Before I came to Hopeworks, I had already heard about it from a friend who had started some time ago. At the time, I was more focused on school and maintaining my academic standing. With the events of 2020, namely the pandemic, the entire world shifted to online/remote school and work. While still a priority for me, my classes became more comfortable to manage online and opened up a lot of free time for myself. Jobs that were hiring were either unable to accommodate my school schedule or put me in roles that increase my risk of contracting and spreading Covid-19 to my family. Again, Hopeworks was mentioned to me, and I found out it took place remotely, so I jumped on the opportunity to join.
Hopeworks has opened up a new world of possibilities, experiences, and connections to me. While the technical skills I have learned won’t be applied explicitly to my field of study, they are very valuable. Hopeworks provides more than just the technical skills; there are also the interpersonal skills we develop by having open and honest dialogue with supervisors and peers alike. The trauma-informed approach is crucial to the Hopeworks experience for me, understanding why I feel the way I do, and how to manage and work through these complicated feelings. Hopeworks has also helped me speak with people in fields different from my own and see where they may be interconnected.
Presently, I am a pre-med student at Rutgers University in my final year of undergrad, preparing to take my MCAT and then applying to medical school. My dream is to become a pediatrician, and I believe the trauma-informed care taught at Hopeworks will help me better tend to my future patients as I heal them physically, emotionally, and psychologically.
A few weeks ago, I joined the GIS team as an intern at Hopeworks because geography plays an important role in understanding people. I hope to use the skills that I will learn in the future to analyze health trends, track the spread of infectious diseases, and better understand my patients through a different perspective.
You can view Luisa’s portfolio presentation here!
Earlier this month, we had a pop-up visit at our Camden headquarters from a very special guest! Desmond Riley is a Hopeworks alumni from the early 2000’s where we started in a small row home in North Camden. Desmond just happened to be walking down Market Street when he saw our sign on the window […]
We are excited to announce that our web team has developed and launched a new website for the impactful and well-known nonprofit, Philabundance! Philabundance works with over 350 community partners to distribute food throughout nine counties in Southeastern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey. Their very simple belief is that no one should go hungry while […]
Talk about impact, opportunity, and paving the way! We want to send a special thank you to the amazing folks at Campbell’s, Brian Roberts, Martin Bally, and the entire Infosecurity team for this kind gesture they have passed along to Lily. During a Listen and Learn event here earlier this month, Brian and Martin announced […]
