Feedback from a community partner

Following the fall internships, as usual, we talked with the partners about their experiences hosting student interns.  

Sophia Kim, Program Director at Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center (BCNC) explained, "[The student] was a great fit for our organization."  Since he was already a participant in our programs, the internship allowed him to get a bit of "behind the scenes" understanding of how things work at BCNC.

The student's main tasks while at BCNC were: 

• Doing background reading on the organization, on the history of Asian immigrant communities in the US and in Boston, and related materials in the office library. 
  
• Interviewing staff members about their experiences, interests, and professional practices. 

The student didn’t need too much support. Sophia, who served as the host supervisor, checked in with him weekly, helping the student tailor his interview questions and talking about what he was learning.

Foremost, Sophia said she wished there was more time each day and that it were longer-term to continue with the intern. It was a pleasure having him come to work once a week and getting to know him as a young person. Further, she noted that taking on an intern gives an opportunity to be reminded of how amazingly resilient young immigrants and youth in general are.