Announcement
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Salt Lake City’s internship program is built to provide real-life experiences to local students as they learn and grow professionally. Internships are offered for undergraduate and graduate programs, in addition, to select high school programs. Partner organizations work to ensure that students working with the IRC in Salt Lake City are able to access hands-on experiences, often combined with coursework.
Bank of America
For the first time, the IRC in Salt Lake City worked with Bank of America (BofA) to place a Student Leader in an IRC internship. Anika Rao, the IRC’s digital inclusion student leader and soon-to-be high school senior, was chosen by BofA to complete an eight-week position with the IRC’s education team over the summer. The digital inclusion team supports newly arrived refugees by providing digital skills education, access to a device, and support with internet setup. Through Anika’s experience, she said, “Now more than ever, digital literacy is incredibly important for life in the United States – everything from applying to jobs, to education, to staying connected with family is very heavily reliant on digital skills, so I am grateful to be doing work to bridge that divide.”
Anika’s work has included setting up computers for newly arrived families, applying for and setting up internet, creating email accounts, and assessing individuals on their digital skills. She has also worked on a project with the IRC’s College & Career Readiness team to teach a workshop on digital safety for parents of teenagers.
Bank of America student leader, Anika Rao, is serving the IRC as a digital inclusion intern this summer.
Photo: Rose Shimberg
“The working environment with my team at the IRC is really encouraging! The culture fosters collaboration and open communication,” said Anika. Through her internship with the IRC, and the opportunity Bank of America has provided through their student leaders program, Anika has found a deep interest in advocating for underrepresented populations as she looks forward to pursuing her interests in law, journalism, and public service.
See Anika in action in a recent highlight from KSL here »
Utah State University Refugee Intern Program
As a summer intern supporting the IRC’s maternal & child health program, Delicia Iteriteka has worked on scheduling appointments, confirming transportation logistics to appointments, going to health appointments with families, assembling car seats and baby bundles, and more! She learned about the internship opportunity through the Utah State University Refugee intern program that matches refugee youth to internships based on their professional interests and future career goals. For Delicia, her interests are in child healthcare, so she immediately gravitated to supporting maternal & child health programming for refugee families.
As a former refugee who arrived to the U.S. in 2008, Delicia comes with a unique understanding of the valuable work the health team does at the IRC. “Overall, I have learned that I really value giving back to the community and help those less fortunate. No matter what I do in life, I want to include service of some sort,” Delicia said. “I begin college this fall with the goal in mind to help others. I have learned many valuable skills from this internship, most importantly compassion. We often forget the struggles that people outside of our bubble face and tend to look over those issues.” She has learned that with determination and willingness to succeed, there is always a way to reach your goals and help others.
One Refugee
A recent college graduate, Ibrahim Ramazani, joined the IRC this summer through One Refugee, an organization that helps students with a refugee background navigate their way through college. As the development intern, he has had the chance to understand the nuts and bolts of the organization, and how the IRC’s work supports refugee and new American communities in Salt Lake County. Through assisting with volunteer group projects, helping caseworkers supply bikes to families, organizing professional development and education events for the IRC community, Ibrahim has increased his understanding of working at a nonprofit and the efforts made by resource development staff.
“I had the opportunity to explore and learn about the IRC’s work firsthand. Being a refugee myself, it has been great to see how the work we do here is impacting the community that I hold so dearly,” said Ibrahim. He is hoping to continue his education through law school within the next few years. Ibrahim’s internship at the IRC has given him the opportunity to grow through professionalism, networking, and a breadth of knowledge and skills about the important work of immigration and resettlement service providers.
The IRC in Salt Lake City is deeply grateful to work with committed, talented interns and the partner organizations who support their access to these opportunities.
To learn more about internship opportunities, visit Rescue.org/InternSLC.