I know, plot twist, sorry yall.
I was able to grow in Chicago in ways I never imagined before, personally, intellectually, and spiritually. While Chicago is called the windy city because it’s actually really freaking windy, it was windy for me in a way that I didn’t know how to cope with living there when it felt everything was working against me. But I now realize that this city was so windy metaphorically because I had to grow wings in order to fly. And for that, I thank you very much Chicago.
Love you always,
Kara
I have to be completely honest about how I got to Chicago in the first place. I initially never really wanted to apply for the IWJ internship, let alone actually participate in it. My hopes and goals where vested elsewhere for this summer since Fall of 2013 and I really did not think IWJ would be a good fit for me. Of course, after a lot of convincing from various professors, classmates and alumni, I caved. I don’t like disappointing people, so I thought I would take my hand at applying to see what happens. Researching and learning more about IWJ in some ways also did not help my case in wanting to be an intern this summer; I knew nothing about the labor movement, had no idea how the movement could be tied with religion, and failed economics twice. Can you see how this could have totally turned me off from IWJ?
However during a class period one day, we were talking about post grad life (dun dun dun) and discussing whether not as a global studies major if its okay to go into very institutionalized organizations such as big cooperate businesses that actually hurt the causes we study. The professor in the class has noted that even after our post globalista life if we do end up in big business or situations that are opposite from our aspirations, that we should still take any experience has as learning one and treat it as a classroom. I then all of a sudden look forward to an internship with IWJ and was extremely delighted when I was accepted.
I was placed in Chicago for my desire to gain experience in event planning, communications and public policy research. Working in the communications department was something that was interesting because while I had some desires to study marketing and business at one point in my life, I never thought it was something I would love completely. Working the communications department made me experience things that I had always want to experience but would never have been able to given what I chose to study in college.
I discussed earlier in the summer, that a lot of the work I was doing for the National Interfaith Worker Justice Conference that was taking place at DePaul, I had the pleasure of working behind the scenes with the staff for what was an amazing conference working for solidarity and a just economy. After the conference was over, I was put on a project to market the first book IWJ has published written by the deputy director. Waking the Walk: A values centered approach to building a strong nonprofit is handbook that tells you how to run a small nonprofit through a labor and social justice lens. I did not know this before IWJ but there are quarter million nonprofits in the country and a lot of times some of these organizations flop due to being negligent to certain workplace laws. It is a great handbook that was very resourceful. The entire marketing plan and execution was all my own and some parts where sexy while others were not. For one, setting up an Amazon Seller Account sucks. Sorry about it. And in other instances, no one freaking emails you back. It is what it is. However, I then realized two weeks in my internship, this was my chance: the business and marketing chance that I always wanted!! And yes it kind of boring, just like I expected but I am glad I know that now! But other than the boring days, some days were more eventful than others. A lot of big time nonprofit networks were actually interested in my pitch in my book and accepted complimentary copies; some local bookstores in Chicago took the book too and wanted to do events with the authors. I was very grateful that my opinions and values mattered when discussing the marking of the book. I was taken very seriously and attentively and even though I was an intern I felt respected and dignified just like any other staff member. I was sad to leave this project behind because I was learning a lot from the real and hands-on experience I was getting but all good things really have to come to an end.
As far as being placed in Chicago, it was pretty perfect. I mean I know I was a drama queen the whole time on Facebook and Twitter but we all have our coping mechanisms and mine is overreacting. I was vested into a lot of Netflix this past summer and one episode of How I Met your Mother talks about “Graduation Goggles” and to my surprise I have had these for the past two weeks. I am going to miss the beauty of being 5 min away from public transportation, my unlimited L pass that could take me ANYWHERE I wanted, living behind Starbucks, resisting the urge go to said Starbucks everyday, cute hipster cafes, and Chicago in general. So actually, I really didn’t have graduation goggles. I never actually hated Chicago as much as some of my social media rants implied. I know, plot twist, sorry yall.
I was able to grow in Chicago in ways I never imagined before, personally, intellectually, and spiritually. While Chicago is called the windy city because it’s actually really freaking windy, it was windy for me in a way that I didn’t know how to cope with living there when it felt everything was working against me. But I now realize that this city was so windy metaphorically because I had to grow wings in order to fly. And for that, I thank you very much Chicago.
Love you always,
Kara