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Profile
of Dana Nowlin, Intern, Every Child, Inc., 4/05
By Amanda Harber
PPW/Writing Center Publicity Intern
Dana Nowlin
is a Sociology major and Religious Studies minor who decided to
take on a PPW certificate because she thought it would prepare her
for a professional career after college. She thinks that a PPW certificate
will “show employers that I possess certain abilities such
as research capabilities and the ability to convey social issues
in a professional format. I have a desire to help people in this
society and being able to write about these societal issues not
only for the general public but for other professionals says a lot
to future employers.”
Dana interns at Every Child, Inc. (East Liberty), a nonprofit agency
whose primary goal is to ensure caring, healthy, and lasting families
for children who may have developmental disabilities, special health
care needs, or significant emotional challenges. They provide special
needs adoption, foster care, and family support services. Dana heard
about Every Child, Inc., from a friend who is a graduate student
in the School of Social Work, and as Dana intends to get her Masters
in Social Work, she believes that an internship at a social work
organization such as Every Child, Inc. will help prepare her for
working on her MSW. Dana got the internship by simply calling the
office. After she stated her interest and qualifications to the
director of the program, the director quickly offered her an internship
position.
Dana’s primary task at her internship is to write child profiles.
These profiles contain information about a child's pending adoption,
such as the child’s age, medical and social history, functioning
and developmental issues, and information about the birth family.
This type of writing has called her attention to the emphasis that
she has to place on audience and research to support her writing.
Dana often has to research a child’s life before she can begin
the task of writing the profiles.Dana recalls her most significant
experience occurring at a staff meeting. “The director of
the agency publicly read a letter from a previous client who spoke
about how grateful she was for one of the specialists who worked
there. This woman went through a lot and yet felt as if her life
was completely changed all because of the help of one person. The
letter was very moving, and all I can remember thinking was ‘I
would love to have that kind of impact on someone else.’ Dana
will leave Every Child, Inc. not only with that inspiration, but
also with a better understanding of the ins and outs of social work.
She has also learned the importance of writing in the field, and
how social work goes well beyond basic casework.
Dana would advise her fellow students to “take advantage of
the people you meet and the time you have. A lot of individuals
you meet are good resources of information and can help guide you
down a good path. Specifically, if you are considering an internship,
put 110% into that internship because you never know what opportunities
open up just by showing employers how well you can work.”
Dana’s internship has helped her to realize exactly how much
public and professional writing is done even outside of the classroom.
Before this semester, she hadn’t realized how important writing
is in the professional world. Writing skills will help her survive
that world post-graduation. She says “writing is my life and
being a sociology major means I have to do a lot of writing. Sociology
and social work is not just studying society, interactions, and
institutions but it also means researching and informing others
about your findings. Writing is important everywhere, and some writing
skills are more valued than others (e.g., grant writing).”
Dana also believes that participating in PPW can help other students
achieve their career goals. “By participating in this program,
students would not only learn about writing but other skills relevant
in the workforce, such as communication, resume building, and networking.
Since I have participated in this program, I have a better sense
of what I want to do after I graduate and how I can incorporate
my writing into my major and my future career. I believe other students
can achieve the same.”
Finally, Dana comments on the PPW program as a whole: “The
PPW program is wonderful and is worth the time and effort. There
are good people who make this program exist and they help students
with their writing, overall academic career, and life. I believe
that I will benefit greatly from my participation in this program,
possibly even more than I expect. If a student has an interest in
writing or learning what it means to write in the public and professional
world, I encourage them to join this program.”
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