{"id":6186,"date":"2015-05-14T15:52:09","date_gmt":"2015-05-14T19:52:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/?p=6186"},"modified":"2015-05-14T15:52:09","modified_gmt":"2015-05-14T19:52:09","slug":"open-hearts-open-minds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/open-hearts-open-minds\/","title":{"rendered":"Open Hearts, Open Minds"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Laura Tuggle Anderson \u201998<\/em><\/p>\n

THE MORE THE MERRIER<\/h3>\n
\"Veterinarian

Angela Feiring ’15, Jessica Kingrea ’17, Jacqueline Chevalier ’01, Tina Lehmann ’17, and Julia Habighorst ’17
Photo by Sharon Meador<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Veterinarian and owner of Tri-State Veterinary Center in Huntington, West Virginia, Dr. Jacqueline Chevalier \u201901 intended to host one, maybe two, Hollins interns this past January. How did she end up with four? The pre-vet students who interviewed for the internship\u2014Angela Feiring \u201915, Julia Habighorst \u201917, Jessica Kingrea \u201917, and Tina Lehmann \u201917\u2014were so outstanding, Chevalier says, \u201c[I decided] if I could arrange it, I would have them all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis internship was absolutely perfect for me,\u201d says Feiring, who is applying to veterinary schools. To Habighorst, \u201cThis was a good chance for me to see if small animal was what I want to do [as a vet].\u201d The four interns assisted Chevalier\u2019s 24 staff members, helped with the animals and clients, and learned from the vets on staff.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were shorthanded the last week,\u201d Chevalier says, \u201cso the interns were able to really jump in, help prep with anesthesia for surgery, and do even more.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt has helped me decide that I really want to do this,\u201d says Lehmann. \u201cI\u2019m working with live animals, not diagrams.\u201d Kingrea \u201crealized it was more difficult than I thought it would be, but that just makes me want to do it even more.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chevalier and her staff also benefited from the interns. \u201cMy staff was really happy to have them. Other interns we\u2019ve had were not as helpful. We really missed them after they left!\u201d<\/p>\n

Not only did Chevalier host four interns in her clinic, she also opened her home to two of them, while the other two stayed with her mother-in-law next door. All four often had dinner at Chevalier\u2019s house, along with her husband and their two children. \u201cI just thought, the more the merrier,\u201d says Chevalier.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you can\u2019t give a lot of money to Hollins, you can give your time, which is just as valuable,\u201d she says. She suggests to alumnae pondering hosting an intern: \u201cOpen your heart, open your mind, and remember how you felt in college. If I can do it with a five-month-old, a five-year-old, a farm with horses and chickens, and a busy vet clinic, you can too!\u201d<\/p>\n

\"divider\"<\/p>\n

CHANGING PERSPECTIVES<\/h3>\n
\"Brittany-Marie

Brittany-Marie “Bree” Aarons
Photo by Michael Falco<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Growing up in Jamaica, Brittany-Marie \u201cBree\u201d Aarons \u201916 had seen neighbors and relatives with autism or Down syndrome, but resources for those individuals were lacking. As she learned more, Aarons\u2019 passion for working with people with autism or Down syndrome grew.<\/p>\n

At the First Step ceremony last fall (when seniors take their first step on the grass of Front Quad), President Gray mentioned some outstanding alumnae, including Elizabeth \u201cBetsy\u201d Fentress Goodwin \u201969, founder of the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS).<\/p>\n

Aarons, chair of Student Conduct Council and a psychology major minoring in dance, perked up upon hearing the Hollins alumnae connection. \u201cThe next day I jetted to President Gray\u2019s office,\u201d she says, seeking a January Term internship with NDSS. After she interviewed with the Washington, D.C., office, the New York headquarters offered her an internship.<\/p>\n

NDSS is a nonprofit organization committed to being the national advocate for the value, acceptance, and inclusion of people with Down syndrome. The organization was founded in 1979, after Goodwin and her husband, Barton, had their daughter, Carson, and discovered limited resources and support for parents of a child with Down syndrome.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have had many interns over the years from NYU and Columbia, and this January\u2019s Hollins interns proved every bit as impressive,\u201d Goodwin says. [Natalie Rambis \u201916 interned in the D.C. office.] \u201cBree was a very positive and enthusiastic addition to NDSS.\u201d<\/p>\n

By the third day of her internship, Aarons was entrusted with translating the entire NDSS website into Spanish. Aarons often worked with NDSS Goodwill Ambassador Chris Burke, best known for his role as Corky on the television show Life Goes On<\/em>, as well as with Betsy\u2019s daughter, Carson.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was given the opportunity to do so much, and such a variety of things,\u201d said Aarons, who was able to do some research on blood cancers and Down syndrome. She was surprised to discover that research is thin on racially or ethnically diverse groups with Down syndrome or autism. To Goodwin, Aarons\u2019 \u201cexperience at NDSS will be an important influence on what she decides to do. I like to think she might end up in the disability world. She would be a great addition to the field.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aarons remains passionate about dance and is interested in teaching adaptive dance to children with Down syndrome, too. \u201cThe internship changed my perspective on what I want to do. I won\u2019t limit myself to one career goal.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"divider\"<\/p>\n

LASTING CONNECTIONS<\/h3>\n
\"Arena

Tara Adelberg ’17 | Photo by Sharon Meador<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Katherine \u201cKay\u201d Kendall \u201966 spent months sifting through her contacts in Washington, D.C., to obtain an internship for a Hollins student. Her diligence paid off: She secured one at Arena Stage, one of America\u2019s major regional theatres.<\/p>\n

Tara Adelberg \u201917 came to Hollins with no intention of pursuing a career in theatre, instead wanting to become a forensic psychologist and writer. Her student employee position in the Hollins Theatre got her hooked, however, and she\u2019s been involved in every production since her first year. With the encouragement of theatre professor Ernie Zulia, Adelberg applied and was selected for the signature internship.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe internship exceeded my expectations,\u201d says Adelberg, who worked as a production assistant with the professional stage management team at Arena Stage. \u201cIt was baptism by fire. I started just before tech week [the week before opening night of a play when all the technical elements are put in rehearsal for the first time, also called \u201ctorture week\u201d], but that busy time was my favorite,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Adelberg felt welcomed and challenged at Arena Stage, and she discovered more Hollins connections in addition to Kendall. One of Arena Stage\u2019s carpenters is Tenisha Reaves \u201913, and two other alumnae from the class of 2013 also work in Washington, D.C., theatres: Holly Milch and Rebecca Pfeil.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing part of the Hollins family, I vowed to be not just a coworker but a confidante and friend to Tara,\u201d says Reaves. Milch observes, \u201cI think Hollins Theatre creates a pretty tight community, even across class years.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe three alumnae were really amazing,\u201d says Adelberg. \u201cIt was like a piece of home, a piece of Hollins there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe alumnae network really helps people succeed,\u201d Reaves says. \u201cWe still talk, so the connection didn\u2019t end just because her internship is over.\u201d Pfeil is impressed with the effectiveness of the Hollins network: \u201cIt\u2019s wonderful to see the alumnae connections at work after having graduated only two years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

Laura Anderson is director of alumnae and donor communications.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

A hallmark of Hollins\u2019 career preparation for students is the alumnae network. You can build on the network\u2019s success by hosting an intern at your business or that of your spouse, sharing your home with a student during January, or giving money to support internship stipends and housing. Every alumna can share the gift of her experience with students. You are not just a career contact. You are a lasting connection.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Alumnae and students share the benefits of internships<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6214,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[58],"class_list":["post-6186","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","tag-spring-2015"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6186","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6186"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6186\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6213,"href":"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6186\/revisions\/6213"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6214"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6186"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6186"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hollins.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6186"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}