February 28, 2017
Joanne Nelson
Program Director
Women & Justice Program, Mercy Connections
255 S. Champlain Street, Burlington, VT 05401
jnelson@mercyconnections.org
Dear Jo:
In August of 2017, I met with a faculty mentor, Professor Suzy Comerford, to discuss potential internship options as part of my final credits toward a Master’s in Educational Leadership (M.Ed. EDLP). Full-time working students typically develop an internship at their place of employment to supplement their career development and because it is more logistically feasible; however, I wanted sought mentorship and saw the internship as an opportunity to explore something outside the walls of the University of Vermont for the first time in seven years.
When I met with Professor Comerford this past August, she observed that “my light had gone out” since the last time she worked with me; “it wasn’t gone, just lost, and I had to go find it.” She was right. I had lost a sense of meaning and purpose in my work; I was tired, worn-out, and defeated by top-down, corporate workplace models.
Professor Comerford recommended I get in touch with the Executive Director, Dolly Fleming. As you know, Dolly asked you if you would be willing to host me, and I am incredibly grateful you welcomed me with open arms to serve as the first Justice and Mentoring Program Intern, under the Vermont Women’s Mentoring Program (VWMP) September 2017 – February 2018.
APPLIED RESEARCH PROJECT:
As part of the M.Ed. EDLP requirement, I completed an Applied Research Project, which is often achieved within the internship course.
While working at Mercy Connections, I underwent the full mentor training. I also attended official programming, including but not limited to the annual Harvest Feast, monthly in-person mentor support groups, and the 15-year anniversary reception celebration with mentors and program leaders. My time at Mercy provided a wonderful and unique opportunity to absorb institutional structure and culture. As such, I could gauge what mentors struggle to understand early in their development in the program. As I wrapped-up my mentor training, began meeting with other mentors, and started imagining myself matched with a mentee, questions and perceived needs arose.
I set out to research, in-depth, the definition of prosocial behaviors, how prosocial development might be specific to the mentees in the program (forces for and against prosocial development), and what tools might the VWMP develop to further support their mentors to engage with their mentees in prosocial development. I delivered a summary of my findings and the developed support tools at an in-person training (session four of the spring mentor training offering), which I later recorded to post to one of the new forums for our existing mentors.
I also presented a comprehensive overview of my research and developed tools in the form of a letter written to a newly-trained mentor, which is attached.
INTERNSHIP SUMMARY:
True to the Mercy mission, you and your colleagues nurtured my self-sufficiency; you mentored me; you introduced me to the ever-growing, ever-loving Mercy community; and I’ve felt truly empowered to make significant life changes. These past five months, as the first Justice & Mentoring Intern under the Vermont Women’s Mentoring Program (VWMP), were a truly incredible journey. I captured it perfectly in my note under the welcome easel invite to share a November gratitude, “I found Mercy Connections this year and started a lifelong relationship.”
I invite you to review my internship blog. I wrote on a weekly basis and attempted to capture my thoughts and reflections on both my personal observations of the new workplace and my personal development while working within it. The blog also includes links to my activity log (tracking all time I dedicated to the internship and applied research project), our final internship proposal, a link to our developed tools for engagement (“The Mentor Toolkit”), and a link to my recorded mentor training.
Thank you, again, for opening your arms to me, back in August; thank you for helping me find my light. I look forward to continuing my new and ongoing relationship with both the Justice & Mentoring Program and the broader Mercy Connections family as a volunteer, as my internship concludes.
Affectionately,
Kiersten Hallquist
Intern September 2017 – February 2018
Justice & Mentoring Program, Mercy Connections
53 Barley Road, Burlington, VT 05408
Kiersten.Hallquist@uvm.edu | 802-793-7995
No comments:
Post a Comment