Lauren Shotwell

Agency: Aviva Children's Services

Term: Fall - 2001

When I entered college, I was naive. I figured I would go to school do the work, and then graduate. I assumed that would lead me to my next step, whatever the next step was. I did not even realize that I was the one who had to make that "next step" happen. I knew that I liked to help people, and that was enough for me. I figured that, college degree in hand, I could go out and find a job easily. I paid no attention to the many suggestions to get out in the field and make connections, or to gain that valuable experience. However, as I entered my upperclassman years, I started to open my eyes. I began to realize that although I had a major, I did not know what I was going to do with it when I graduated. I began to question myself on what I was going to do with my life. What kind of job did I really want? What kinds of service jobs are open to me? How am I going to find a job doing the type of community service that I am passionate about? I also realized that no one could tell me the answer to these questions. That is why, for the first time in my life, I took the initiative to sign up for the internship program. I did not put as much weight on it as I should have at first. I figured that it would be like volunteering for a couple of hours, only I would also get a grade out of it. Well, I was semi-correct. My internship has taught me so much. I cannot believe how much I have learned and how much I have grown in the past three months.

My internship is through an agency called Aviva Children's Services. They are a relatively young non-profit agency whose mission is to expand the services provided to children and families in the Child Protective Services (CPS) system. They have several positions that they fill with volunteers, which range from mentoring to supervising court ordered visitations. They also have a position titled social worker assistant, which is what I do. I do not actually work with Aviva anymore because I am paired with a social worker. Aviva recruits volunteers, trains them, and then sort of gives them to CPS. I work in a CPS office and aid two social workers with every aspect of their job. My tasks include everything from filing, entering information in the computer and telephone calling, to staffings, home visits, and court hearings. I do not do one set task every day I am there. Instead, I get to experience the ups and downs of being a case manager. I have learned a variety of things from this internship. They range from practical things like how to use the computer system, to life lessons like how to be more flexible and prepared for the unexpected to happen. I am included in everything. I cannot really say that enough, but my mentors really make an effort to allow me to experience the entire job. They want me to learn about everything that they do, not just the fun or interesting things. Actually working in the field, and then doing assignments for the internship seminar, has really allowed me to look closely at what I am doing and what I can learn from that. I can also make a connection to what I learn in class, what I read, and what I am doing in the field. It makes you think and apply knowledge you already have to the different experiences you are exposed to. It really helps guide your experience so that you are not just aimlessly volunteering your time without a goal or objective that will help later in life.

So, why should you do the internship? I am not sure I can tell you the answer to that question. I wanted to take an active role in exploring my options for my future. I wanted to gain experience while still having a structure and people whom I could turn to for help. I wanted to make sure that I did not have to start over again once I graduate. I wanted to get my foot in the door. I am not in this internship to get a job. I am still not sure what I will do when I graduate. I do know now that I have the skills to make it in this field of study, and that no matter what I decide to do, I have a network of people that can back me up and help me find something that I will love doing. I bet that if you sit down and really think about what your future holds for you, you can see that just taking classes is not going to be enough. Why not lay the footwork now, so that when school is over you are already ahead of the game? I will leave you with a story from my experiences thus far.

I had not done anything on my own before. I liked it that way, because I felt comfortable doing home visits and stuff with my mentors. I was starting to build a sort of comfort zone where I could do things at the internship, but I still wanted the mentors there in case I did not know what to do. That was until one of my mentors sent me to see some of her clients for her. I was nervous because I had only met the kids once, and I did not know if they would remember me. I also had not really been involved in the case too much. I was also scared that I would not know what to say to the kids and it would be awkward. I did it anyway because it needed to be done. I went to the shelter and got all of the kids from this family together in one room. We visited for about fifteen minutes. It was not as bad as I thought it would be. The kids enjoyed being in the same room together, and they played with toys and answered some of my questions. The best part of the experience came after the kids left. My mentor wanted me to talk to their case manager at the shelter to get any new information and just sort of check up on the kids. I was nervous about this part, because I did not know the gentleman, and I was not sure if I would be able to answer any of his questions. I started talking to him however, and it was cool. He treated me like I was competent. He answered all of my questions and seemed impressed by my ability to assess the problems he told me about and come up with the same conclusions. I also pointed out something that he was not aware of. While this story may not seem so exciting, it was a big step for me. I proved to myself that I really was learning something from the internship, and that I was getting to the point where I can hold my own with real people who are really working in the field. This gentleman knew that I was an intern, but that did not mean that I would get any special attention. He is paid to do what he does and he treated me as if I am as well. It was just a good day for my self-esteem and for me to see that I have the ability and the knowledge to be taken seriously in this field without my mentor holding my hand.

University of Arizona | College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
School of Family and Consumer Sciences | Family Studies and Human Development

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