After Her Chicago Internship Program: Emilie’s Apprentice Highlights
Emilie Lewandowski, Marketing and Public Relations Coordinator
The Urban Apprenticeship is an exciting opportunity we offer Chicago Center alumni that have just graduated college. More than a job it offers opportunities for learning and skill development in a supportive urban learning community.
The apprenticeship started in 1990 and grew out of the mutual interests of Chicago Center alums to prolong their contact with Chicago Center and the Center’s interest in strengthening its staff and program. It has exceeded expectations in both arenas and has become a great strength of Chicago Center. The Urban Apprentice usually spends one full year in residence at Chicago Center. This month Emilie Lewandowski, Marketing and Public Relations Coordinator talks about her experience with Chicago Center.
“Hi! I’m Emilie, one of the current apprentices at Chicago Center for Urban Life and Culture. I graduated in May from Eastern Michigan University, with an undergraduate degree in Psychology. I am originally from Lexington, Michigan, a very small town on Lake Huron. It has been an exciting road that has led me to where I am today – Chicago!
In the summer of 2008, I attended Chicago Center for Urban Life and Culture as an Urban Academic Student. During that time, I had an internship at Apna Ghar Inc., a domestic violence agency focused on serving the South Asian population in Chicago. I chose this internship because it offered me an experience I could not get in my home town. In my time at Apna Ghar, I learned how non-profit organizations operate and the obstacles that they face. I learned how to work and communicate effectively as minority. I also realized a lot about the injustices in our society, and how much I wanted to be a part of fixing that. Working at Apna Ghar provided me with invaluable experiences for my future, and it also helped me focus on finding direction in my own life. Read More