MSP's internship program is made for students in high school and college to experience what working at a nonprofit is all about. Here are some of our interns' testimonials.
Evander Jackson, Summer 2019 Intern
My internship at My Sister’s place was the experience of a lifetime. It was amazing to be able to work with all these people who were so passionate about their work. One key thing that I learned while interning there was the power of teamwork. There were many different divisions of the program that I didn’t even know existed, but they all worked so well together, it formed one big unit that makes My Sisters’ Place run so smoothly. I also learned that forming these positive connections with people open the doors to so many opportunities. While working with Kathryn Strangolagalli, I have witnessed the amount of connections she has that have benefited My Sisters’ Place tremendously. This experience really opened my eyes to see the bigger picture of how opportunities are formed and can be utilized.
Something that I would like to share with the youth about my experiences from My Sisters’ Place is that there are always people looking out for you, even if you don’t feel like it. The staff of My Sisters’ Place is so passionate about their work, and will sacrifice a lot of their time just to make steps in the right direction. They do so much behind the scenes work that is more impactful than you may be led to believe. The message I would leave for young people is to keep pushing forward because no matter where you turn there is always somebody there to support you.
Mary Belezaire, Summer 2019 Intern
Some key things I learned during my internship at My Sister’s Place was the importance of educating and organizing. It is important to educate young people on issues like dating violence and healthy relationships. Awareness, understanding the dynamics of dating violence, and knowing there are resources available to help is crucial to preventing dating violence.
I want teenagers/young people to know it’s valuable to organize and discuss current or taboo issues. It’s worth knowing how those issues may impact you or the people around you.
Some ways teenagers/young people can raise awareness to teen dating violence is by hanging flyers around school or simply talking to friends and the signs of dating violence. Discussing what healthy relationships are may also help someone recognize if they aren’t in a healthy relationship.
En Español:
Algunas cosas que aprendí durante mi pasantía en My Sister’s Place fue la importancia de educando y organizando. Es importante educar a los jóvenes sobre temas como la violencia de pareja y relaciones saludables. Conocimiento, comprensión de la dinámica de la violencia, y conociendo los recursos para ayudar es crucial para prevenir la violencia de pareja.
Me gustaría que los adolescentes/jóvenes supieran que es valioso organizar y discutir temas actuales o tabú. Vale la pena saber cómo esos problemas pueden afectarte a ti o a las personas alrededor de ti.
Algunas maneras en que los adolescentes/jóvenes pueden crear conciencia sobre la violencia de pareja es colgando volantes alrededor de la escuela o simplemente hablando con amigos y los signos de violencia de pareja. Discutir qué relaciones saludables son también puede ayudar a alguien a reconocer si no está en una relación saludable.
If you are interested in being a summer intern at My Sisters' Place, email Jenny at volunteer@mspny.org with your resume and cover letter.