Category: Praxis Seminars

Libby Travis, BMC ’28

Praxis Course: ENVS 420 Praxis III: Sustainability at BMC

Semester: Spring 2026

Faculty Advisor/Professor: Professor Victor Donnay    

Community Partner: Bryn Mawr College

Praxis Site Supervisor: Neha Sood

Praxis Poster:

ENVS 420_Libby H Travis_Updated_PraxisPoster_Travis

 

Further Context: 

The topic of food waste is essential to any conversation surrounding sustainability. Goal 12 of the United Nations Sustainable Development goals: Ensure sustainable production and consumption patterns, includes the goal of halving global per capita food waste at the retail and consumer levels. We can all be a part of making progress on this goal, and Erdman Dining Hall is already getting started through the implementation of Leanpath technology and more conscious waste tracking and reduction. Since we started using Leanpath at the beginning of the Spring 2026 semester, we have seen an over 24% reduction in food waste! This is equivalent to over 11 metric tons of CO2 emissions avoided and over 1,300 gallons of gasoline conserved. In the following blog post I will tell the story of how we got such great success. 

Leanpath is a company that supports food waste reduction technology for the food service industry. They have multiple set ups to accommodate various scales of food service operations. At Erdman Dining hall we use the Bench Scale AI product to scan all food waste before it is disposed of. In the photo on my poster, Erdman Cook, John Natale demonstrates the transaction process where the user:

    1. Places plan of food on scale + Leanpath takes picture 
    2. Selects the correct identifier for the user completing the transaction 
    3. Selects type of food from filtered options given by Leanpath 
    4. Selects the correct pan from filtered options given by Leanpath 
    5. Selects Compost or Trash to track disposal method 

The AI component of Leanpath is only in the image analyzing steps which gives recommendations for the type of food and pan based on previous transactions. This helps integrate it into the fast-paced kitchen environment with the average transaction only taking 15-20 seconds for Erdman workers. All food waste is composted at Erdman dining hall unless there are delays in Compost bin pick-up and delivery. We experienced this during the severe winter weather early in the semester which resulted in food waste temporarily being disposed of in the trash.  

People in every role at Erdman complete these transactions, from student workers to prep cooks to managers, and every employee shares responsibility for the great success we’ve had so far! One of the ways we are able to turn this data collection into tangible reductions in food waste is through actionable month-long goals. These goals are created in collaboration with management and cooks at Erdman and we have started with goals that focus on the most wasted foods by weight, while also trying to prioritize reduction of foods that are carbon intensive, expensive, or both. Our first set of goals ran from March 11th, 2025 to April 12th, 2025. During that time we focussed on trying to reduce boneless chicken waste by 10% and waste from eggs and pasta by 15%. I am very excited to report that we met all our goals!  

We developed many strategies for reducing waste and meeting these goals. By understanding trends in waste and consumption, cooks are better able to understand how much to prepare in advance. Additionally for foods that can be quickly made, like scrambled eggs in the mornings, cooks were able to confidently prepare less knowing they could always make more during service if there was higher-than-expected demand. Another way we are able to prevent food waste is by repurposing food that would otherwise go to the compost. One of the goals this was most effective for was boneless chicken where we were able to reduce waste by 25%! Leftover grilled chicken from the pasta bar during dinner was safely cooled and stored then repurposed for the salad bar during lunch and dinner.  

Collaboration and communication were key themes to the implementation of leanpath at Erdman. Working on this project for my praxis class while also working my regular shifts as a student supervisor at Erdman gave me a very rewarding experience. I remember learning how to use the Leanpath touchscreen on my first shift back after winter break and watching others excitedly talking about this new device and scale. One of my favorite leanpath memories was when I was working a Monday dinner shift. We were setting up the dining hall, preparing the proper service utensils and labels, when John walked out of the kitchen with a big smile on his face. He starts excitedly introducing the chicken waste goal to me and other student workers, explaining how leftover chicken is going to be sliced and reused at the salad bar. From the moment he walked over and started talking I saw the faces of my coworkers and friends quickly morph to match his smile and joy. This moment has stuck with me as an example of how powerful excitement can be in building community and uniting people towards a common goal. I am grateful to every single person who has been a part of Leanpath at Erdman. We are all a part of progress, and I hope this blog post gets you a little bit excited about making positive change by reducing food waste. 

Kenna Pettigrew, BMC ’26

Praxis Course: Museum Studies Praxis Seminar

Semester: Spring 2026

Faculty Advisor/Professor: Monique Scott

Community Partner: Icebox Project Space

Praxis Site Supervisor: Timothy Belknap

Praxis Poster:

HART_KennaPettigrew

 

Further Context:

This semester, I worked as a curatorial intern for Icebox Project Space, an independent, artist-run gallery in Kensington. I secured my internship by cold emailing Icebox to inquire about whether or not they  were open to hosting an intern, one of the co-curators, Tim Belknap, invited me to come see their current exhibition last winter, in December 2025. I saw the show, we had a brief meeting, and we were both fairly confident right off the bat that Icebox would be a good fit for me.

Throughout my spring season at Icebox, there were three different programs I got to participate in: an audiovisual experimentation series called Light and Sound, a collections research side project, and an annual video festival called 20/92. Icebox is an incredibly dynamic space, and patrons will find that the gallery space can look entirely different week-to-week depending on the current project.

During Light and Sound, which runs from late January to the end of March, Tim assembles an audiovisual platform using lighting design, video mixing, and an eight-foot-tall disco ball mounted on Icebox’s ceiling to bring in local performance artists, musicians, DJs, and anyone else attracted to the singularity of his platform to host events of every caliber. As an intern, working during Light and Sound looked meant getting hands-on coaching about how he does his AV set-up while a show is going. From there, I went on to independently run lights for upcoming performances, which was really exciting.

In between Light and Sound and the launch of their video festival, Tim and I worked on a side project he had going in Germantown – a curatorial project at the Madonna Art Museum. The Madonna Art Museum is an emergent religious art collection belonging to the Basilica Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal in Germantown. After a preliminary appraisal and a visit from an expert in Renaissance art from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Tim and I were able to use available information to do further collections research and prepare for a grand opening event scheduled for mid-May.

By the end of April, I received my final assignment: cataloguing entries for Icebox’s annual 20/92 video festival. As an art history major most interested in contemporary art who was concurrently completing my thesis on a feature film, it was such a welcome task to see what emergent filmmakers are trying worldwide. I learned a lot of valuable curatorial lessons by sitting down with Tim and Logan to discuss not just the artistic merits of each individual piece, but how they would fit thematically with other films we were considering admitting and, most importantly, how they would suit the immersive environment of the Icebox’s screening room. I’m very excited to attend the festival in mid-May and see all the films in their final form!

I greatly enjoyed my time as an intern at Icebox, and it was such an affirming feeling to be in a space that is so aligned with my interests and goals for the future as I prepare to graduate and enter the working world. I’m so looking forward to continued involvement at Icebox during my post-graduate life, when I’ll be living in Philadelphia!

Angela Coppola, HC ’26

Praxis Course: Museum Studies Praxis Seminar

Semester: Spring 2026    

Faculty Advisor/Professor: Monique Scott

Community Partner(s): Harriton House

Praxis Site Supervisor: Laura Carpenter

Praxis Poster:

HART_AngelaCoppola

 

Further Context:

This semester, I interned as a transcriber at the Harriton House, a historic house and landmark in Bryn Mawr. I found out about this internship possibility through the Museums Fair from last semester and inquired more about the praxis by emailing Laura Carpenter. Transcribing was not a skill I was accustomed with, but with my newer interest in archives, I thought it would be great to explore.   

During the spring semester, I transcribed the daybook of Charles Thomson. His daybook was started in 1789, right after he stopped working at Continental Congress. From then on, his life transformed from secretary to agriculturist. By working on this daybook, the Harriton House seeks to achieve an accessable and searchable document for Harriton House visitors and members to use. In addition, through my project, I took notes on some of the names and location mentioned in his daybook. This information could potentially be used for a later project on a more in-depth look into Charles Thomson’s life. For some of this research, I had to explore consensus records and genealogical websites to learn more about a person mentioned in the daybook. I had never tried searching these types of websites before, so this experience was enlightening.  

To summarize the history of the Harriton House, it was originally owned by a Welsh settler, built in 1702-1704. The house was named Bryn Mawr for “Big Hill” and sold to Richard Harrison. Harrison originated in Maryland where he owned tobacco plantations, thus the Harriton House was made into a plantation. After Harrison’s death in 1745, his wife Hannah Norris owned the property, it being managed by tenant farmers. After her death in 1774, the property was passed to Hannah Harrison who married Charles Thomson that same year. Thomson then become the owner of the property due to the inheritance laws at the time. It’s during his time owning the Harriton House that Charles Thomson wrote the daybook. I learned the history of the house throughout the semester and was able to connect it with some of the information found in the daybook. 

Some of the challenges I encountered was re-learning cursive. Cursive was something I was taught in school, but I never properly incorporated it into my life. As such, I had to have a cursive alphabet out when I first examined the daybook. Over time, I improved my cursive comprehension to point where I no longer needed the alphabet out. I also had to understand the characteristics of Thomson’s writing to improve my transcribing skill. For example, I learned that Thomson writes his “T” a certain way, as well as spelling words wrong, like “drizle” for “drizzle.” In addition, I learned about old age vernacular for farming and building. These were some of the learning curves, I had to refine in the project. 

I enjoyed interning at the Harriton House, as I was able to explore a separate field of museums studies. In this internship, I learned multiple skills, such as transcription, cursive, and genealogical research. I found the most rewarding part of my project to be personifying the author and people mentioned in the daybook. With this perspective, the daybook became less of a monotonous task and more of an intimate look at Charles Thomson’s life and relations. In addition, when transcribing in person at the Harriton House, I understood more about the daily behind-the-scenes of a historical house and small non-profit. I was able to sit in on interviews and view how the thought that goes into programming at the Harriton House. I think this project helped me figure out that I am interested in archive work and looking forward to exploring the possibilities in that career field. 

Pearl Bromley, BMC ’28

Praxis Course: Museum Studies Praxis Seminar

Semester: Spring 2026

Faculty Advisor/Professor: Monique Scott

Community Partner(s): University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology/ Penn Museum

Field Supervisor: Katherine Blanchard

Praxis Poster:

HART_PearleBromley-compressed

 

Further Context:
For my Museum Studies Praxis Internship this semester, I worked as a collections management intern at the Penn Museum beneath Near Eastern Section Keeper Katherine Blanchard. As to how I secured my placement at the museum, I had initially cold-emailed Katy in June of last year. With a brief email exchange, we zoomed together several times over the summer discussing my interests and academic background, at which point she confirmed that I  would be interning with her in the fall.

Throughout the semester, my praxis work focused on one main project, in which I was tasked with acquisitioning material from the site of Gibeon—or el Jib. The site itself is just Northwest of Jerusalem in the Palestinian Territories, more specifically in the West Bank. The city is over 5,000 years old, with initial settlement dating back to the Early Bronze Age (c. 3300–2000 BCE), and is most famous for its presence in the Old Testament with it being the location where Joshua made a peace treaty with its inhabitants. Its excavation was led by archaeologist James B. Pritchard through the University of Pennsylvania, with over five field seasons between 1956 and 1962. The majority of objects maintained by the museum from Gibeon originate from tomb groups, and are primarily ceramics, including oil lamps, jugs, bowls, as well as small finds such as human and animal figurines, metal jewelry, knives, and other miscellaneous pieces.

As to my role in acquisitioning this collection, I would typically process a group of objects, one shelf—or drawer—at a time. In order to acquisition an object group, I engaged in several steps including confirming the museum and registration numbers of the artifacts, taking them to be photographed in either the shot-on or shot-down photography studio, sending the digital photographs to my supervisors to be edited and uploaded to the website for publication, and then finally rehousing and reorganizing the artifacts back on the shelf/drawer from where they originated.

Ultimately, I was able to process and upload over 2,000+ object photos, which are publicly accessible on the Penn Museum’s Digital Collections Website for the first time since their excavation. I learned a lot from this internship, not only how to acquisition collection material, but how to properly engage as a steward of a collection. While these artifacts may be housed within the walls of the Penn Museum, they are not inherently owned by the museum, but rather maintained by its wonderful staff. Objects like those excavated at Gibeon hold great cultural value for the ancient heritages they represent, and in properly maintaining them, not only are they kept safe and accessible, but are given the respect they deserve as pieces of an ancient past—emblematic of contemporary cultures in Palestine today.

Tess Rivera, BMC ’27

Praxis Course: Museum Studies Fieldwork Seminar

Semester: Spring 2026

Faculty Advisor/Professor: Monique Scott

Community Partner(s): The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology

Field Supervisor: Katherine Blanchard

Praxis Poster:

HART_TessRivera

 

Further Context:

This semester, I interned at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology with the Near Eastern collection. I worked under the keeper of the collection, Katherine (Katy) Blanchard, and alongside another Museum Studies Praxis student. Katy introduced me to the biblical site of Gibeon, which is located in current day El Jib, just outside of Jerusalem, Palestine. The site was excavated by the Penn Museum in conjunction with the Church Divinity School of the Pacific from 1956 to 1962. Finds from the excavations include pottery, jewelry, and small metal objects. I worked over the course of the semester on documenting the artifacts from this site, making them accessible to the public in the museum’s online collection website. Each day at the museum looked mostly the same. I would first check in with Katy in the basement’s storage rooms about how much I could ideally accomplish that day and whether we
had any additional meetings to attend between projects. I would then head over to the many shelves where the Gibeon objects lived, and I would take a shelf of artifacts into the next room to be inventoried. I made note of each field number and accession number, as well as any abnormalities such as pencil markings or incorrect information listed in the museum’s system.
Once the objects were inventoried, I transferred them to one of two camera setups with a gray backdrop, depending on whether the images needed to be taken from above or from a standing tripod. I photographed each object from all angles before rehousing the objects into fresh bags to be put back on their shelf. This process was repeated multiple times each day. Today, images of over 900 objects have been made available on the collection website. Objects from this site had never previously been photographed or otherwise documented outside of the names and numbers listed in the museum’s computer system. It was an extremely rewarding experience to be able to give these objects a new life. In addition to learning how to handle and photograph artifacts, I was able to gain a new perspective on what
museum work entails. There are so many museum career paths other than curation, and it was wonderful to be able to explore these other paths via hands-on participation. I look forward to utilizing the skills from this Praxis internship in my future museum career.

Anna Roth, BMC ’27

Praxis Course: Museum Studies Praxis Seminar

Semester: Spring 2026

Faculty Advisor/Professor: Monique Scott and Tiffany Stahl

Community Partner(s): Barnes Foundation and Calder Gardens

Field Supervisor: Marie Edland and Liza Herzog

Praxis Poster:

HART_AnnaRoth

 

Further Context:

This semester, I was thrilled to develop skills in data conduction and research methods through my role conducting the Collaboration for Ongoing Visitor Experience Studies (COVES) survey at the Barnes Foundation and Calder Gardens! The Barnes Foundation was chartered in 1922, and it houses the collection of Albert C. Barnes, a doctor who made his fortune from producing an antiseptic. With this fortune, Barnes aimed to
create an accessible and educational artistic environment. He collected artwork, worked in social justice and progressive education, and hosted free art classes in his Merion home, where the Barnes collection was first housed. His collection moved to Philadelphia in 2012, and to this day, the artwork is arranged in the same way as in his Merion home– in unique “ensembles.” The artwork is not grouped by specific eras or artists, but rather grouped through categories specific to Barnes. The Barnes Foundation still offers classes, as well as continuing to work in
community engagement. Some works on display are the unique “ensembles” including Impressionist, Modern, African, Indigenous American art and metalwork, as well as the rotating special exhibits, such as Freedom Dreams.

The other space where I was situated is Calder Gardens. Calder Gardens is a new institution founded in 2025 as an open space for reflection at the intersection of Alexander Calder’s art, nature, and architecture. It is an operating partner of the Barnes, and sits right across the Parkway. Calder was known for his mobile sculptures. You can walk through the building and experience an integration of exterior and interior space with the building’s wide windows, cement walls that appear to be wood, actual wooden elements, and more. There is a consistent rotation of artwork in some areas of Calder Gardens.

COVES is a study that connects over 130 scientific and artistic museums through a survey synthesizing visitor experiences. My role started by approaching visitors in the Barnes and in Calder Gardens as they were leaving and asking them to complete the COVES survey. Many of the questions on the survey ask about visitor experiences on a scale of 1-10 or Poor to Outstanding, with the higher numbers generally indicating more positive visitor opinions. There are other statement questions and areas to write in opinions. This survey is important because it gives the Barnes Foundation an indication of who is attending the space and why, as well as
indicating where the Barnes is excelling and where there may be room for improvement.

My next role involved analyzing the data collected from COVES. This included sorting through the written-in comments that are not as easily visualized on a sliding scale, and coding them as positive or negative, as well as including the reasoning behind that code. Visitors tended to be a
diverse range of ages and ethnicities, though on weekdays they often skewed towards older visitors. On the visualized number scale, the Barnes is doing well, as indicated by COVES, and this is also reflected in the comments that are written in. Most people enjoy the unique assemblage of the art and the experience. The most common negative review is aboutthe lack of signage around the artwork. Many of the positive comments appreciate that the experience is more open-ended, with options for docent tours and free 15-minute discussions about the exhibitions.

I felt incredibly lucky to experience a role that involved interacting with visitors in the middle of a constantly changing space. My takeaways were consistently positive– the amount of visitors that were happy to take the survey always surprised me, and I noticed that the most collaborative experiences in the foundation (like PECO Sundays, with music and arts and crafts) tended to draw in the largest crowds. I am looking forward to applying the data collection and research methods that I used this semester to future tasks, and I will continue looking to the Barnes as an example of immersive community interaction within an institutional space!

Susan Robinson BMC ’27

MAKING COMPLEX CONCEPTS ACCESSIBLE THROUGH OUTREACH

Praxis Course: HART420: 

Semester: Spring 2026

Faculty Advisor/Professor: Monique Scott

Community Partner: The Franklin Institute

Field Supervisor: Carly Netting

Praxis Poster:

HART_Susan Robinson

 

Further Context:

My Praxis experience focused on community outreach and science education. One of my main responsibilities was collaborating with The Franklin Institute Ambassadors to develop materials for interactive learning activities with an emphasis on making human biology accessible and engaging for younger audiences. My work involved creating clear age-appropriate written explanations to accompany each body system based upon their Body Odyssey Exhibit. A central component of this project was an outreach activity designed for children ages 5–12. It features a layered human body puzzle representing the skeletal, muscular, and nervous systems. Each layer can be added or removed so participants can better visualize how the body is structured and how different systems interact with one another. This hands-on visual approach supports learning by making abstract biological concepts more concrete and accessible. I
especially wanted for younger learners who benefit from interactive experiences. One of the main challenges I encountered was translating complex biological concepts into language that children could understand. This required me to think critically about how to simplify information
without losing scientific accuracy or meaning. This process highlighted the importance of accessibility in science communication and pushed me to be more intentional in how I present information to different audiences. Through this experience I strengthened my ability to clearly
and effectively explain scientific ideas while adapting my communication style to meet the needs of a specific audience. Overall, this Praxis experience reinforced the value of outreach and education in making science more inclusive and approachable. It further developed my interest in
combining science with public engagement and educational initiatives in future work.

Hazany Palomino, HC ’26

Seminar: CITY420: Seeking Spatial Justice

Semester: Fall 2025

Faculty Advisor/Professor: Lauren Restrepo

Community Partner: HNTB

Praxis Site Supervisor: Danelle Hunter

Praxis Poster:

5 Hazany _Palomino_Hazany Palomino Praxis Poster Revised

 

Further Context:

This semester, I spent my time as a Transit Planning intern at HNTB. I sat with the Planning team in the Philadelphia location. I had the opportunity to intern at the company over the summer, and I had such a great experience that I wanted to continue my time there! 

In re-starting my internship through the Praxis program, I developed objectives and goals I wanted to guide my experience at HNTB this semester, specifically as it relates to the course theme of spatial justice. The three objectives I created are: 

1) Reflect on the ethical responsibilities of planners and practitioners by examining how decisions about space impact equity, inclusion, and community well being. 

2) Thoughtfully engage with community members to strengthen the connection between planning practice and community priorities. 

3) Gain the ability to translate theoretical ideas about spatial justice into accessible frameworks that can inform dialogue and action amongst practitioners and community members. 

These objectives not only serve as a framing reference for my experiences at HNTB, but these are also framing objectives I plan to carry with me into future endeavors. Specifically, as it relates to the role of planners and practitioners in thoughtfully engaging and delivering equitable projects—at any scale—is a consideration I have thought extensively on as I prepare myself for a career in planning. 

One project I worked on over the semester was a micromobility pitch for a potential client. This project consisted of conducting spatial analyses identifying gaps in Philadelphia’s bike and micromobility network and proposing solutions to bridge this gap to enhance connectivity across the city. 

The main project I worked on for much of my time at HNTB was an extension of my work over the summer. The project is a major roadway and transit redesign project for Roosevelt Boulevard, a 14-mile corridor in Northeast Philadelphia. This project is a planning study that will propose one roadway redesign: a Neighborhood Boulevard and Partially Capped Expressway and one new transit service: a Subway, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), or Light Rail Transit (LRT). The main objective of this project is to create a safer and more reliable Boulevard for all users, including pedestrians, bikers, transit riders, and drivers. Work on the project has included preparing materials for upcoming rounds of community engagement. This has included analyzing data to identify areas for improved engagement, creating educational and promotional materials, and attending community outreach events to inform the public about the project. This project has offered me thoughtful insight into the processes and impacts of infrastructure projects on local communities. Importantly, I have learned that transit solutions are not prescriptive. Effective mobility strategies must adapt to local context, priorities, and constraints rather than follow a one-size fits-all formula. This is accomplished by thoughtfully engaging the communities about the project impacts because when residents help shape decisions, solutions gain legitimacy and better reflect lived experience.



Judy Xie, HC ’27

Seeking Spatial Justice Through County and Community Planning

Seminar: CITY420 Seeking Spatial Justice 

Faculty Advisor: Lauren Restrepo

Community Partner: Montgomery County Planning Commission 

Praxis Site Supervisor: Stephen Zbyszinski

Praxis Poster:

6 Judy_Xie_Praxis Poster (1)

 

Further Context: 

 This semester, I had the amazing opportunity of interning at the Montgomery County Planning Commission (MCPC), based out of Norristown, PA. MCPC, a sub-division of Montgomery County, has over 40 full-time planning staff who work on county-wide and municipal-level planning projects. Examples of their work include writing comprehensive plans, creating future land use and inventory maps, and publishing resources on planning topics.  

MCPC’s planning staff work in a range of departments: community, county, design, environmental, GIS, open space and trails, transportation. During my internship, I mainly worked on county and community planning projects. For county planning, I prepared materials for future housing publications aimed at helping municipalities implement policies that address residents’ struggles with housing affordability. I wrote a series of white papers, each one focused on a less traditional housing typology that can helpexpand the county’s housing stock. I wrote about tiny homes, missing middle housing, and residential adaptive reuse conversions. These short papers provided definitions of each type, along with benefits, considerations for constructions, local examples, and additional sources. Initially, I knew very little about the housing types I wrote about. However, as I scoured the web and sifted through MCPC’s drive to do research for these papers, I learned about the ways these housing types can be incorporated into existing communities and the types of housing needs they can meet. For community planning, a major project I worked on was assisting with the Parks and Open Spaces section of an updated comprehensive plan for the Central Perkiomen Valley Region. My main task was updating a collection of charts showing the names, classifications, acreages, and amenities of all the publicly-owned open space facilities in each of the region’s municipalities. I did this by using county GIS data, reaching out to community planners assigned to each municipality, and looking through municipal websites and open space plans. 

My internship with MCPC was a wonderful experience for which I will forever be grateful. The staff I met were kind, passionate, and supportive, and the experience gave me insight into the daily work lives of planners, the kinds of issues they aim to address, and the constraints their work faces. It reaffirmed my desire to pursue a career in planning and left me with important questions to ponder as I continue my education and work in this field. I wonder how governments and developers can best balance their fiscal constraints with provision of high-quality affordable housing and other necessary resources. I also want to learn more about public participation processes and how they can be made more inclusive. 

Rachel Rosenstein, BMC ’27

Seminar:  CITY420: Seeking Spatial Justice 

Semester:  Fall 2025 

Faculty Advisor/Professor:  Lauren Restrepo 

Community Partner:  HIAS-PA   

Praxis Site Supervisor:  Rona Gershon   

Praxis Poster:

8 Rachel_Rosenstein_Immigration and spatial justice (24 x 36 in)

 

Further Context:

This summer, seeing the horrors being forced upon immigrants, I realized that I could not simply sit back and watch; I needed to get involved. I researched immigration nonprofits in Philadelphia until I found HIAS-PA, the incredible organization that became my praxis site. The organization first began as a nonprofit that was focused on aiding Eastern European Jewish immigrants in the late 1800s until 1979, when they opened their doors to immigrants of all backgrounds. The history of HIAS immediately appealed to me because of my own family’s immigration history. My grandparents came here from Eastern Europe, and they faced significant challenges upon arrival. HIAS helped immigrant families just like mine but in Philadelphia settle smoothly in America, and I felt called to give back in the same way that HIAS-PA is now open to all. My family has been living in the United States for three generations, and I am secure enough now to help those who need assistance now. When my grandparents came to the United States, they were fleeing persecution, and now, when people try to do the same, they are met with violence and hate. My goal in working at HIAS-PA was to counteract as much of that hate as I could by showing the people I spoke to that I cared about them, and that we would do our very best to help.  

I was on the intake team at HIAS. Once I began my work, I fell into a smooth rhythm: I would find out who was waiting for an intake call, call them, ask them the intake questions, enter it into the computer system, and let the attorneys know that the intake had been completed. This usually went smoothly. The more difficult part was hearing the immigration stories that these people experienced. Trauma and fear filled the questionnaire as I took notes on the answers to the questions I was supposed to ask. I learned quickly that no one came here simply for “a better life.” Everyone I had spoken to was escaping something, and it broke my heart that the country they chose to come to was treating them as though they were criminals. One question I had to ask was whether they had been arrested for a crime in the United States, and the answer was almost always “no”. And yet, our country continues to pretend that everyone who crosses the border is a criminal. I felt my anger expanding with every call I made as I understood more and more of the injustices these people had faced.  

I gained a lot from this experience, and I learned a lot about myself in the process. Firstly, I got the opportunity to put into perspective how lucky I am that I was born here, and therefore I do not have to live in fear every day. I learned that speaking to individuals carries so much more meaning than looking at statistics—I had seen all the numbers prior to the start of my work, but hearing individuals speak made me feel so much more connected to the issues immigrants face. I learned that I might want to consider immigration law as a career path because I have developed so much respect for the attorneys at HIAS and the work that they do, and I want to be a part of it one day. I learned that a little bit of kindness and patience goes a long way by seeing the gratitude I received after checking in with potential clients who did not know when they would hear back. I learned that everybody has a story to tell, and listening is often so helpful by itself, even if HIAS did not have the capacity to offer full services. Overall, I learned how important immigration work is, and I am forever appreciative of my experience at HIAS-PA.