Over the summer, Arlaysha Hood interned with THC’s Family Housing Solutions Program (now known as Rapid Rehousing). She was a great addition to the team, and still comes back to volunteer with THC when she is in the DC area. We asked her about her experience as an intern – this is what she had to say.

Tell us about your internship with THC…

 Working with THC was a phenomenal experience. My role with THC was an Administrative Intern where I was doing data entry. I thought that my entire summer was going to be surrounded around that one position, to my surprise I was able to learn so much about the organization and myself. I was able to go on home visits with case managers, and learn so much about the agency in itself.

What challenges did you face during your internship?

There was one particular challenge I faced during my internship and it was when I went on a home visit. I was just doing observations but to see the interaction between client and case manager I was not prepared, and this was my reality. The challenge came when I was learning how to write the case note for this particular home visit and to put into words and describe specific details that happened was probably the hardest things I have written, and I have wrote twenty-page papers. However, this challenge was worth it I learned a lot about myself and the field that I will be entering.

What did you learn during your internship?

I learned a lot during my internship; I learned a lot about the agency, but the greatest reward was learning more about myself. This field is all about helping and it gets challenging at times and the most important thing for me was seeing if this is truly the career I want for myself. This was the greatest lesson I learned from during my internship.

What did you like about your internship?

What didn’t I like about my internship? It was impeccable! I have so many experiences that I share in classes, or just discussing it with my friends. Of course it wasn’t perfect, but I finished with more good memories and everlasting impressions, than bad. I liked I was able to see the organization in its entirety and was not limited to what I was hired to do.

 What inspires you to continue working with THC?

 One thing that inspires me to continue working with THC is the support and encouragement I received. THC is a family that works together to make sure everything is running smoothly. Because of THC I know what hard work really looks like and that is a great motivation for me to keep working with THC.