Miranda Lingle

Major: Kinesiology and Health
Minor/option/emphasis: -- Select a Minor --
Company/Organization: Martha’s House of Hope
Company/Organization website: https://www.marthashouseofhope.org/
Destination: Ames, Iowa
Timeframe: Fall 2024
Advisor/Coordinator Email: dpower@iastate.edu

Responsibilities

My primary responsibility as a family life intern at Martha’s House of Hope was working one-on-one with the maternity home residents. I was responsible for implementing case plans for each resident in our care and ensuring they were connected to all appropriate assistance programs that would allow them to live a healthy and prosperous future. My weekly tasks included leading one-on-one meetings with each resident, writing resident reviews, leading house meetings, helping residents apply for assistance programs, attending doctors' appointments, and teaching new moms about infant health and newborn safety tips.

Accomplishments

During my internship, I had two major accomplishments. The first was working with the executive director to execute a fundraising gala that raised over $74,817. The second was helping a resident who had been newly diagnosed with gestational diabetes.

Learning experience

One of the greatest lessons I learned during my internship was not to be afraid to ask questions. When I first started my internship, residents approached me asking for assistance with topics and government assistance programs that I wasn’t well versed in. During my internship, I learned that there is nothing wrong with asking supervisors and coworkers questions since they have knowledge and personal experiences that they are more than happy to share.

What advice would you give?

Be confident in yourself! Many college students experience what some may call “imposter syndrome” during the beginning of their internship or professional career. At the beginning of my internship, there were times when I felt like I wasn’t qualified to assist the residents I was working with since most of them were older than me and were battling things I had never gone through. With time, I became more confident in the advice I was giving and lost that sense of “imposter syndrome” that I was feeling early on in my internship. Be confident and trust that your education at ISU has prepared you well to hold your role as an intern at whichever internship you take!

Career Connections