Kawerak’s summer internship program has officially ended earlier this month and we are grateful for the time and effort given to Kawerak programs by our 2022 interns. We asked them to share a bit about their experience, what they accomplished, how the internship supported their professional development, and key take aways. At Kawerak, we aim to support our Tribal members and their goals and life endeavors. We want interns feel prepared to pursue their educational, professional, and personal goals, with also the hopes of utilizing their skills and talents to benefit their home communities and the people of our region. And to top it off, some of our interns are sticking around to continue working with Kawerak in different capacities!
Joshua Cannon interned at Pilgrim Hot Springs where he focused on website management, project development, planning for future endeavors. He said, “getting to assist with projects that directly affect my home region in a beneficial way is something I can always expect when working for Kawerak.”
Dawson Shaeffer interned with the Legal Department where he served as a clerk in domestic violence hearings, worked to organize Tribal documents and designed Tribal code charts. He said one of the big highlights of his time at Kawerak were the leadership development meetings; “I learned something new during every single one!”
Casey Jack interned with Head Start where he translated Headstart books into Yup’ik, created student and teacher materials in Yup’ik and designed a rubric for educators to read and write in Yup’ik to continue language revitalization efforts. He said, “I’m taking valuable experience from working with some of the best people in the region, and it was great to be able to work from my home community of Stebbins!”
Talon Erickson interned within the Human Resources department where he created the HR Effectiveness Survey, helped organize the Kawerak Annual Staff Picnic, worked on the Satisfaction Survey and Remote Work Project. His goal was to become comfortable in a professional environment as he works towards becoming a Certified Public Accountant and was happy with his experience so much that he chose to continue his internship experience with the accounting department at Kawerak through the fall.
Sara Bioff interned with Katirvik Cultural Center where she aimed to build oral communication skills by creating connections with people. The highlight of her internship was getting to know the Natural Park Services teams. She said, “I had many professional development opportunities!”
Jennie Reynolds interned with the Wellness Department where she attended the American Indian Justice Conference, helped prepare for Camp Igaliq, developed an annual calendar of events, and distributed small acts of kindness gift boxes to the broader community. She said, “I experienced a lot of growth in this internship with professional networking, as well as communication and task management skills.”
Zoe Okleasik was an intern with the Head Start Department and Media Outreach team where she focused on gaining more confidence in the workplace environment and voicing her thoughts and ideas with her supervisors. Her projects included Elder and youth spotlights (find them in the e-newsletters), event planning, staff retention projects, and became certified to assist in Head Start classrooms. She says, “I would love to continue lifting Indigenous voices and continuing advocacy work on behalf of our region’s Tribes”.
Some of our interns even transitioned into different roles within Kawerak; Casey continues his work translating part-time with Headstart, Talon is gleaning more on-the-job skills for his accounting major with our Finance team, and Zoe is in the Legal Department as the Tribal Justice Development Specialist. We are excited to continue these relationships! If you or someone you know is interested in the Kawerak Intership Program, be on the lookout for the Summer 2023 Internship application in January! You can find more information about our internship program at kawerak.org/internship or follow us on Facebook @KawerakInc or Instagram @kawerak.
