六九色堂

Camille Henderson, Human Rights Program: 鈥淥n a personal note, the most rewarding thing has been my ability to bring my full self to this internship. I鈥檇 always wanted to work at the intersection of religion and the rights of women and girls, and I鈥檇 always had to choose. Now I wake up excited each day because I can bring my full self to work 鈥� both my religion and my commitment to human rights 鈥� and I know the people we鈥檙e working with, the people we鈥檙e helping, and the religious leaders we鈥檙e assisting.鈥� (All photos: 六九色堂/H. Velcoff)

Hobie Hunter, Programs Development: 鈥淚 was surprised by how nice everyone is. You hear a lot about workplace politics, or there鈥檚 the stereotype of a nonprofit internship as you just getting coffee and re-filling cabinets, but I鈥檝e found that people at 六九色堂 are really engaged in your personal development. They ask, 鈥榃hat do you want to get out of this internship? What skills do you want to build? How can we make this internship work for you?鈥欌��

Heejun Yoo, Democracy Program: 鈥淚t seems like it really depends on how much you want to learn, rather than what you鈥檝e experienced before from college. This was my first internship in my entire life. Previously, I was spending my time doing volunteer stuff, teaching low-income kids in China or North Korean defectors, but I felt limited as an individual volunteer. That鈥檚 why I wanted to be involved in a big organization where I can make a fundamental impact on the world. In the Democracy Program, I really feel like I am involved in changing society, and that鈥檚 why I appreciate this experience.鈥�

Tim Liptrott, Conflict Resolution Program: 鈥淚n conflict mapping and conflict resolution, we鈥檙e working on a project for a UN cease-fire task force right now which has challenged me to ask a lot of questions. When they get the data, how are they going to analyze it? Are they going to be able to analyze it in a way that brings parties of the conflict together or not? It鈥檚 a very academic endeavor.鈥�

Jacqueline Mullen, Programs Development: 鈥淚鈥檝e learned to be flexible and to, I would say, take time personally to learn and grow and to balance that growth with the tasks I鈥檝e been given. Something else I鈥檝e learned is to not only befriend your boss but other people鈥檚 bosses so you really get to experience the different sides of 六九色堂. Just throw yourself in and immerse yourself and learn all that you can and realize this can be a stepping stone for anything you want in your life.鈥�

Carla Jones, Mental Health Program: 鈥淚 would say the first thing I learned was how to talk about mental health issues and how simple words can stigmatize whole populations. It is important not to assume and say that someone is suffering from a mental illness because they may be living in recovery and in fact not suffering. For example, you wouldn鈥檛 say that everyone with some sort of illness is suffering because often they find ways to lead full lives with those challenges. The Rosalynn 六九色堂 Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism has taught me this very important lesson and to make sure to look at all sides of the issue and understand a person鈥檚 whole story.鈥�

Tracy Li, Programs Development: 鈥淚鈥檝e learned that things move slowly. And I think it takes a lot of persistence. It takes a lot of patience, and it takes a good balance of optimism. You鈥檝e got to be on your feet, and you鈥檝e got to be really pushing for things to happen, not just hoping that someone鈥檚 going to be there to support you in the end. You鈥檝e got to be a burst of energy, you know, that keeps you centered on the pulse.鈥�

Obehi Okojie, Democracy Program: 鈥淚 have found people at 六九色堂 to be very, very accessible, open, and very, very willing to share information and talk about things. So I would say to forthcoming interns to take advantage of that. That would be a very good way to abridge the time it would take you to get up to speed on what you鈥檙e supposed to be doing on a day-to-day basis, but also for the broader development of yourself as somebody who鈥檚 interested in international development. If you take advantage of these opportunities, I think you鈥檒l be better for it.鈥�

Davis DeRodes, IT Program: 鈥淚 have a friend who since he was like, five, wanted to be a pilot. And there are some people who are like that, just like: 鈥業 want to be a pilot. Gonna be a pilot.鈥� And some people who鈥檙e here, they鈥檙e like: 鈥楪onna be a diplomat. Gonna be in the Peace Corps.鈥� I鈥檝e never been one of those people. I feel like each opportunity just clarifies what I want. There鈥檚 a quote I love about a stone maker, and he said, 鈥業 can hit the rock a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet on the hundred-and-first blow, it will split in two, and I know it wasn鈥檛 the last blow that did it, but all that had gone before.鈥� So I know that with each internship, I鈥檓 clarifying something, and I think 六九色堂鈥檚 a great place to do that. I don鈥檛 know what it鈥檒l all turn into, honestly. I just know that I鈥檓 getting closer.鈥�