Spring 2021 Operations Intern
Hey Everyone!
My name is Jamiya Forna, and I am the current Operations Intern at L.A.C.E.S.. I am also a freshman at The University of Pittsburgh studying International Relations on the Pre-Law track.
A bit about me
I believe in the power of words and love to read and write. I am an avid fantasy and science fiction reader and right now, my mind has been captured by Tomi Adeyimi’s work, “Children of Blood and Bone”. To me, nothing beats reading in the park on a nice day; I love to see stories weave together on paper but I also love to be the writer weaving the stories together. I started in elementary school while competing in competitive essay and poetry showcases, an opportunity that shaped me immensely. Writing, today, is an essential outlet for all of my feelings and ideas, and I continue to focus my efforts in poetry and thought-provoking essays.
My L.A.C.E.S. journey
When I first heard about L.A.C.E.S. I was shocked at how perfect it seemed. One aspect of LA.C.E.S. that really intrigued me was the way it builds up a community. By helping adults of the community learn how to be influential mentors and offer disadvantaged youth in that area opportunities for growth, the community is positively impacted. This in turn allows the community to build better connections and create positive change even after L.A.C.E.S. leaves.
From my work with Seren and Leah, I have been constantly encouraged to speak my mind and be creative. I’ve learned so much already about how nonprofits work and what goes into making an organization like this successful. Despite the pandemic, we’ve still been able to meet. Those meetings have provided me with a safe space where my ideas can be heard and discussed. I love the collaboration that happens when the team gets together and the ideas that are birthed from our conversations.
My Future Goals with L.A.C.E.S.
There are so many things I am excited about. However, I am mainly excited to continue my work on the website. Currently we are working on updating and redesigning the L.A.C.E.S. webpage. I have always been a very visual person, and I’ve loved that I’ve been able to bring my perspective to our current design. I can’t wait for our update to be complete. There are many great collaborative ideas going into this project, and I know it will turn out great.
I’m also excited to start working on sharing L.A.C.E.S. through other platforms. I’ve always been interested in how people take in information and what platforms they prefer to learn from. So I’m excited to be able to share L.A.C.E.S. with more people.
Thanks for your time,
Jamiya