Meet Our 2023 Spring Interns
We’re thrilled to introduce four new interns supporting Generation Hope’s work this spring. Get to know them below! We're also pleased to welcome back Fall Program Intern, Jocelyn Paquette, as our Spring Program Intern.
Hi! My name is Annie Butler and I’m excited to be joining Generation Hope as the Development intern! I graduated from the University of Nebraska at Omaha with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and am currently pursuing my masters in Sociology, specializing in the area of work and families. My undergraduate thesis was a qualitative study on student parents, and in case you didn’t know, you actually can’t do research on student parents without coming across the work of Generation Hope. Once I discovered Generation Hope I would periodically check their website for career opportunities, hoping that they would have a remote position available since I’m still here in Nebraska. I came across the Development internship and immediately jumped on the opportunity to apply. Being a single student parent myself, I can relate to a lot of the experiences described by Nicole and other former or current student parents, and I am so happy to see how the work of Generation Hope is addressing and filling these gaps. I’m a firm believer that you can’t accomplish the goals of an organization unless you truly share the mission of that organization, which is why I’m so excited to have the opportunity to contribute to the growth of Generation Hope.
Hi there! My name is Nina Owolabi, and I am the Spring 2023 Communications Intern at Generation Hope. Currently, I am a doctoral student in the Department of Education Policy, Organization & Leadership with a concentration in higher education at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. As a mama-scholar, my research centers on the Black student experience at community colleges. Threads of that work draw upon a social justice lens to explore the lived experiences of parenting students and other historically excluded groups, interrogating the community college as a place of access and enclosure. My professional background includes 15 years of education justice work focused on student, program, and curriculum development. Before beginning my program, I served as a community college advisor and faculty member. When not student-ing, I am likely getting my fill of toddler giggles and crate-digging for prized records with my husband.
Hi! My name is Damaris Valdez. I am a Clinical Mental Health Intern at Generation Hope for the year 2023. I am currently in my third year of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Master’s program at Trinity Washington University. I am thrilled to work with Generation Hope and support scholars and their families with their mental health needs. I am passionate and devoted to helping the community by providing outstanding mental health counseling services. I hope to use my training and skills to support Generation Hope Scholars to achieve their mental health goals. In my free time, I enjoy bike riding with my daughter around my neighborhood, swimming, and hiking, especially during the summertime! I also enjoy reading novels, listening to music, and going on long walks. I value family and I enjoy spending time with them, my friends, and the family cat.
Hello! My name is Cameron Younger and I am the Recruitment Intern for Generation Hope this Spring. I am from Los Angeles, California and am a student at California State University Northridge pursuing a degree in Urban Planning. As a future urban planner, I anticipate working with my community and I am so excited to work at Generation Hope and be a part of an organization that is committed to providing supportive services for teen parents. In my free time, I like to write, hike, and go to music festivals!
