So, I have officially completed my internship at the Charlotte Coalition for Social Justice, and boy has it been an exciting, emotional, and rewarding experience. I began the summer thinking that I would work on a health disparities project in my local community...and I did. I spent the entire month of June collecting data and information, while formulating the skeleton of my project…but that soon changed.
Coming back from school, I realized that my hometown was in severe economic duress. Originally, I was supposed to work at the Community Health Administration through the county health department. That sub-department was dismantled because funds were needed to go to “more priority organizations.”—So I had to find an internship elsewhere. That’s when I went to CCSJ, an organization that I worked with since high school, and has made a tremendous impact on my life. This summer, however, CCSJ was cut from county funding, and led to a domino effect causing CCSJ to lose most of its funding. Because of CCSJ’s dire economic position… I dropped my independent project to help the organization I know and love.
This entire has not been easy for me, because CCSJ is where I gained my passion for social justice, and indirectly for public health. It is where I have grown as a leader, and where I came to understand myself and others… This cloud DID have a silver lining though….Working along with the other intern, Melissa Seigle, we planned a press conference where I was featured on several news stations being interviewed about the imminent closure of CCSJ. In this process, I learned how much work and dedication it takes to call a press conference…media advisories and press releases and all. But it went off without a hitch, and we got our story out there. I was also featured on a local NPR news station….WFAE, which is linked in the post below.
It’s hard for me to acknowledge that I have grown and gained a skill set from the demise of this non-profit... but those are skills that will never leave me..Therefore the spirit of the organization will never leave.
I decided to end my internship before the summer flagship program of Anytown (see video in posts past). I went to the conference as a camp counselor, and had a blast as I always do (this was my 5th Anytown). The cloud looming over the entire conference was that it was projected to be the last one EVER, which was difficult for many of the staff, remembers to accept, especially those of us who have grown with the program for years. The weird irony of it all is that it ended on my birthday…of all days. So while my birthday is celebrated as a day of life-giving...it will now also represent the falling of an organization that was so dear to me…talk about symbolism.
Indeed, I was emotional, but I can only acknowledge how much good CCSJ has provided me, and now it my job to spread that to all that I know. I will not look upon this as sadness. Change is inevitable, and things happen, but one must realize that nothing better can come without destruction. I am confident that something bigger and better will take the place of CCSJ in Charlotte… we just have to accept the change for the time being.
Well, I must depart. I have to re-focus all of my energy back on my research. I have an update due in a few days, and I have done VERY little, and have A LOT of catching up to do.
- Until Next Time!
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