Natalie Jefson

Responsibilities

I was an intern for the Support Services Center. I observed classes related to domestic violence, healthy relationships, and parenting. I also compiled a list of resources for victims of crimes in the Des Moines area. I worked both in-person and virtually.

Accomplishments

My greatest accomplishment was the resource database for victims. I worked on this project for my internship. I found various resources to compile for people including shelters, food banks, and support resources. I organized them into a Google Drive for easier access for employees working with clients and victims of crimes.

Learning experience

The biggest lesson I learned was how many perpetrators of crime have been victims themselves. Often, in our classes, we talk about people who have been victimized and how difficult their lives become. Of course, this is true. What I've learned from my internship is that often perpetrators have been victims themselves. I've truly seen the impacts of trauma-informed care through my experience with my internship.

What advice would you give?

My advice would be to try an internship that you hadn't considered before! I went into it thinking that I would do an internship very different from what I found, but I ended up finding one that I hadn't expected! It was incredible to see the things we've talked about in class taking place in a real-world setting. I learned so much more than I would have from the internship I had originally planned on.