My internship at the Casa launched my career!

I could write a really sappy description of the Casa de los Angeles and the smiling faces and comfortable atmosphere but the bottom line is that my internship at the Casa de los Angeles launched my career.

At the age of twenty-one I taught ESL english classes, conducted research in Spanish for a thesis, worked with multiple aged groups in a preschool setting, organized fundraising projects and learned about non-profit management. The directors allowed me to operate way beyond my prior experiences and in so doing greatly increase my personal capital.

In large part of my experience at the Casa I was accepted to Teach for America, which in turn greatly strengthened my law school applications. In addition, I was hired on at the University of Oregon during a down economy BECAUSE of experiences interviewing client mothers and doing home visits.

The Casa is an excellent place to challenge yourself and grow. You have to be able to define your own experience, however. The directors are really busy and won't give you much oversight. I didn't even know where I would be staying until a week before I got to San Miguel. You have to be willing to solve your own problems in terms of living situation, transportation and supervision. The large network of former volunteers can help out with that. You just have to be proactive in planning your experience!