Student Reflections

Beyond the Classroom: Five Questions with a Major

Students and teachers who took part in the Woodenfish Foundation’s 2017 Humanistic Buddhism Monastic Life Program at Xinyin Temple near Ningbo, Zhejiang province, China/ photo courtesy of Clara Jones, '18.

Lauren Berry-Kagan, ’18: The International Rescue Committee internship program

1. Tell us a bit about the International Rescue Committee. What is it and what activities did you participate in there?
   
   
   • Lauren: The International Rescue Committee is a non-profit organization that provides humanitarian aid to people affected by conflict and natural disaster. The organization was started during World War II, at the request of Albert Einstein, and now works in 34 countries and 27 cities in the United States. Its American offices help resettle refugees by providing cultural orientations, job trainings and placements, housing assistance, English education, after-school programs, and so, so much more.
     
     During the summers of 2016 and 2017 I taught in IRC Seattle's Newcomer Summer School, which is for refugee youth ages 5-18 (I worked in the older class with students ages 11-18) who have arrived in the United States within the past year. Our students come from Iraq, Nepal, Syria, Somalia, Afghanistan, Burma, and Congo, and some had only been in the United States for a few weeks. [click here to read more] The main focus of the summer school is English, but we also did math, science, and school readiness activities to help students learn how to do things like check grades online, request an interpreter from the school for their parents, or join extracurricular activities.
     
     
2. How did you hear about this internship?
   
   
   • Lauren: I learned about IRC through a family member, and then I found the internship on their website.
     
     
3. How did learning within the classroom transfer to what you experienced at IRC?
   
   
   • Lauren: My fellow interns were all incredible, but the most important advantage that I had with my religious studies background was that I knew not to make any cultural assumptions, such as assuming that someone from the Middle East is Muslim. It sounds small, but when you're working with populations who have either been targeted their whole life because of their minority status, like my Yazidi students, or are suddenly experiencing what it's like to be a minority for the first time, it's important to not assume things about their religious identity, cultural background, or life experiences. Additionally, my Muslim students were clearly pleasantly surprised by the fact that I know a fair amount about Islam and showed an active interest in their culture.
     
     
4. What was your most memorable experience or most valuable takeaway from participating in the IRC's internship?
   
   
   • Lauren: My students have experienced immense struggle, have witnessed some of our world's most devastating atrocities, and carry a great deal of trauma. At the same time, they are motivated to learn, they are curious about the world, they are super goofy, they are talented, they are kind, they are creative, and, more than anything else, they are incredibly hopeful about their futures. Holding these two sets of truths simultaneously was one of the most important aspects of my internship -- that my students have been affected by their experiences in ways I cannot possibly imagine, but that they are resilient and that kids are kids, no matter what.
     
     
5. If other students would like to be part of this experience, how would they do so?
   
   
   • Lauren: I cannot recommend getting involved with IRC enough! It's an incredible organization that does amazing, vital work. They have phenomenal internship opportunities that include a lot of direct contact with clients, so you definitely won't be standing in a back room making photocopies. The internships are unpaid, but Skidmore has lots of opportunities for students with unpaid internships to receive funding. The first year I interned with IRC I received a financial award from SEEBeyond, and I really encourage all students to look into those amazing financial resources.
     
     Here's a link to a story that our local NPR station did that students might find of interest.