Sydney Bell
Category: Internship
My STEP Signature Project was with a non-profit organization called “Out of Darkness”. Their goal is to help survivors of human trafficking while spreading the word of God. I helped at the Safe Home for one week before it shut down, learning about trauma-informed care. After the first week, I helped at the Drop-In Center every Friday by helping women pick out clothes, serving them food, talking with them, and making sure they got showers.
Many things changed for me throughout my internship. I learned that I am not really interested in the social work aspect of helping survivors of human trafficking. I am more interested in the law and making sure they get the justice they deserve. My views on religion changed as well, I learned that I am not a Christian. Overall, the internship allowed me to see how fortunate I truly am.
One event that led me to believe that the social work side is not for me is the golf fundraiser that was thrown. Throughout the fundraiser, I shared information with the golfers about the organization. I wasn’t a huge fan of the event because it felt like we were begging for money. Even helping at the Safe Home and Drop-In Center affected me. Although I was helping the women, I did not feel like that was enough. The organization’s approach is just a temporary solution.
My views on religion changed while participating in my internship as well. Throughout my time at the Safe Home and Drop-In Center, the volunteers would say things that logically made no sense. For example, they would say things like “Although we’re in a bad neighborhood, I know that we’re safe here because the Lord is on our side.” I have always had a complex relationship with religion, specifically Christianity. This internship brought me clarity when it came to religion. It allowed me to see that Christianity is not for me right now.
Driving to my internship was another event that led to transformation. I am from Westerville, Ohio, which is a middle-class suburb in Columbus. My internship was on the South side of Columbus, where the area was not what I was used to. Every week on my drive down there I would see countless homeless individuals, random people at bus stops, run-down buildings, and old, boarded-up houses. Even the Drop-In Center that operated in a house was very small compared to what I am used to. The experience allowed me to be grateful for what I have and the life that I live.
The final interaction that influenced change in me happened on my very first day. I walked into the Safe Home and was introduced to the women and one of them was the same exact age as me. It really blew my mind to see how different our paths in life were. After talking with the women my age, I was just grateful for my life because that could have been me if I did not grow up the way that I did.
This change in me is valuable for a few reasons. It allowed me to gain clarity when it comes to my desired career path. The social work aspect is interesting. However, I know that it would not fulfill me. Becoming a lawyer would allow me to help those in need differently because I would have access to more resources than a smaller non-profit organization. It was also valuable because although it was not the best fit, I learned a lot about myself that will allow me to thrive in the future.
