Announcement
Nicole Sanchez, ICM Caseworker Assistant and former ICM Intern.
Photo: Nisha Datt, IRC
Role Interns Play within the IRC
At the International Rescue Committee (IRC), interns play an important role in offering support to our program teams and clients while advancing our mission. Coming from different backgrounds, interns provide different perspectives for us to consider in our work. For some, it can even lead to full-time opportunities within the organization.
Nicole Sanchez began her internship in the summer of last year with the Intensive Case Management (ICM) program at the IRC in Phoenix. A program that is responsible for providing additional support to clients who are medically vulnerable. As an intern, Nicole worked alongside Caseworkers and Caseworker assistants.
From the wetlands of Sarasota, Florida, Nicole graduated from Florida State University with a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs. She took a two year gap to travel, explore the country, and figure out how to make her mark in the world. During this time, she was accepted to a Master's program in Geneva, Switzerland where she studied International Trade and Finance. Not only did she receive her degree, she interned with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and continued to advance her fluency of the French language. After two years in Geneva, Nicole was ready to come back to the U.S.
Internship Experience
The IRC was one of the organizations she thought to apply to. “I’ve always been a humanitarian at heart – I’ve always had a passion for helping people,” she expressed. Having lived abroad, she met many people who were of different nationalities. Her strong understanding of her privilege of simply being born in the U.S. is what drives her to help others. “There’s other women, who probably have the same qualifications as me but they have a different nationality and it makes it so much more difficult for them to succeed in life…in a way we do have it easier because we are born here,” she said.
Nicole’s internship with the IRC was only supposed to be three months long, but was extended for an additional three months. She was asked to take over her colleague’s clients' cases as he went on parental leave. “I was a little nervous at first naturally, because I had only been assisting up until this point - I [didn’t] want to mess anything up, but it ended up turning out great. I navigated the best I could,” she recalled. As her internship was nearing an end, Nicole decided to apply for the Caseworker Assistant position and was offered the role. In this role, she supports her own set of clients. “Some days I can work completely from home and I don’t really need to go out for field work – I make my phone calls, do ETO and online applications. And there are some days where I go out and pick up my clients, bring them to social security and figure out x,y,z,” she explained.
Throughout her internship, she learned about case management and was introduced to different cultures. It helped ease the transition into her full-time role, and allowed her to build relationships with her team. She added, “I was able to see in a different light, the refugee struggle. They have their internal struggles and a lot of pain, but they are grateful for the work the IRC does and it makes me feel good that I am able to help them.”
Join Our Team
Are you interested in interning with us? At the IRC in Phoenix, we have a few openings available and would love to speak with you and learn about your experiences. “You get to learn about other cultures and then coming to the office you hear people speaking in French, Dari, Swahili … it’s so cool!” Nicole expressed. “A student can still intern here for 20 hours a week, work a part- time job, and attend classes. I would definitely recommend that as it was a great experience!” she shared.