Follow up Interviews with the 2008 EQV Fellows

• Joan Bosco

• John Chisholm

• Lorena Estrella

• Nadeem Modan

Joan Bosco

• Intern Name: Joan Bosco
• Organization Name: Dr. Gary Zieve's Pathology Lab at SUNY Stony Brook, Good Shepherd Hospice
• Rate Experience: Excellent
• Submit: Submit
• Date: Friday, September 05, 2008
• Time: 03:37:13 AM

Involved In These Activities

The Sm group of proteins is the autoantigen targeted by the body of Lupus patients. The major Sm ring is made up of seven Sm proteins: SmB, SmD1, SmD2, SmD3, SmE, SmF and SmG. One of the goals of the Zieve lab that I interned in this summer is to learn more about the structure of this protein in order to better understand how it is related to Lupus and why this protein is targeted. In the beginning of the summer, I worked on developing WebLogos. These diagrams were based on the amino acid sequences that comprise the Sm proteins of many different species. The WebLogo diagrams enable us to visualize which amino acids are the most conserved throughout species, and which are therefore the most important components of the Sm protein structure. Later in the summer, I went on to run 2-dimensional gels in order to separate the components of the Sm proteins based on both charge and size. This would allow us to learn more about the physical structure of the proteins. It was especially important to try and separate the SmD proteins, as they are very similar in size and it was previously difficult to distinguish between these proteins in the 1-dimensional gel. If effective, this technique would give us a means to identify the different Sm proteins and learn more about their structures and their role in Lupus patients. I also volunteered at Good Shepherd Hospice. Here, I worked to make the patients comfortable, visited with them and talked to their families. I also volunteered at a weekend-long bereavement camp designed for children who have recently lost a parent or another close relative. This camp was associated with Good Shepherd hospice. During this weekend, the campers engaged in fun activities such as crafts and sports, but also received the opportunity to talk about their feelings of grief in “Healing Circles” led by a social worker.

Level Of Supervision

In the lab, my mentor Dr. Zieve was very involved in my research. He basically watched over my shoulder until he felt I was competent enough to perform the various lab techniques on my own. Even then, I would often check in with him during the different steps of the procedure to make sure I was on the right track. After initial meetings with the hospice volunteer director Marilyn Lisner and a basic training overview, I was basically on my own. I made my own hours and, except for the on-unit nurses who would answer my questions, I was alone with the patients and their families.

Skills Knowledge Gained

I learned a lot from my summer experience. I developed invaluable lab skills, and also learned a lot of background information about Lupus and the structure of the Sm protein itself. I also honed my analytical skills, having to use information from the articles I read and from what Dr. Zieve taught me to draw conclusions from my own results. My work in the hospice provided me with patient care skills essential for achieving my future goal of becoming a medical doctor.

New Perspectives Gained

My work this summer also caused me to gain some new perspectives as well as confirm some that I already held. First of all, my experiences confirmed my desire to be a doctor. I also learned just how well my Wesleyan education, particularly the course I took on Immunology, has prepared me for real-world experiences, making me more confident in my lab work. As for the world in general, I learned just how pervasive a disease Lupus is and just how little is actually known about its causes (and why now more than ever it is imperative that we understand more about how autoimmunity functions). Working in the children ‘s bereavement camp this summer provided me with a new perspective on human strength, and caused me to reevaluate my own relationships and my personal take on death and what it means to “move on” after a significant loss.

How Use Dana

The laboratory skills I gained this summer will definitely be transferable to the biology research I will be performing at Wesleyan this semester. I will also be continuing to volunteer at Middlesex hospice, so my experiences at the hospice this summer will definitely enable me to engage in better patient care practices. I also hope to continue both my work in the Zieve lab and my Good Shepherd hospice volunteering over winter break. My experiences this summer will also help me in the not-so-distant future when I apply and hopefully enroll in medical school.

How Dana Changed Goals

My internship experience definitely confirmed my desire to be a doctor. The direct patient care I engaged in at the hospice showed me that I definitely want to work with patients in the future. I enjoy the research aspect of medicine as well, but learned this summer that I prefer interacting with patients. So my experience taught me that I would enjoy performing translational medical research, but not as my primary focus.

More Gained From Internship

I think if my experience had lasted for more time, I might have gained more from it. It took a while for my research project to get started, and it also took some time to start volunteering due to training sessions, etc. Also, I was a little disappointed in how stringent the NY hospice volunteer laws are as compared to CT (I had started volunteering at the Middlesex hospice this past spring). I would have liked to have been able to engage in a little more direct patient care and perhaps even in some one-on-one shadowing of a hospice doctor.

Most Significant Aspects

The medical experience I gained this summer was invaluable, and the most significant part of my summer.

How Improve Process

I found the budget very difficult to develop accurately before the summer began. I know that my proposed budget changed constantly due to unforeseen circumstances such as car repair and the increasing price of gas. Therefore, I think that Summer Experience Grant applications shouldn’t be judged based on the student’s proposed budget. It might be useful to have a fixed rate, with everyone who is accepted being awarded the same rate for the summer.

Summer Plans Without Dana

If I didn’t receive the Summer Experience Grant, I would have worked at a minimum wage job this summer. I would most likely have been at the movie theater I’ve worked at for the past two summers (and winter breaks) in order to pay for living expenses and my student expected summer contribution.

Budget Adequate

There were some unforeseen circumstances that I didn’t account for when I was preparing my initial budget, such as the constantly increasing cost of gas and car repair. I had also asked for (and was awarded) money to pay for a class related to both my future career and my summer experience. However, I neglected to take into account the cost of books and other classroom expenses and so ended up spending money I hadn’t accounted for in my budget.

Also Like To Share

Everyone always stresses how important a good internship is in preparing someone for their future career, but many internships are unpaid. Therefore, a kind of vicious cycle develops. You need to obtain an internship so that you can gain experience and have a better chance of getting a good job in your field (and thus making money), but oftentimes students, particularly those on financial aid, are unable to take an unpaid internship in the first place. Without this grant, I would not have been able to afford my summer plans and so would not have gained the invaluable experience in my potential field that I gained this summer. The Wesleyan Summer Experience Grant really helps to level the playing field by offering financial aid students a way to afford an unpaid internship, and for this I am very grateful.

John Chisholm

Involved In These Activities

There were three aspects of my internship with Friends of Kakamega, a Maine-based non-profit serving orphaned children in Kakamega, Kenya. The first two internship activities were very straightforward: accounting & Quikbooks, and website building. The third duty was performed in Kenya, coinciding with a research trip funded by the Davenport Grant (and a welcome addition to my internship). I was able to complete my Davenport research but also had plenty of extra time in and around Kakamega, Kenya (Friends of Kakamega's "region"). While there, it only seemed natural to engage in internship-related activity, and we planned my internship accordingly. Getting back to the issue of activities description, Friends of Kakamega has recently been shifting toward Quikbooks (a type of accounting software). Many aspects of Quikbooks were confusing to the older and less-technologically-inclined generation, and as a result it was my job to try and "sort it all out" at the Maine office. I figured and then instructed methods of using the software so as to call up the correct reports with specified data. Additionally, it was my job to enter donations into the system and to digitize the donor database (e.g. incorporate the organization's existing information into the new software). My second duty was web site building, which I performed using iWeb (a simple, Mac-based web site software); the idea behind this is that the organization's director is now able to update the site without a webmaster's help. The new web site is ye t to be launched online but is ready to go pending a few minor changes. The third aspect of my internship was work in Kenya; I spent three weeks in Kenya this summer, including a large chunk of time at the organization's orphan care center "home base" in Kakamega, Kenya. Describing my duties there is not so simple, but suffice it to say that they included general coordination of sudden issues (e.g. repairing tattered schoolbooks, requesting more soccer balls from America, etc.), investigation into energy usage and conservation (e.g. installing compact fluorescent light bulbs in the orphanage, introducing solar cooking, etc), and reporting to the US what is going on "day to day" that cannot be ascertained via email with the Kenyan staff. Ultimately, I spent two months on-and-off doing US-based office work, and a good portion of my three weeks in Kenya engaging in various organization-related activities. My US work was definitely part-time but extended over the entire summer. My total hours involved easily exceeded Wesleyan's requirement of 30 hours x 8 weeks= 240 hours.

Level Of Supervision

I received guidance and engaged in discussion with the organization's director regarding the nuances of my web site building and accounting-software implementation. By-and-large, however, I was free to work as I pleased and supervision was consultative, not micromanaged. In Kenya I was in email contact with my Maine-based supervisor (mostly to report goings-on), and also had a number of Kenyan staff in Kakamega who could be considered supervisors or colleagues. On the whole, however, I had a number of people to consult and discuss with, but no one was telling me "do this, do that".

Skills Knowledge Gained

A lot! I've learned about Quikbooks and the complexities of bookkeeping; I have a newfound respect for CPAs. I learned about website creation and the difficulties of relying on technology to be consistent or cooperative. Most importantly, I learned a lot in Kenya about the challenges of working in another country. To be more specific, I developed knowledge and skills of how to get answers or make things happen in a place where all-too-often nothing changes and plans are not followed through with. I learned to double-check the books, never take for granted that something will get done, and the importance of having the right people performing a job. In brief, I developed a few semi-useful office skills, and a great deal of life skills and knowledge regarding cultural interaction within the scope of a formal, international organization.

New Perspectives Gained

Having done similar work before, I can repeat the not-entirely-new feelings I have about global inequality and the ability of Western people, institutions, and governments to blindly ignore the challenges facing about three billion of the world's poorest people. To pinpoint entirely new perspectives is difficult, but I think one such perspective would be on the issue of clean energy (which I was studying in Kenya on my Davenport Grant). As countries develop and their people, organizations, and governments make investments in the future, it is of upmost importance to consider energy as an urgent issue. Working with Friends of Kakamega while simultaneously studying energy made me realize that any long-term plans taken by my internship organization should have energy in mind. Western non-profits operating in developing countries must consider long-term needs as a critical investment (and ignore the temptation to help more people immediately but unsustainably). Over this summer (and I suppose this internship) I have been able to clarify what I want to do with my life. I want to involve myself in intermediate technologies that allow energy for cooking, light, heat, and other uses to be brought affordably to people in poorer countries. Part of this "new perspective" can be traced to my Davenport research, but my involvement with Friends of Kakamega was critical for this moment of clarity. The drudgery of accounting and day-to-day organization activities reminded me how tough it is for folks managing an office to say "hey! let's be green now." At the same time, the new opportunities available and long-range calculations show that for simple economic reasons it is critical to intelligently plan energy systems in developing countries. Analyzing the orphanage’s water bills, electricity bills, and cooking wood expenditure made me realize--all of a sudden--that it's not just liberal guilt that promotes clean, intelligently-planned energy. I learned that I want to avoid office work in the future, but that I do want to do hands-on work that can bring real people the gift of light at night and fuel for cooking... without the long-range pitfall of deforestation, environmental degradation, and global climate change.

How Use Dana

I will be able to incorporate my experience in two classes this semester. As my internship organization continued to manage its work in Kenya, I became very involved in Kenya's politics and recent political violence and unrest. This will help me in one of Wesleyan's newest government classes, "Africa in World Politics". Meanwhile, my cumulative work in NGO management and fieldwork in Kenya will bring valuable experience to Jim McGuire's class on poverty and development, "East Asian & Latin American Development."

How Dana Changed Goals

My internship experience (combined with Davenport research) has played a key role in re-directing what I want to do with my "career". I was able to experience the importance of small non-profits with direct oversight: I no longer want to be involved in some major NGO like UNICEF, Oxfam, etc. I would like to start my own international non-profit involving Africa, and I want it to focus on bringing energy to those that need it most. I learned that accounting and web site construction, while a hassle, are certainly within my reach. I learned that--for now--I do not need to pursue even-higher education to do what I want to do. I cannot entirely credit the internship, but my experiences doing office work in Maine and fieldwork in Kenya certainly helped me reach these conclusions and help me find more direction in life.

More Gained From Internship

It would have been useful to engage in more presentations and talks (as I had originally planned). Also, I (somewhat unsuccessfully) researched but did not ultimately submit any grant requests. Both of these would have been useful skills in which to gain experience. In Kenya, it would have been fulfilling to visit more homes of children's guardians & relatives to hear their stories. These trips have proven to be the most difficult yet moving part of my time working as an intern in Africa.

Most Significant Aspects

It was emotionally significant to process donations and realize who from my community was giving to such a worthy cause, and very touching when I noticed consistent and generous donations from folks who I knew really had very little money (from a US perspective). The truly most significant aspect however, was arriving in Kakamega and establishing or continuing relationships with the children who lived there. Engaging with the children was not directly a part of my "work", but I was staying at the care center because of the internship and therefore consider it an "aspect" of it. Each conversation, each kick of a soccer ball, each high five reminded me how fortunate I am and how happy people can be despite having precious little in terms of material goods. The interactions with real people who are directly affected by my sponsoring organization's work, therefore, was the most significant part of my internship experience.

How Improve Process

I have no qualms with the application process. As far as selection goes, it would have been nice to know "yes" or "no" a little sooner, but I really can't complain.

Summer Plans Without Dana

I would likely have waited tables in a small town in Maine, and travelled to Kenya for a few weeks on my Davenport research grant. However, my trip to Kenya would not have been the same if I hadn't been involved with this internship organization.

Budget Adequate

Yes and no, I found that I needed to do part-time work to get by and enjoy myself this summer during free time. The trip to Kenya was very expensive but had not been a part of my application budget. All in all it's very difficult to live comfortably on the Dana grant but that's what my side job was for. I could have used more money but I'd have happily survived either way. In the long run, it's probably better to offer the grant to more people than to offer more money to fewer people.

Also Like To Share

Nothing that could possibly fit in this quick online questionnaire.

Involved In These Activities

Being an intern/volunteer for the Nagarote-Norwalk Sister City was a great experience because I could work on many things and everyday was something new and I loved the excitement of working with motivated youth. I was available to assist in day-to-activities in and out of the office. I was translating scholarship and sponsor letters, shadowing staff and going on house visits for scholarship students. I created a new in Spanish brochure for the organization, which was circulated in town and at events. I also participated in community events such International Tree day, which the participants from the reforestation project led environmental presentations and distributed trees. I also helped with community canvassing for tree distribution and then distributed trees to various communities with the kids. I also got to co-supervise a trip to the regional Youth Fair in Quezalguaque, Nicaragua. I was also available to provide and academic support especially in English. I held informal English classes and assisted in the English class. I also helped plan and organize the annual Promotion event. My most important activity I led was the initiation of an all girls reading club. My goals were to work on reading/writing initiatives, to be a mentor and leader to students in the youth project, and help students develop writing skills while promoting self-esteem and confidence (life skills-public speaking, writing). The book club met daily for a week and a half was a big hit. I led the group everyday for about 2 hours in which I had planned activities/ice breakers, reading and discussion time. I also got to organize and participate in the girls’ volleyball team, which was a lot of fun getting girls motivated and active. Overall, I appreciated having the flexibility and availability to help out where ever I was needed and I’m happy people were comfortable asking for my help and opinion and respected my input.

Level Of Supervision

[Ed. Note Same as paragraph above] Being an intern/volunteer for the Nagarote-Norwalk Sister City was a great experience because I could work on many things and everyday was something new and I loved the excitement of working with motivated youth. I was available to assist in day-to-activities in and out of the office. I was translating scholarship and sponsor letters, shadowing staff and going on house visits for scholarship students. I created a new in Spanish brochure for the organization, which was circulated in town and at events. I also participated in community events such International Tree day, which the participants from the reforestation project led environmental presentations and distributed trees. I also helped with community canvassing for tree distribution and then distributed trees to various communities with the kids. I also got to co-supervise a trip to the regional Youth Fair in Quezalguaque, Nicaragua. I was also available to provide and academic support especially in English. I held informal English classes and assisted in the English class. I also helped plan and organize the annual Promotion event. My most important activity I led was the initiation of an all girls reading club. My goals were to work on reading/writing initiatives, to be a mentor and leader to students in the youth project, and help students develop writing skills while promoting self-esteem and confidence (life skills-public speaking, writing). The book club met daily for a week and a half was a big hit. I led the group everyday for about 2 hours in which I had planned activities/ice breakers, reading and discussion time. I also got to organize and participate in the girls’ volleyball team which was a lot of fun getting girls motivated and active. Overall, I appreciated having the flexibility and availability to help out where ever I was needed and I’m happy people were comfortable asking for my help and opinion and respected my input.

Skills Knowledge Gained

I have learned how to communicate and relate to others in a new way. I have learned to present myself and my ideas clearly in public. It was not always easy being a mentor for young teens who came to me for advice but I learned how to listen and be patient and be a friend. I learned what community and teamwork meant. I saw how individuals in a community can come together to support each other in small acts of love and concern. I learned to share. Share food, time, stories, laughs, tears.

New Perspectives Gained

I think that community development and international development is something I am very interested in and is something I see myself doing my future whether abroad or here in the states. I learned the importance of being able to communicate fluently in Spanish and English. I learned that there are so many hierarchies of power that make community development extremely difficult and that I am only one person amidst the larger bureaucracies but my input and voice are important. I learned that the education I am receiving cannot stay articulated in books but I need to use what I know into the real world. I learned that people are truly suffering in the face of a world food crisis and clean water is a necessity for life and productivity. I have gotten to know and love many people who are survivors of poverty and violence and it is not fair. I have learned to use my history to connect with others. I have learned to relate and not see people by their situations but rather for who they are.

How Use Dana

I will continue to challenge power structures and stereotypes in my classes. My experiences in visiting the touristy places in the city of Leon will give me insight for my class “Transnational Sexuality” in which we will look at sex tourism, which is a reality for many Nicaraguan women and men in search of a better life.

How Dana Changed Goals

I would this internship both confirmed and changed my views about the non-profit sector. This summer has opened my eyes to the corporate nature of non-profits especially those that are US run and funded. But I have learned that this work is something I really enjoy and be really good at. While I have my critiques on international NGOs and non-profits, I think it was helpful to have those critiques formulated now and work against them in my future work.

More Gained From Internship

I have little complaints from my summer, I could have gained more in the teaching realm in terms of running a class for a longer period of time, but I think I did what I was capable of.

Most Significant Aspects

I think the experience of working with the Nagarote community and developing relationships, in particular the young girls from my book club and from the volleyball team, was the most important for me. I think being seen as an individual and not just another “gringo” was also important for both me and the people I was working with.

How Improve Process

I think it seems fair. I would have liked to have had an information session and heard from what other recipients did in the past to get a better sense of the grant beforehand.

Summer Plans Without Dana

I would most likely have gotten a summer job close to home making barely enough money to pay for my expenses and summer contribution.

Budget Adequate

Because I had already traveled and lived shortly in Nagarote before, I had a pretty good idea of my expenses. The budget including my summer earning requirement worked out nicely. It was comforting to know that although I was not being paid from the organization, I did have my summer earnings covered at home to pay for school.

Also Like To Share

Involved In These Activities

As an intern with SPRAT, I worked on a sociological research project focused on the Muslim religious leadership in the area. Who are they? What are their backgrounds, educational and socioeconomic? What are their opinions on practically relevant subjects? I performed extensive data analysis on the computer using the database software, Microsoft Access and independently completed a 90 page research report with analysis. As an intern with IAVN, I worked on expanding the organization and building its contacts in Ahmedabad as well as Mumbai. I met with an enormous amount of people, and among them, I also met with the directors of Ahmedabad’s two largest NGOs. In building contacts with 5 NGOs (Saath, St. Xavier’s Social Service Society, Prashant, Pennies for Education and Health, and Aamcha Ghar), I began the work for creating future internships with these organizations.

Level Of Supervision

The supervision I received from my sponsor(s) was very minimal. My supervisor at SPRAT was always extremely busy and rarely had the time to meet with me at all. I met with him perhaps once a week for two or three interrupted hours each regarding my project. But nevertheless, I was able to complete a 90-page research report by the end of the summer.

Skills Knowledge Gained

This summer, I was able to gain many different skills. They ranged from becoming fluent with another very useful Microsoft program (MS Access), understanding the intricacies of doing sociological research, as well as practice of networking with different people and building an organization, a very entrepreneurial endeavor.

New Perspectives Gained

About myself, I realized that I am a very independent person and would have a very difficult time if my supervisor is controlling, overbearing, or likes to micromanage. It is very difficult for me to adjust to rigid schedules, and working a 9AM-5PM desk may be very difficult for me. This understanding of myself reinforces my aspiration to go medical school and continue with entrepreneurial endeavors.

How Use Dana

The experience I had this summer is very relevant to my studies, for I am majoring in religion. It opened up the possibility of doing a thesis on the Muslim Religious Leadership of Ahmedabad, or a sociological research project in general.

How Dana Changed Goals

As described above, the perspectives I gained from my internship led to some realizations about my own personality, my goals, and my style of working. This internship has confirmed my educational and career goals, in that I am more confident that I want to attend medical school and alongside continue with entrepreneurial endeavors.

More Gained From Internship

Looking back at my summer experience, I don’t know that I could have gained much more in terms of perspective. Almost all the opinions, beliefs, and perspectives I held were challenged and questioned. Some convictions were reaffirmed, while some did not hold up to the test of time. If this internship could be improved, though, it may have been in the realm of productivity. I believe that in every activity, one should learn, contribute, and have fun. I learned and had lots of fun, but did not feel as if I contributed or gave back a lot in terms of community service.

Most Significant Aspects

Without a doubt, the freedom to develop my own internship- and then to follow through with it and to experience the highs and lows association with it was the most significant part of the internship. I believe it cultivated in me wiser decision-making skills and more responsibility, both of which are invaluable.

How Improve Process

I honestly believe that the application and selection processes are as efficient, easy, and effective as they can be.

Summer Plans Without Dana

This summer, I would have been unable to afford a trip to India. Although I would still have tried to raise money, I may have ended up working at job in the United States this summer, which was unrelated to my education and career, and not nearly as rewarding as the experience I was fortunate enough to have.

Budget Adequate

The budget I created for the summer was adequate, but on the low side. In retrospect, I would have slightly increased the summer earning requirement.

Also Like To Share

Involved In These Activities

-Practical/Academic Classes included: Organic Gardening (Topics: History of Agriculture, Soil Ecology and Bed Preparation, Botany, Plant Physiology, Seed Starting and Transplanting, Soil Fertility Management, Crop Rotation and Planning [designing a CSA], Pruning and Asexual Propagation, Disease/Pest Management, Water Systems) Forestry (Topics: Forest Ecology, Mushrooms, Forest Inventory, Tree Falling, Horse-Logging/Low-Impact Extraction, Old Growth, Aforestation and Plant Propagation, Non-timber Forest Products, "Traditional wood utilization and the best use of timber forest products in localized economies", Bamboo Appropriate Technology (Topics: Solar Hot Water, Combustion, Heat Transfer, Energy-Efficient Stoves, Thermo-Dynamics, Solar Houses, Food Dehydration, Cobb, Solar Cooking, Composting Toilets, Bio Diesel) Permaculture (Topics: Ethics/Principles/Characteristics of Permaculture, Zones/Sectors, Guilds and Plant Association, Succession, Design Methodologies, Plant Identification Terminology, Pond Building, Agroforestry, Climate Classifications, Micro Hydro Systems) Monday classes varied: Whole Foods Nutrition, Medicinal Herbs, Earthworks, Fermentation, Food Preservation -We were asked to cook (in a group of four) one meal a week for the interns (16 people), staff (8), and work traders (6). Additionally, pairs of people were charged with a week of preparing breakfast. All cooking was done outdoors on efficiently designed wood-burning stoves.

Level Of Supervision

There were several people who lived on the property and served as professors and mentors. My sponsor, Rosemary Kirincic was specifically in charge of interns. Other professors and visiting professors generally lived in the town of Cottage Grove. Additionally, other staff member guest-taught classes or participated in our projects (solar food dehydrator, bike-powered washing machine, design presentations, bio fuel workshop, field trips, etc.).

Skills Knowledge Gained

-Completed a Permaculture Certification -Cooked regularly for large groups -Independent research -General practical and academic knowledge a variety of fields

New Perspectives Gained

My interests have, of course, broadened a great deal. I am now equipped with useful hands-on skills in agriculture, technology, design and forestry. Living in an intentional community helped me consider sustainable issues on a local level while not losing sight of the global implications.

How Use Dana

This semester, Earth House was asked to participate in a partnership program between the Office of Diversity and Academic Diversity and Residential Life that offers funding for community outreach. Program houses are asked to choose a topic related to their housing theme and explore it during the semester. Earth House has chosen to explore food justice and the politics of food. My agricultural experiences, both in Haiti and the internship give me a perspective on the global issue of food shortages in developing nations. I am also taking a student forum on local food growers and producers. My time at Aprovecho convinced me that a sustainable lifestyle is the key to resource conservation.

How Dana Changed Goals

It has transformed the way I look at a liberal arts education. Now I am committed to establishing a healthy lifestyle - which includes taking classes in my interests, not limited to my major. This semester, I am taking Ecology, which relates to a lot of the Permaculture design work done at Aprovecho (ecosystems, ecological functions of plants, forest systems, aspects of botany). I have declared a History major with a concentration in folk religion, but I do not consider my major and my practical knowledge mutually exclusive. Eventually, I would like to return to Haiti and build energy-efficient, wood-burning stoves out of local clay. I am thinking about teaching classes in English, Informatics, and Forest Restoration in Matenwa, Haiti after graduation.

More Gained From Internship

I wish that there was more time in the internship to explore the curriculum further. I gained a general, basic knowledge in many different fields.

Most Significant Aspects

It is difficult to elucidate the all the positive aspects of my enlightening experience at Aprovecho. Part of the way through the summer, I realized the significance of the expansive Aprovecho library. All of the pieces of specialized information introduced in class corresponded with an extensively thorough, available book. Reading recommendations were also regularly made by professors during class, who encouraged self-motivated and self-directed study. I had the opportunity to absorb the cultural divide between West and East Coast, which was a kind of research in itself. Finally, after receiving the Wesleyan-Dana Grant, I am more likely to apply for grants in the future. My experience was successful on many levels in preparing me for a career in non-profit work.

How Improve Process

The CRC website is difficult to navigate (the old website is confusingly integrated with the new one). The forms on the website were not updated when I was applying for the grant. I was taking an educational leave of absence at the time and had to drive from Cape Cod to the CRC in between my travels to have one of the CRC staff approve my resume. I was happy to be chosen and enjoyed my meeting with a representative from the donating organization.

Summer Plans Without Dana

Because of my strained financial situation, I would have lived at home, working several jobs to earn money for my '08-'09 student contribution and living expenses.

Budget Adequate

My proposal budget was adequate and covered all necessary expenses. I worked part-time before and after my internship to pay for the plane ticket, which was not covered by grant money.

Also Like To Share

I would like to gratefully acknowledge my receipt of the Wesleyan-Dana Summer Experience Grant to continue my undergraduate studies at Wesleyan University. The expense of college can be overwhelming but this grant represented financial and community support for my education. Thank you so much.