I was too excited to sleep the night before the big day. I packed a lunch, organized my backpack and performed numerous other small tasks to pass the time, unable to wait until the next morning. The Metro ride felt like it lasted an eternity. I hopped out of my seat when I heard the conductor say, “This is Metro Center. Doors opening on the right side.” Thirty minutes early, I paced the block, trying in a futile effort to take note of the stores and restaurants by the office.
Finally, I made it to the steps, through the door and was ready to embark on my internship at Street Sense. I’ve wanted to work with this organization since I began reading the newspaper a few years ago. This is my dream internship. I have looked forward to this position for months upon months, and now, 10 weeks later, I cannot believe this experience is coming to a close.
On my first day on the job, Jesse, a vendor and office volunteer, said, “You’d be amazed what can happen if you just accept people for who they are.”
This quote seemed to be exactly what I needed to hear at that moment. These words remind me that everyone has a story. If we just love people for who they are in the moment, then we affirm their lives and encourage them to use their talents to benefit the community.
Working at Street Sense has taught me the power of words and how they can be used for social change. I plan to apply this knowledge to my classes at school and my future plans. I also intend to continue working with homeless individuals, with the hope that this social issue will be greatly mitigated and eliminated in my lifetime.
I want to thank everyone I interviewed, my co-workers, the vendors and all of my new friends for their patience while I learned about reporting during this experience.
To the vendors: Thank you for working hard and always sharing your interesting perspectives about life with me. Becoming your friend and learning about your experiences was always the highlight of my day.
To Lisa, Mary and Abby: Thank you for always encouraging and providing me with valuable feedback on how to improve my storytelling skills.
I am leaving this internship experience with hope. These are not the last words I will write because I plan to continue using my writing talents to educate the public on social issues that are related to homelessness and poverty.
Yours, with gratitude,
Mary Yost
