|
Trinh Tran Trinh was the summer 2003 intern for community development and strengthening at NAVASA. Trinh worked on contacting NAVASA affiliate members as well as researched information on Vietnamese mutual assistance association (MAAs) and opportunities Trinh has been involved in a number of community service and non-profit organizations prior to her involvement with NAVASA. She has served as a summer intern for youTHink, a non-profit youth organization in Los Angeles, facilitated personal heath and social skills to youth at the West San Gabriel Valley Boys and Girls Club and was a youth leader for the National Conference on Community and Justice (NCCJ), Brotherhood/Sisterhood camp. She recently completed 300 hours of community service as a Jumpstart Americorps member which is a program that partners college students with a head start child to build literacy, language and social development. Trinh has shown her commitment to the Asian American population through her involvement at her school and community. She will serve as public relations officer on the Asian Student Alliance club at her school, has spent time tutoring Vietnamese youth at Boat People, S.O.S. in Columbia Heights and is a 2003 Conference on Asian Pacific American Leadership (CAPAL) scholar. Trinh currently attends the Elliott School of International Affairs at the George Washington University where she will begin her second year in fall 2003. She plans on majoring in International Affairs with concentrations on developmental studies and global health. ********************************** Reflection of the Internship Experience at NAVASA This past summer has been one of the most rewarding and fulfilling experiences that I have had. It is hard for me to imagine that I may not have chosen to stay and intern in D.C. I have always been interested in working with non profit organizations. My internship at NAVAS really allowed me to get hands on experience in what goes on behind the scenes of a national organization. What I am thankful for about my internship it that it really was a job. From 9am-5pm, five days a week, I was a part of the process. I had assignments to complete, duties to carry out and a role to play. This was an internship that made you work, which is definitely something that I was looking for in a summer internship. Coming away from the internship, I am able to say that I contributed to putting the website together. I learned about what goes into getting content together and creating a new resource for community organizations. The skills that I hoped to improve while working at NAVASA were my communication and writing skills. From contacting affiliate members, doing research, writing press releases and working on the website, I feel that I have a better grasps on putting together ideas more effectively as well as being more comfortable in speaking to others. I also learned about the professional logistics that go on in an office. This was something that I had to get used to. From dress code, office etiquette, and rules of writing letters, I understand more about the mechanics of an organization. Even more rewarding was the opportunity to learn more about the Vietnamese community. From working on the conference and the website, I was able to do research and learned about the issues that affect my community. I was exposed to issues such as immigration, deportation, human rights and health that need to be addressed in our community. Going to the VAYLC was very rewarding because I was given the opportunity to meet young Vietnamese leaders who are so passionate about their community. The opportunity to work at NAVASA was even more rewarding because of the warm and inspiring staff. Each person was welcoming, patient, hardworking and even more so, ready and willing to share there experience and advice. As I have said before, NAVASA created a family environment that made the experience more than a 12 week internship but a community of individuals who really care about the issues. Being at NAVASA this summer is something that I will carry with me for a very long time. The lessons that I have learned, the connections that I was able to build and the opportunity to make a difference in my community have been one of the best things that I have been able to do and for that I am very thankful.
|
