Welcome back to my L.A.C.E.S. journey! I recently wrote a blog introducing myself, a blog about James Moore, the Program Director in Liberia, Leah Thirkill, the Operations Coordinator, and Seren Fryatt, the Founder and Executive Director. Make sure to check out these blog posts, so you can follow my L.A.C.E.S. journey!
My journey recap:
I don’t even know where to begin…
L.A.C.E.S. has provided me an opportunity, unlike any other, to grow in every area I could imagine. Interning with L.A.C.E.S. has allowed me to understand the inner workings of a nonprofit, and I couldn’t be more grateful. Seren and Leah both listened to me when I first started about what I wanted to learn, which was pretty much everything, and they didn’t disappoint. I have been able to work on monthly donor campaigns, virtual programs, event planning, social media, blogs, finances, my own capstone project, and so much more. I was able to have this amazing experience because of Seren and Leah. They embody what nonprofit leadership should look like – adaptable, personable, resilient, and driven. I cannot wait to see what L.A.C.E.S. becomes in the next few years, and I know I’ll always be there to support them.
With this being said, I feel like it’s only fair to mention my favorite part of my internship! I absolutely love hanging out with kids, so when the opportunity arose to help with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) virtual camp, I jumped at the chance. Through this camp, I planned different soccer and exercise activities, but my favorite part was definitely just talking with the youth. The middle schoolers got really into the scoreboard I created for them to track their progress and incorporate a little friendly competition, and by the end they were begging me to show the board!
One of my favorite memories with them was when we were practicing juggling with Coach Sammy, and we were about to announce who was the “Hardest Worker” of the day, when Ferdaws and Betel, two of the youth, put their bare feet into the screen to show how hard they had been working. Coach Sammy and I couldn’t help but cackle at them!
We went from asking them to turn on their cameras to getting a close-up at their feet! As you can imagine, Ferdaws and Betel kept me entertained through every session whether that be giving demonstrations, demanding we do the “cobra stretch,” or showing us their feet. The IRC camp gave me so much joy, and I’m so thankful to have been able to meet all these amazing coaches and youth!
See you soon:
I want to start off by saying that even though my internship is coming to a close, this is not a goodbye! L.A.C.E.S. will always have a special place in my heart, and I will always be here to support any way I can, whether that be through being a Game Changer or volunteering with their programs, both virtually and in-person! L.A.C.E.S. is just like family, and I’m beyond thankful for everyone who made my experience amazing, especially Leah and Seren.
“L.A.C.E.S. will always have a special place in my heart”
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