This is a picture of Sam and his best friend at the office, the tree. I think we will name the tree tomorrow. On a serious note, our mentor Karla has always said that everyone at the Institute tries to maintain a lighthearted and fun attitude in the office, because the topics that we often have to deal with are sad, disheartening, and generally depressing. So Sam and I are lucky to come into an environment where we can all laugh and joke with each other. Considering we are learning and exploring the topic of development and why 1 billion people live on less than 1 dollar a day, it is pretty important that we keep our attitude both focused and lighthearted. And the way Sam maintains his focused and lighthearted attitude is by venting to this poor tree :)
Thursday, January 14, 2010
The Blossoming Friendship of Sam and the Tree
This is a picture of Sam and his best friend at the office, the tree. I think we will name the tree tomorrow. On a serious note, our mentor Karla has always said that everyone at the Institute tries to maintain a lighthearted and fun attitude in the office, because the topics that we often have to deal with are sad, disheartening, and generally depressing. So Sam and I are lucky to come into an environment where we can all laugh and joke with each other. Considering we are learning and exploring the topic of development and why 1 billion people live on less than 1 dollar a day, it is pretty important that we keep our attitude both focused and lighthearted. And the way Sam maintains his focused and lighthearted attitude is by venting to this poor tree :)
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
First (or 50th) Impressions
This blog prompt asks for first impressions about the internship site. I have already interned there, so it has lived up to my expectations that I had going in. The difference between when I was there during the summer and the time that I'm interning now is the fact that there is a lot more going on. During the summer things were pretty relaxed, because the first real event taking place at the institute wasn't until September. This time around, I have a big hand in planning the next event that is happening (The 13th Annual Youth Town Meeting). For more information about the Youth Town Meeting, see my January 5th post. So I'm going to answer these prompts/questions based on what I have noticed over the past few days vs. how it was during the summer.
Your observations of your site
The Institute is surprisingly calm. One of the biggest events of the year is coming up in ten days. Karla, my mentor, shows little signs of frustration at the people who are not getting back to her, but that is to be expected. Sam and I attended a staff meeting today, where everyone went around and updated the director about what they have been up to the last week. Some of the people are called "event assistants," and this means they are there to help Karla with the YTM. (Karla is the director of WorldLink, the youth program at the IPJ so she is the point person/director of all things YTM).
Your evaluation of the site’s mission/purpose
This prompt kinda confuses me. I haven't talked about the IPJ as a whole, so I guess I will address that. The Institute for Peace and Justice was founded by Joan B. Kroc (wife of the founder of McDonald's, and a renowned San Diego philanthropist). Here is their mission statement: "Through education, research and peacemaking activities, the Institute offers programs that advance scholarship and practice in conflict resolution and human rights. The Institute for Peace & Justice at the University of San Diego draws upon Catholic social teaching that sees peace as inseparable from justice and acts to prevent and resolve conflicts that threaten local, national and international peace." The IPJ is a great organization to be involved with, in any way possible. I'm glad I am able to take part in what it has to offer at such a young age.
Any new skill sets that you know you'll need to work on?
The majority of the work I am doing this week is updating fliers (on word) and creating announcements and letters to go into the tote bag that is handed out to every YTM delegate. This requires drafting the letter or flier, having Karla look over it and make sure everything is there, and then putting the text into photoshop and making it beautiful. This is all stuff that I have done before, and I feel very comfortable doing it.
Any likes and/or dislikes that you have experienced within these first two days?
I have liked pretty much everything! I know Sam and my mentor Karla fairly well so that makes it easier that we don't have the awkward not-wanting-to-ask-for-anything phase. Everything has been good...Oh! I thought of something that I really don't like. My car (that I drive to internship in) has a manual transmission (so it's stick). The IPJ is located at USD, on top of a huge hill. There are two entrances to USD off of Linda Vista Road. The first is the quickest way to the IPJ but it is a huge hill with two stop signs right in the middle of it. I haven't found the guts to try going up that hill, because I'm fairly new to stick. Soo for the past few days I've gone up the less steep (but longer) hill on Linda Vista Road to the second USD entrance. This requires me to drive (on flat ground thank god) across campus until I get to the IPJ parking lot, which is directly above the hill I have nicknamed Hell. Overall this takes me about 5 more minutes of commuting time, which basically means I have to get up a little earlier. I guess if thats my biggest complaint, its going pretty well.
Your observations of your site
The Institute is surprisingly calm. One of the biggest events of the year is coming up in ten days. Karla, my mentor, shows little signs of frustration at the people who are not getting back to her, but that is to be expected. Sam and I attended a staff meeting today, where everyone went around and updated the director about what they have been up to the last week. Some of the people are called "event assistants," and this means they are there to help Karla with the YTM. (Karla is the director of WorldLink, the youth program at the IPJ so she is the point person/director of all things YTM).
Your evaluation of the site’s mission/purpose
This prompt kinda confuses me. I haven't talked about the IPJ as a whole, so I guess I will address that. The Institute for Peace and Justice was founded by Joan B. Kroc (wife of the founder of McDonald's, and a renowned San Diego philanthropist). Here is their mission statement: "Through education, research and peacemaking activities, the Institute offers programs that advance scholarship and practice in conflict resolution and human rights. The Institute for Peace & Justice at the University of San Diego draws upon Catholic social teaching that sees peace as inseparable from justice and acts to prevent and resolve conflicts that threaten local, national and international peace." The IPJ is a great organization to be involved with, in any way possible. I'm glad I am able to take part in what it has to offer at such a young age.
Any new skill sets that you know you'll need to work on?
The majority of the work I am doing this week is updating fliers (on word) and creating announcements and letters to go into the tote bag that is handed out to every YTM delegate. This requires drafting the letter or flier, having Karla look over it and make sure everything is there, and then putting the text into photoshop and making it beautiful. This is all stuff that I have done before, and I feel very comfortable doing it.
Any likes and/or dislikes that you have experienced within these first two days?
I have liked pretty much everything! I know Sam and my mentor Karla fairly well so that makes it easier that we don't have the awkward not-wanting-to-ask-for-anything phase. Everything has been good...Oh! I thought of something that I really don't like. My car (that I drive to internship in) has a manual transmission (so it's stick). The IPJ is located at USD, on top of a huge hill. There are two entrances to USD off of Linda Vista Road. The first is the quickest way to the IPJ but it is a huge hill with two stop signs right in the middle of it. I haven't found the guts to try going up that hill, because I'm fairly new to stick. Soo for the past few days I've gone up the less steep (but longer) hill on Linda Vista Road to the second USD entrance. This requires me to drive (on flat ground thank god) across campus until I get to the IPJ parking lot, which is directly above the hill I have nicknamed Hell. Overall this takes me about 5 more minutes of commuting time, which basically means I have to get up a little earlier. I guess if thats my biggest complaint, its going pretty well.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Interview With a Mentor
Today we had a "site visit" to meet our mentor, figure out transportation, discuss our projects, etc. I already know my mentor because she was my mentor over the summer, so I made the interview consist of questions that I didn't know the answer to instead of making her answer things I know we have already talked about...that would seem redundant :) So here's the interview:
ME: What is a typical work day like?
Karla Alvarez: Long, incredibly busy and very fast-paced. If I am not in meetings, I have people stopping by the office, answering phone calls and doing my own set of research and writing projects. My activities vary day by day, depending on whether we have a high-level guest or a large conference to prepare for (like now). Otherwise, I’m working on expanding the program, coming up with new ideas and fundraising.
ME: How long have you worked here?
KA: I started as a work study student my freshman year (Sept. ’03). As a senior (’06-’07), I was asked to take over the WorldLink Program covering most programmatic aspects while still enrolled at USD full-time – I wasn’t sleeping much. Upon graduation (’07), I was hired as full-time program staff and here I am today.
ME: Why did you choose to work here?
KA: I first found out about the IPJ while visiting USD as a junior in high school. I knew then that this was somewhere I wanted to be involved. Over the years, the programs and the people I have met through the IPJ have inspired me to learn more about and respect the very necessary work of peacebuilding. Although my salary may not be high compared to some of my friends, I am truly rewarded at the end of the day when I think about the team of dedicated staff I get to work with, while we are trying to amplify the voices of the marginalized. There is no financial award that can beat that.
ME: What skills and training are necessary for your position?
KA: Typically, an MA in Conflict Resolution/Peacebuilding, International Relations, Development, or related field is required and several years of field experience. However, my experience is very different from the traditional route and I consider myself quite lucky. I had no idea my freshman year of college that the IPJ would be the place where I started my career as a full-time professional. All I knew then is that I admired the work of the institute and I gave 100% to all of my projects. Somehow the program staff noticed that and gave me increasingly more complex projects until they felt I was ready to manage a program of my own. I suppose this experience has taught me that you never know where you might eventually end up, but working hard and respecting your colleagues will always be noticed, appreciated and perhaps even rewarded.
ME: What qualifications do employees need to be successful here?
KA: Humor is essential. So often the issues we have to deal with are daunting and terribly sad, so it is important to maintain a sense of humor and positivity. Hope, commitment, dedication, patience, capacity for long-term vision, compassion. What I have noticed among my colleagues is that this is our passion. We could not imagine working anywhere else and we are most alive when we are “in the field” or truly in the middle of working on our own projects.
ME: Do you find there are additional rewards beyond money in this career?
KA: Yes, look at my answer for why I chose to work here. People in this career do not do it for the money. I suppose our priorities are different.
As you can tell, my mentor Karla is a truly inspirational person. As is anyone who dedicates themselves to the Institute for Peace and Justice. I'm lucky I get to be a part of it for the next three weeks :)
ME: What is a typical work day like?
Karla Alvarez: Long, incredibly busy and very fast-paced. If I am not in meetings, I have people stopping by the office, answering phone calls and doing my own set of research and writing projects. My activities vary day by day, depending on whether we have a high-level guest or a large conference to prepare for (like now). Otherwise, I’m working on expanding the program, coming up with new ideas and fundraising.
ME: How long have you worked here?
KA: I started as a work study student my freshman year (Sept. ’03). As a senior (’06-’07), I was asked to take over the WorldLink Program covering most programmatic aspects while still enrolled at USD full-time – I wasn’t sleeping much. Upon graduation (’07), I was hired as full-time program staff and here I am today.
ME: Why did you choose to work here?
KA: I first found out about the IPJ while visiting USD as a junior in high school. I knew then that this was somewhere I wanted to be involved. Over the years, the programs and the people I have met through the IPJ have inspired me to learn more about and respect the very necessary work of peacebuilding. Although my salary may not be high compared to some of my friends, I am truly rewarded at the end of the day when I think about the team of dedicated staff I get to work with, while we are trying to amplify the voices of the marginalized. There is no financial award that can beat that.
ME: What skills and training are necessary for your position?
KA: Typically, an MA in Conflict Resolution/Peacebuilding, International Relations, Development, or related field is required and several years of field experience. However, my experience is very different from the traditional route and I consider myself quite lucky. I had no idea my freshman year of college that the IPJ would be the place where I started my career as a full-time professional. All I knew then is that I admired the work of the institute and I gave 100% to all of my projects. Somehow the program staff noticed that and gave me increasingly more complex projects until they felt I was ready to manage a program of my own. I suppose this experience has taught me that you never know where you might eventually end up, but working hard and respecting your colleagues will always be noticed, appreciated and perhaps even rewarded.
ME: What qualifications do employees need to be successful here?
KA: Humor is essential. So often the issues we have to deal with are daunting and terribly sad, so it is important to maintain a sense of humor and positivity. Hope, commitment, dedication, patience, capacity for long-term vision, compassion. What I have noticed among my colleagues is that this is our passion. We could not imagine working anywhere else and we are most alive when we are “in the field” or truly in the middle of working on our own projects.
ME: Do you find there are additional rewards beyond money in this career?
KA: Yes, look at my answer for why I chose to work here. People in this career do not do it for the money. I suppose our priorities are different.
As you can tell, my mentor Karla is a truly inspirational person. As is anyone who dedicates themselves to the Institute for Peace and Justice. I'm lucky I get to be a part of it for the next three weeks :)
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Prep Week
So for the internship prep week, we have been assigned things that are supposed to prepare us for internship at our respective sites. This is all fairly low key for me, because I am already very familiar with my site, what it means to be an intern, what our relationship with our mentor should look like, etc. The task for today is to find out general "background information" about our organization, with an interview with our mentor to follow tomorrow.
I am going to be an intern at The Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice (IPJ). The IPJ is located in the Kroc School of Peace Studies (KSPS) at the University of San Diego. The Institute has several programs running, and the one that I will be involved in is the Worldlink Youth Program. I was also an intern there during the summer of 2009, so that is why all of the things we are going to be doing this week are familiar to me. During summer I was a research intern, which meant I found, read, and summarized articles pertaining to the overall topic of Development with a specific focus on Trade and Financial Systems. For this three week Internship Immersion, I will have more of an Event Planning role. The event is Worldlink's largest function of the year, the Youth Town Meeting (YTM). The YTM, which will be held on January 22, 2010, will host 650+ students from Southern California and Tijuana to meet, learn about, and discuss international issues.
Trying to explain the IPJ to someone who is not familiar with it never ceases to be a challenge, and I think in this blog there is no exception. I think I just threw a few acronyms out there and hoped that it would all make sense. I think the best thing to do to learn about the IPJ or the KSPS would be to visit the website. And using the acronyms does help in the long run :)
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