Getting settled in the Windy City

Orientation is officially under my belt…and I had fun! As I write this, I am sitting in my new one bedroom apartment in the amazing Gold Coast of Chicago. My two wonderful roommates, Stephanie and Jackie, are hanging out in the other room, and I am enjoying the soft sounds of the Chicago streets below. I love it!

In my last blog I mentioned that I anticipated this last week being “the craziest week of my life” but I was surprised how each day naturally flowed into the next.

Orientation was held at the amazing Hotel Allegro on Randolph St. in the Theatre District. The first couple days were filled with seminars and informational sessions on the transportation system, interviewing, housing, and safety (always trust your instincts). I was the most concerned about housing but, although it was still quite stressful, I feel like I am in a good situation and will enjoy the semester.


Later in the week we were all focused on making it to our interviews without getting lost. I interviewed at four internship sites, all in which were VERY different from each other. Again, I am interested in social work/psychology, and I interviewed at a law office, a genetics lab, a social service agency, and the children’s’ floor at a hospital. Although I was nervous about interviewing, I must say I felt that I nailed every single one of my interviews! I know that sounds egotistical but frankly I was impressed with myself…so you might be better at interviewing than you might think.

I was also impressed with the activities that Chicago Semester planned for us throughout the week. As a group we enjoyed a boat tour and a comic routine on the north side. They also provided us with some awesome dinners (deep dish pizza from Giordano’s, a pasta night, and several small group outings).




On Friday we were asked to make our internship decision. I was very fortunate because I didn’t have any difficulty making my decision. I know where I belong, and that is at St. Sabina/Catholic Charities. St. Sabina is a church on the south side of Chicago that is very influential in the poor and struggling neighborhood in which it resides. It was so involved in social issues that the time came for it to join forces with another social service agency, Catholic Charities. The staff at my internship is entirely African-American, and Sharon, my internship supervisor, was excited at the prospect of a Caucasian intern because “it will really add diversity to the staff!” After I am trained I will be a caseworker (this is raw social work). People will come into our offices, sit at my desk (I have a desk!), and tell me their needs. St. Sabina/Catholic Charities has a food pantry and a clothes distribution room on site and has access to other resources to better serve its clients.


This Sunday I decided it would be a good idea to attend one of St. Sabina’s church services. Cynthia, one of the coordinators of Chicago Semester, is a congregant at the church and was kind enough to let me come to worship with her. It was an amazing experience, and after the 3 hour service finally came to a close (not kidding… 3 hours) I felt I had a greater understanding of the community and the culture of the social service office in which I’ll be working this semester. I can’t wait!