SUMMIT Reflection

From Ella Schleueter

This summer for my SUMMIT internship, I was placed with Des Moines Refugee Support (DMRS), a local nonprofit founded by Alison Hoeman, whose mission statement is to bridge gaps for refugee families as they establish their new lives in Iowa. When I first began my internship, I wasn’t entirely sure what my position at the organization would look like as they are constantly planning for new events and working on ways to broaden their impact. Although I was initially a little nervous to take on a role that was flexible and open-ended, I quickly grew to love it. I took part in many of the day-to-day happenings at DMRS, like helping kids stay organized for swim lessons, or handing out paperwork at soccer tryouts.

I also did some of the behind-the-scenes work through helping Alison fill out tax information and even revamping the website! One of the biggest things I did was fundraise for a big event of DMRS called Grant’s Back to School Free Store, which, this year, provided back to school items and services like haircuts and physicals to over 400 families in-need.

When I was making calls for donation requests or organizing donation drives, I was so excited to be able to talk about all of the work that DMRS does, and I felt very proud to be part of the organization. This experience gave me confidence in the work that I do, as well as satisfaction with the work that I had done during my time with the organization. SUMMIT was an amazing experience, and I am very glad that I had the opportunity to be a SUMMIT intern for 2023!