This past
weekend was Homecoming and I had the opportunity to return back to Wartburg’s
main campus in Waverly, Iowa. Naturally, everyone I bumped into asked about my
experience so far at Wartburg West. I found it a bit difficult to accurately
depict my experiences thus far as it has all been a huge whirlwind. But here I
will address the most common questions I was asked:
How’s Denver? Is
it scary living in a city?
Having
been born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, I am no stranger to urban settings. Nevertheless,
Denver and Phoenix are very different from one another, but both have provided
me with completely new experiences. Living at the heart of the Mile-High City
comes with many great surprises, ranging from random festivals taking place right
outside my apartment window to breathtaking sights of snow-capped mountains. However,
city living can also be quite stressful—especially for someone who is living
for the first time ever far from home. Learning the hoops of budgeting,
contacting landlords, dealing with homesickness, and navigating the complex RTD
system are only few of the many challenges I have had to face. Regardless, these
struggles have taught me many valuable lessons that are in turn preparing me
for the “adult world”.
Where are you
interning? What do they have you do? Are you just doing coffee runs like seen on
TV?
Some of my best experiences so far have
taken place at my internship site, Metro Caring. Metro Caring is a hunger
prevention center that offers fresh food and produce as well as a variety of
other free services to their participants. Their mission is to “meet people’s
immediate need for nutritious food while also sustainably addressing the root
causes of hunger and poverty.” As a nutrition intern (and a double major in
Public Health and Spanish), I am taking part in the nutrition and cooking
classes, translating process of documents, flyers, and posters, teaching
participants to grocery shop healthfully on a budget, and partnering with the
YMCA Spanish Diabetes Prevention Program. I am extremely grateful that my
supervisor, since day one, has entrusted me with so many projects and responsibilities—despite
the fact I am merely an undergrad sophomore with little to no experience. My
time at Metro Caring has not only solidified my desire to help marginalized
communities learn about nutrition, but it has also created a clear path on how
to make my dream into a reality. Although challenging and at times tough to
balance with homework and school, being an intern has overall been a definite
highlight of my Wartburg West experience.
What classes are
you taking? Is the course work difficult? What do they have you do?
I am not joking when I state that I
have gone on more field trips during my 2 months at Wartburg West than all of
my years of prior education combined. I am currently taking RE324: Immigrant
Communities and Their Religious Traditions in Denver, ID360: The Metropolis,
and IS201: Self-Expression and Social Change in Denver and Beyond. While these
classes are all writing intensive and require heavy readings, most of actual
class time is spent outside the classroom. Our “field trips” have consisted of different
museum exhibits, religious sites, local businesses, city parks, controversial plays,
governmental offices, Panera pit stops…only to name a few. These trips have all
had a powerful impact on my learning and understanding of several different
topics surrounding social issues in and outside of Denver that affect us all as
human beings. The discussions we have in class are all quite mind-opening and
provoke a lot of self-reflection and awareness of the society we live in. These
courses are not only teaching me the importance of time management, but they’ve
also taught me many lessons about sustainability, interfaith communications,
homelessness, equity and inclusion, and much, much more. I am excited to return
home and to campus to share more about the new things I have learned!
How many of you
are there? WHERE do you take your classes?
Six
sophomores and three seniors…therefore nine. Nine burgies taking on Denver. Our
classes take place at a church right across the street from our apartments.
Let’s just say that we have all grown very close to one another (literally…we
are all neighbors).
Do you recommend
it?
Yes, but
do know it is NOT a vacation. Expect a lot of course work, tiresome nights,
busy days, and unexpected surprises (mainly good but a few not so good). But I
could confidently say that it is #wartburgworthit.
