Gaining Credit in the Community
“Once I started working here, I realized that it’s very different than what I had been learning in school,” shares Nathalie Lopez. She’s referring to Urban Ventures’ youth mentoring program and her role as an Urban Ventures intern. It’s not that what she’s learning is incorrect, just that the practical application hasn’t matched what she expected. Her experience working with teenagers at Urban Ventures has complemented her education as a Social Work and Psychology major at North Central University.
“Taking this role let me put things into practice. If I hadn’t been here serving these kids, I probably would have forgotten a lot of what I was learning.” Instead, each week she has the chance to apply the skills and techniques she’s discussing in the classroom. “I have a better understanding of what I’m doing and learning, way more than I would have just in a classroom.”
Nathalie is one of nine students with paid internships at Urban Ventures. The internship program exists to give real-world experience to university students in their field of study. The program was made possible by Eagle Brook Church’s “Making a Difference” campaign.
In 2022, those experiences included small business through Urban Ventures Coffee, education and social work in academic support and youth mentoring programs, agriculture and nutrition on the farm, and development and event planning alongside the Advancement department.
In addition to the hands-on experience, interns receive supplemental trainings on topics like professional etiquette and financial planning. “I’ve learned a lot about organization and time management,” shares Nathalie. “I’ve always liked being organized, but I’ve learned more about making a plan and creating systems to get things done.”
The program has created a win-win for interns and Urban Ventures, building confidence and improving programs at the same time. Nathalie has begun transferring even more knowledge from her schooling to her internship. “I’ve been able to use what I’m learning in class to suggest changes to our program. It’s been working really well.”
While Nathalie doesn’t know what the future holds (she graduates this month), she’s confident she will be better at whatever she does next because of her time in the internship program. “The work we do carries a big weight. Without experience, you can get into a job and be unprepared for the responsibility. That can cause big problems for the people you’re serving. I feel more prepared than if I hadn’t had this experience.”
