My Internship at Lena Pope

Lena Pope has always had a presence in my family. Lena Pope was involved with interventions that supported my mom when she was a teenager, my mom taught at Chapel Hill Academy, and my younger sister attended the Early Learning Center. Lena Pope has impacted my family for years, so when the time came around to decide on an agency for my social work internship, Lena Pope stuck out to me.  

Being an intern at Lena Pope positively impacted my education, professional development, and personal growth. I was able to gain a greater understanding and appreciation of the importance of collaboration and staffing, was able to observe how group dynamics occur and how social workers can be catalysts for change, and I was able to participate in data collection in the evaluation process. I was given the opportunity to participate in the administrative end of social work throughout this internship. I gained a better understanding and appreciation of administrative social work that I chose Community and Administrative Practice as my graduate specialty. Finally, having a weekly supervision hour gave me the opportunity to discuss theories I was learning in my classes and apply them to field work, learn about other aspects of social work like child devolvement and substance use, and gain wisdom and knowledge from someone who was already established and knowledgeable in the field of social work.  

Personally, I enjoyed being an intern at Lena Pope because the staff is welcoming, there are always opportunities to learn, and I was exposed to a plethora of aspects of social work. If you are an intern at Lena Pope, my greatest piece of advice is do not be afraid to ask questions. Starting an internship is new and leads to some nervousness, but that is normal. Anytime a person begins a new job or starts a task they have never done before, there are sure to be a few slip-ups or mistakes. But luckily, there are knowledgeable and kind staff members and supervisors there to support you and help you grow. Additionally, the more questions you ask, the more knowledge you will gain, and that will impact you and your career overall!  

by Kaitlyn, intern in Counseling and Substance Use Services