Name: Katie

Junior

Major: Political Science

CFS Concentration: Field Studies in the Modern Workplace

Although the program has “Chicago” in its title, I ended up interning at an Evanston non-profit as part of the Chicago Field Studies program. As an intern at the Moran Center for Youth Advocacy in Evanston, the most important thing that I have gained – beyond skills, knowledge, and connections – has been exposure to a side of Evanston I had never known before this quarter.

It is all too easy to make it through four years at Northwestern without ever escaping the campus bubble and experiencing Evanston as a city. This internship has given me exposure to not only the important legal representation and social work services of the Moran Center, but also to a number of other non-profits in the Evanston area. From working at the Moran Center’s office to attending meetings at other Evanston non-profits to helping with a legal aid desk at the Cook County courthouse in Skokie, I have been to more Evanston-area places in 10 weeks than I had been to in the last three years combined.

While I have learned a lot about how small non-profits function, and while I have gained skills that could help me in a number of future career paths, the most meaningful aspect of my internship has been the opportunity to experience Evanston as much more than a college town. Nowhere on Northwestern’s campus could I be immersed in the world of legal representation, social work, and restorative programs for youth in Evanston who need these services most. The Chicago Field Studies program has put me in a position to work alongside passionate people who are working every day to make the Evanston community a better place for the people within it. And, ultimately, by working alongside such hardworking and passionate people, this internship has made me more dedicated to knowing Evanston as a community and more committed to giving back to this community.