During the summer of 2024, Trinity Mitchell, a Latina/Latino studies and history major worked for the Illinois Department of Human Services  Asylum and Resettlement Team. She wrote to us about her experience. 

I was a student intern through the Central Management Services Diversity & Inclusion Community Partnership Internship Program. I was assigned to work for the Illinois Department of Human Services on the Asylum and Resettlement Team. I supported how IDHS provides services and outreach to migrants / asylum seekers newly arrived to the state of Illinois.

I got an exclusive look into immigrant/ migrant/ asylum seeker communities throughout the State. I am interested and care very much about the immigrant / migrant/ asylum seeker communities across the United States. I became experienced in managing projects, setting up and sitting in on meetings, and used my research skills to assist IDHS in their efforts to help new arrivals while in shelter settings.  

My summer internship with IDHS helped me gain project and time management skills, navigate different office dynamics, how to be a professional in an office setting, and learn about how the public sector works. I do hope to continue to be a part of the CMS (Central Management Services) D&I (Diversity & Inclusion) Internship Program to continue gaining work experience with the hopes of joining the public sector post-graduation.

I also submitted an abstract for the Latine Studies Conference in October on immigrant and undocumented soldiers in the U.S. military and their service experiences. I became inspired by this project from my maternal grandpa's experience in the Army in the 60s as a Black man and an ongoing project that I am working on about Latina/o experiences in the military and how it intersects with those from the Black community. Some research questions I am looking into are how recruiters use certain tactics on marginalized communities, especially immigrant and/or undocumented individuals to join, navigating racial/ethnic and language barriers, and how military service can lead to U.S. citizenship. I am planning to move forward with this research project even if I am not selected for the Conference. 

By: Trinity Mitchell