Thanks for a great summer, Chicago.

Dear Chicago, thank you for everything. 

Living in the city of Chicago for a summer has truly opened up my eyes about the way I view others, social issues, and myself. A few days before coming to Chicago I found a picture of myself cliff diving, that accurately described how I felt about coming to Chicago. I was nervous, scared, excited, unaware of what was to come. I know now that it was similar to how cliff diving goes as well, you make a splash and you enjoy it and then maybe you will want to do it again. Some of the highlights of my summer included being able to go out and change my views about certain issues such as immigration, marriage, and living in projects. The seminar has impacted my beliefs in these issues because it allowed me to experience them first hand and not behind the views of a newscaster on television, my peers, or my family. I have never been exposed to any of these issues, really. I live in a fairly wealthy hometown where issues of housing and immigration are not topics that are often discussed. On the other hand, I do not know anyone who has ever experienced the struggle of not being able to marry who they love because of laws in place. I love that I was able to shape my own views, which has become increasingly important as the presidential election is approaching quickly and now I  know if I lean more right or left and can make my own educated decisions of who I vote for because I have witnessed the issues first hand and have been able to talk to people who have experienced them. I no longer jump to irrational quick conclusions when I see a homeless man on the street or if I am passing through an unsafe neighborhood. The world is not out to get you and you must have confidence in yourself when traveling to places. One of my favorite hobbies I picked up in Chicago has been people watching on CTA or just on the streets in general. I always make myself challenge my initial thoughts and now I think about what their personal struggles and their story. How is life as a minority and what struggles have they faced? This happens often while traveling the red line, the six, or the two. I have also noticed that every single bus you take has a different feel to it based on who is on it and every single rail line car you step into is always different and you will have a different experience every single time you ride the CTA.

Living in the city has also taught me a lot of lessons about myself and the confidence I should instill in myself. It is so easy to be hard on yourself when things do not seem to go right or if you are unsure about your path of the future. I experienced this a lot while attending this summer session and I admit that I did let it take the best of me. I would constantly find myself comparing my success to others and I found myself to be struggling in feeling like I was not doing enough in the city, my internship, and my plans for when I got back to school. Eventually though, it finally just hit me that I am doing truly great things. I really began to value my own self worth and my thoughts and views as the seminar progressed. I also learned that it is okay to struggle and it is okay to admit and reach out for help if you need it. I completed the most interviews of anyone in my group and did not settle for anything less than what I wanted in an internship and kept trying until I found what I was looking for. I realized that deciding on a whim to intern in Chicago s a huge step in itself and then opening up your mind to all these social issues you really never had the chance to be apart of is just such an incredible experience. It may have been a slow process and maybe I did not adjust as well as the others, but I am perfectly content with my experience in Chicago and the accomplishments I completed.

           

I gained so much more confidence in my abilities to navigate through a city, learning how to enjoy doing things alone, and how to enjoy alone time. You never realize how valuable it is until you are constantly surrounded by cars, busses, roommates, or just genuinely unhappy people downtown or on the CTA. My favorite place in the city was easily the Lakefront Trail where I would try and make it to every Sunday to bike. I used to see the city as this giant place full of professionals, but living on the south side and going to different neighborhoods has made all the difference. When most people think about Chicago they think about The Bean or Navy Pier. When I think of Chicago, I think of my favorite neighborhood, Pilsen, not downtown or the North Side.

 My internship has taught me that through incredible mentors and role-models, you can develop your skills in ways you did not think possible. This has become essential to me since I know the major and minor I am completing are not the most “safe”. I have realized over the past 5-6 weeks that I do not need safe, I just need something that I enjoy doing. I have discovered that a lot of my true talents are in the scope of creating plans and ideas and watching them come to life. Now that I have tapped into that, I can continue to develop that skill and the whole box of skills I have gained through my internship. I have gained much confidence in myself in knowing that I have put myself ahead by not only completing an internship, but by completing one my sophomore year and not my junior year like many others. I gained the experience about learning about political issues within the city through my internship, which was fairly exciting for me. I am also incredibly lucky I got to work with a small team of people who are so dedicated to their job. Although I do not see a future in politics, I can now see myself working in a non-profit which is something that I did not see myself at before this summer. My goal for next summer is to potentially complete an internship at a business to see how the two compare to one another and to broaden my horizons. I am thankful for the confidence that my coworkers have helped me developed and the confidence that Scott has instilled in me in my writing and professional skills as well. Overall, I am incredibly thankful for the time I have spent in Chicago and the world that has opened up to me since being here. It is a time in my life that I will never forget and I would not have been able to develop the way I have personally and socially without this experience.

All finished with my internship, so soon!

I cannot believe my internship has come to a close so soon and so quickly. It is incredibly hard to put my internship into words into one blog post, so I am going to keep this one short and sweet.

Choosing to intern with Friends of the Parks was one of the greatest professional decisions I have ever made. I gained support from a wonderful and talented group of professionals, learned about the city immensely, gained internship credit that will go towards my major, gained a better sense of future career goals, and learned what it is like to be a young professional in the city.

The morning commute is still something I miss daily, whether I took the red line to work or the Hyde Park Express bus, there was always some sort of interesting experience daily!

I got to complete marketing tasks such as creating a newsletter that will be sent out monthly to members of the FOTP PAC (Park Advisory Council Program), this was a great opportunity for me to learn more about membership relations and marketing. I also got to collaborate with the marketing committee and create a PR and social media campaign. It is nice to know my legacy will continue on although I only spent six weeks with this organization.

I had the opportunity to take lunch breaks in Millennium Park or just stroll downtown for a few minutes or listen to music in the amphitheater while eating lunch in the gardens!

Most importantly, I gained real hands on internship experience in a field I can see myself working in. I received invaluable advice and my supervisors were like mentors to me throughout the summer. I left Friends of the Parks with a better grip about my professional life and confidence that cannot be taken away. I know that I have references I can always go to when it comes to letters of recommendation because I gave the organization my all throughout the internship, and they noticed, appreciated, and respected the work I did for them. I gained an edge on my classmates already having an internship under my belt, especially an internship in a large city such as Chicago!

This experience is one that cannot be taken back or traded for any other experience while in college! I encourage anymore who reads this to seriously consider participating gin the Chicago Center program or programs similar to this, it is life changing both personally and professionally!

Public Squares Project, 606 Trail

Have you heard? The 606 Trail is the hottest thing happening in Chicago in the moment. It is a three mile trail on an elevated rail line in the northwest side of Chicago! It connects four different neighborhoods and you can run, walk, or bike this trail!

As part of the seminar class, you complete a public squares project. This entails going to a public park twice and learning about the location, neighborhoods, and the people who visit. We chose the 606 Trail because I did a lot of research on it for work and it is the talk of Chicago!

While completing our project we did a variety of activities to learn about the trail.


1. Online research
2. Biked the trail
3. Conducted interviews of trail patrons
4. Visited neighborhoods the trail runs through
5. Visited at two different times and days

We made a video of our findings which mainly consisted of comparing the different neighborhoods that the neighborhoods ran through and who is affected by gentrification. As many of those we talked to would say, the poor are getting poorer and the rich are getting richer, but it is bringing the city "together." So that obviously means it cannot be too bad, right?

Personally, I enjoyed the trail and thought it was a great way to bring the communities together. I can only hope that the property values will not go up too much and drive people out that cannot afford it who have called their homes home for decades.

We made a video of our findings and then presented to Scott, Lane, and Whitney on our last Friday in Chicago!

606 Trail Chicago 

Trail Map 

More information on the trail can be found at the606.org

Communities and Culture Seminar, Part Two

July brought the opportunity for more seminar classes on Friday! I enjoyed them all. Our final two seminars were Devon Street and then learning about Korean and Cambodian Culture.

On Devon Street we have the opportunity to take a tour of the neighborhood with one of the first immigrants of the city, who came here many decades ago. Devon Street is an Indian Neighborhood filled with Indian culture. Our activities included eating at an Indian Cafe, visiting jewelry shops, visiting a wedding dress shop and trying on the dresses! We also went to an Indian grocery store, Indian restaurant, and a gift shop, all within a few hours! We learned a lot about the Indian culture and three things I learned that surprised me were: how they eat their food, arranged marriages, and family loyalty.

Indians eat their food with their hands primarily. While eating lunch we had chicken and rice with bread and it was expected of us to eat with the bread or mush up our food and eat the rice with our fingertips as well. What an experience! It is frowned upon to eat with silverware, it is considered insulting.

Arranged marriages still exist in Indian culture and often bring a whole town together for the event. Although they are still common, it is also becoming increasingly more common for parents to allow their children to marry whoever they would like... especially in America. Children are also expected to work in family ran businesses and take them over, which I found surprising. I think American's do not value this tradition as much as Indians do, I admire them for this.

Our last seminar! Our last seminar was visiting the KRCC, which is a resource center for immigrants from Korea in the Chicago area. The main tasks they complete here are spreading knowledge to Koreans in Chicago about how to gain citizenship. Many Koreans and other Asians live in fear of coming out and telling others that they do not have citizenship yet. This opened up my eyes to how much of an "epidemic" immigration is in the United States and how many people are living in fear constantly. It changed my views immensely in just the hour or two we were at the center. We also got the chance to cook our own Korean BBQ at a restaurant afterwards, that was a first, and it wad delicious! 

We also had the chance to learn about Cambodians in Chicago and the heartbreaking experiences of the Cambodian Genocide and the refugees that fled to America during this time. The story is enduring an inspiring. The refugees have established a name for themselves in Chicago by opening up a museum that taught us all about the history of Cambodians in Chicago and the genocide. It is amazing how much of a difference the location of your country can change your story and the reasons you came to America. Exploring all of these Asian neighborhoods was so educational and one of my favorite parts of the seminar experience. 

So, what else can you do in Chicago in the summer? Lots!

The month of July was eventful, fun, and flew by faster than I could have imagined. I made my best effort to do everything I could every weekend! Chicago has so much to offer in the summer, take advantage of it!! (and how cool it is to be in Chicago with your best friend for the summer, along with meeting some pretty cool roommates!)

Taste of Chicago!
Sample sized foods that's a bit overpriced, but worth the money. Lots of free entertainment and delicious food.

Navy Pier! 

Navy Pier constantly has events going on, we attended the beginning of the boat races that were racing from Chicago to Mackinac Island in Michigan. We attended a sailing party in celebration of this! 

Hit the beach! 

It is always beautiful and a perfect getaway! Get outside, you won't regret it! :) 

Make a spontaneous trip to a Taylor Swift concert

This is pretty self explanatory... Bought the tickets the night before and had the time of our lives at the concert singing and dancing with 55,000 other people while receiving great life advice from Taylor Swift herself. Spent time after the show running through downtown Chicago, it was probably the best night I spent there. 

Go to Lincoln Park Zoo!

It is free, but we decided to go for adults night out. A DJ, smaller crowds, and the zoo was open at night! 

Take a boat ride on Lake Michigan! 

We also did this late minute... worth the money. Took a tall boat ride on Lake Michigan at sunset while learning about ghost stories of the lake. We then watched fireworks afterwards!

These are just a few things that Chicago has to offer on the weekends in July, there are also many free concerts, book signings, comedy clubs, and good food! Just keep an open eye and you will find plenty to do, I promise :)

Life as a Chicago Center Student

So far I have really enjoyed my experience as a Chicago Center student. Here are a few things I have learned while being a student here!

1. The staff is there to help you, always! 
The staff is incredibly kind and is always there to help out when you need it! They helped out so much with our internship searches! We have weekly meetings with Zeph, who is our apartment manager. Scott is always there to entertain you with a story while on the way to a seminar class. Lane can sometimes be found walking around the neighborhood, there to make fun of you with the grocery carts they provide to us :)

2. Be respectful of your roommates.
This is something that should be very self explanatory, but sometimes it needs some extra emphasis! Make a dish and trash schedule early on so things do not get out of hand early, it will help, I promise! Do not be afraid to confront a roommate when they do not clean up their own mess or keep the dining room, kitchen, or living room clean. It is your living space too. Make a grocery list, you will save money! Remember to only buy food the whole house will be using, buy your own food on your own dime! It will earn yourself some respect and you will not be wasting money provded to all of us.

3. Enjoy the seminar class
I know that sometimes it can seem like a drag to go out and spend your whole day out for the seminar, but you will regret it if you do not enjoy it! Now being back at Alma I have realized how influential the seminars have been for me and the other students. You learn lessons and knowledge about other cultures you may never have the opportunity to learn again, take advantage of it and have fun! Where else can you meet former gang members, Indian immigrants, LBGT rights leaders, tour the south side in a van? Nowhere else, so enjoy it, please!

4. Keep up with readings and journals

As part of the program , you are required to keep an internship journal, orientation journal, write book responses, and write responses after seminars. It may seem like a lot, but remember to keep up with it. I enjoyed every single book I read for class and  I know my roommates did as well. You will thank yourself later for keeping an internship journal (DETAILED ONE!) daily when you go back and re-read it while updating your resume, talking to your school advisor, and telling your family members and friends about your experience and skills gained.

5. Take advantage of what Hyde Park has to offer
Hyde Park is home to University of Chicago, Science of Museum and Industry, a farmers market, a theater, a beachfront trail, delicious restaurants (Valois and Pizza Capri!), grocery stores, and some beautiful sights! Take the bike out that is in the basement along the lakefront trail and do some exploring. Go to the grocery store then cook a meal with your whole floor. Go take a walk around the beautiful university of Chicago, it is amazing especially coming from such a small school. Go to the Science and Industry Museum, it will blow your mind. ENJOY YOURSELF!

Friends of the Parks internship update-- Mid July :)

I have been at my internship for just a few weeks now AND I LOVE IT! I could not have imagined choosing a different internship anywhere else than where I chose to intern at. I have grown close with my coworkers over the past few weeks and have learned so much from them already. They are all dedicated to their jobs more than I have ever seen anyone in the workplace and I truly admire how much work they do for the parks in Chicago. Growing up in a suburb, parks are not a huge component other than the use of them for family parties, field trips, and athletic events. Parks in Chicago are diverse and unlike any other system. They range from the small park in my neighborhood with just a playground to the world famous park Millennium Park downtown. I have gotten the opportunity to learn so much about the political system in Chicago, how non-profits run, event planning, membership relations, public policy, and data basing!

Friends of the Parks is a non-profit that promotes the advocacy of Chicago's parks. Since they are non-profit, they earn their money from membership dues and donations. They have a board of directors that helps oversee actions and also have a full office of employees. There is an Executive Director, Director of Operations, Director of Policy, Director of Neighborhood Parks and Education, and Manager of Engagement and Events. I mainly work with the Executive Director, Director of Neighborhood Parks, and Manager of Engagement and Events and was their Marketing and Communications intern and also got to work alongside two other interns that were interning for the Director of Policy.

Some of the projects I have worked on so far include:
Conducting research of alderman of the city, congressmen, senators, and other city officials as a part of our honorary list that will be attending our 40th anniversary gala this September.
Conduct research of large corporations and small businesses along the 606 Trail that will be honored at our gala in September.
Wrote seed grant letters of acceptance and rejection in order to award PACs with grant money for their parks.
LATE Ride leadership, a 25 mile bike ride through the city at 1 am!
Attending policy meetings and other various committee meetings to learn more about who FOTP is involved with and the projects they are completing (Last four miles, DuSable Park, etc.)
I have also been completing various assignments given to me by Lauren and Nicole now that LATE Ride has settled down.

LATE Ride:
Late Ride has been my favorite experience so far at my internship! FOTP puts it on every year and like stated earlier it is a 25 mile bike ride through the city beginning at 1 am. I am not into cycling so I have never been to an event like this,but it was amazing. It began at Buckingham Fountain and everyone decorated their bikes so they lit up and there was a contest for this before the ride began. I was in charge of the on-site registration booth, which was absolutely wild. We were swamped with registrations from about 9-1 am. I had the opportunity to work with Diane (board member) abd other volunteers. I improved my leadership skills so much in just one night. Although I am generally soft spoken and shy, I really broke out of my shell that night to make sure everything ran smoothly, which it did! I enjoyed seeing how excited all the participants were to complete a bike ride in the middle of the night! It was a great time and also a great bonding experience for the staff. I was there from about 5 pm to 4 am yet left early because my parents were visiting. Most staff stayed until 9 am, what a day!!! It was awesome walking to the starting line and seeing hundreds of people lined up to start while the skyline was lit up and the music was blasting. There were even some dogs being pulled behind their owners bikes.

4th of July Weekend

Fourth of July weekend--America's favorite holiday! 

Now I was fortunate enough to spend this weekend in one of the greatest cities in American with my two best friends and my roommates!!

On Friday, for our seminar class we met with a man named Jamil, who used to be a gang member in Chicago. Before coming to Chicago I was under the impression that the South Side (where Hyde Park is located) was dangerous and full of gangs and murderers. Hyde Park is incredibly safe and I enjoyed my time very much there. Jamil spent time in jail for gang crimes and grew up in the projects, which is a fascinating topic to me... almost like a social experiment. Jamil has proven himself and no longer participates n gang violence, alcohol, and drugs. He runs a mosque now and is doing his best efforts to provide a place for young adults on the South Side to stay out of gang action. I truly admire him and his efforts and how much progress he has made over the course of his life to turn his life around for the positive!

Friday night was spent at the Ribfest in Uptown. I went with my two roommates Carolyn and Ally via redline (how great is the CTA!?). The ribfest was AWESOME! Not only were there ribs, corn, mac and cheese, corn bread, and many others, but there was also free music as well! Rod Tuffcurls and The Bench Press played, what a name right? They were awesome, played great covers of old classic rock and new music as well.

Saturday was spent with our friend Isabel, who came to visit from Grand Rapids! What does a group of college girls do on Fourth of July? We picked up Isabel from the Amtrak station and took her back to Hyde Park to show her around. We then went to Oak Street Beach that is located downtown, I have never seen so many red, white, and blue bathing suits in my life! There was a live band playing and the weather was spot on. Afterwards we went shopping on Mag Mile and then walked down to Navy Pier (Ohio Street Beach) to watch the fireworks. Fourth of July is a great holiday and was wonderful being able to spend it with my best friends along with some awesome Chicagoans. I am constantly surprised by the people I found wandering the streets and where they are from, etc. We even got to watch a street show and a performer jumped over four grown adults, that isn't something you see everyday. I have never seen so many people at Navy Pier, ever. There had to be at least 100,000 people there watching the fireworks and thousands around the pier and in their apartments that line the waterfront. It was amazing to see how many people came together for a holiday and event such as fireworks.

Sunday: We ended our weekend and the wonderful restaurant of Valoi's in Hyde Park :)

Communities and Cultures Seminar

Besides an internship, the Communities and Culture Seminar is a large portion of your experience in Chicago. As I am typing this reflecting on my experience, it may be September, but lets take a trip to the end of June. We are now two weeks into our seminar and have attended class in Paseo Boricua and in Andersonville. We have met numerous people who are significant figures in their communities and in Chicago. We have taken tours of the largest LBGTQ center in the country, sat through a news conference with city political figures, and toured communities I never would have ventured out alone to find.

Paseo Boricua: 
Paseo Boricua is a Puerto Rican community in Chicago that has been facing a large issue lately: gentrification. We were lucky enough to be able to sit through a news conference that brought in important figures from Puerto Rican countries as well as Chicagoans. We also got to try Puerto Rican breakfast food, which is delicious! It was similiar to American breakfast food: eggs and sausage were served but we also had chicken and pudding. A large part of the seminar is experiencing the foods of other cultures and I am glad we ad the chance to experience that in Paseo Boricua. We then had the opportunity to tour the neighborhood and learn about the history and culture of it. Paseo Boricua is facing gentrification and are trying to defy it by promoting the culture of all South American countries, not just Puerto Rico! We learned how much adversity Puerto Ricans have faced over the years in America and on their island as being apart of the United States. Within the next few months, the downtown will be featuring flags of all South American countries and a museum will be built to show the history of Paseo Boricua and those who have lived there. There are murals throughout the neighborhood showing the annual parade that takes place that celebrates the culture of Puerto Rico. We also visited a park that had a very unique design, the Puerto Rican flag was on the cement, how cool! This park also had a fresh garden with fresh strawberries, how delicious is that!

Andersonville/Boystown:

Another seminar class we completed was in Boystown and Andersonville, also known as the gay and LBGTQ neighborhoods of Chicago, We were lucky enough to attend our seminar here the same day that same-sex marriage became legalized! This was especially touching because our tour guide has placed a very significant role in this community and was receiving congratulations by almost everybody we passed by on the street.  This experience was one of my favorites while we were in Chicago because we saw so many happy, enthusiastic people out walking around and celebrating the good news. We participated in a Legacy Walk along Halsted Street which was about a two hour walk and we learned about all the influential LBGTQ community members that have made a difference and have now been put up on this walk so others can learn about their significant accomplishments! We also met with a good friend of Scott's, who taught us how intiate conversation about issues surrounding the LBGTQ community and how to talk about it. This meeting took place in the Center on Halsted, which is the largest LBGTQ community center in the midwest. It is a safe haven for those of the LBGTQ community, it is quite beautiful if you ask me! 

The seminar has been a great experience so far and I am only looking forward to learning more as the summer semester continues on!

So, what to do on your first free weekend?

Well our group has successfully made it through our first week and a half of internship searches and orientation events. We have finally gotten a grasp of the city life and CTA which left our opportunities seemingly endless for our first free weekend. So, how did I decide to spend my first free weekend in Chicago? I conquered all the touristy places on my list to get them out of the way while I was still learning the city!

Friday:

I decided to take my friend Emma's advice and walk through the whole Millennium Park area, which is actually three separate parks. Millennium Park, Maggie Daley Park, and Grant Park. The area is truly a gem of Chicago. From The Bean, rock climbing in Maggie Daley Park, walking across from the lake in Grant Park, and of course the Buckingham Fountain, the possibility of spending a whole day there is a real possibility. Grant Park is home to many festivals over the summer and Art Institute of Chicago is also in the area. Did I mention the gardens? There are gardens everywhere and they are BEAUTIFUL. Go out and enjoy them.

Also: DO NOT FORGET TO GO TO THE CULTURAL CENTER! I will leave this to you to learn more about yourself, because it is truly beautiful!

Buckingham Fountain

The Bean (Photo taken by tourist from Amsterdam)

Cultural Center (photo does not do this place justice!) 

Saturday:
Chicago is right on Lake Michigan, GO to the beach, any beach. My roommates and I went to Oak Street Beach, one of Chicago's more well known beaches. We enjoyed a day in the sun while looking out onto Lake Michigan and then turning around to see the Hancock Tower and the rest of the Chicago skyline on the other side. There are tons of volleyball courts and there is even a bar and restaurant!

Do not forget that this beach is also located right at the northern end of Mag Mile, so it is easy to reach and you can do some shopping when you head back home if you'd like! That is what I did!

Roommate Iman and I at Oak Street Beach

Go Scots!

Water Tower, Mag Mile 

Sunday: 

Shedd Aquarium! I love this place! Not only is the location just gorgeous, but there is so much to see. My personal favorite is the Beluga Whale area and the seahorses. I also love the amphibian area, considering frogs are my favorite animals. Grab a group of friends and go out and hit this spot at least once. Do not forget to order tickets online the night before, you save SO much time, we walked right in! Also, they do have a food court in case you get hungry. Do not forget to go to the marine show, awesome tricks and awesome views of Lake Michigan. 

This frog looks almost exactly like the frogs I had when I was young :) 

Patrick, is that you?

Go watch this show! 

Ahhhh and the perfect way to end another weekend, bike to the waterfront from your apartment. It takes about 5 minutes and the view is very much worth it. It reminds you how wonderful this city is no matter how overwhelmed or homesick or even how happy you are! Just go, go out and see, the city is yours to discover.