The Transgender Project, National Development and Research Institute

Organization: The Transgender Project, National Development and Research Institute

City: New York, NY

Unpaid

This internship was one of the best experiences I’ve had.  This research study followed 600 transgender people for a few years, mainly focusing on HIV and general health.  The surveys were lengthy and both English and Spanish speaking subjects participated.  Working at the study really gave me a good understanding of what it’s like to conduct public health research.  My supervisors, Dr. Larry Nuttbrock and Monica Macri, were both extremely generous and helpful.  They both took a genuine interest in me and tried to explain things along the way.  I did a fair amount of clerical work (checking that each question on surveys was completed, data entry) but I also got to do cooler projects (figuring out coding for one section of the survey, coding it, changing qualitative data to quantitative data).  And the nice part was that when I did have to do clerical work, Monica would be doing it as well, so I never felt like I was a slave.  They were extremely appreciative of my help and they engaged me in intelligent discussion frequently.  Unfortunately, the research study is closing down in the next few months, but if you ever get the chance to work for either of these people, you should!!

Shanti

Organization: Shanti

City: San Francisco, CA

Unpaid

I was the HIV Services intern for Shanti during the summer of 2007.  I absolutely loved it there.  The work itself is extremely rewarding.  Shanti provides emotional and practical support to people living with AIDS.  I spent time working with several clients one-on-one, as well as working in the drop-in center with more transient clients. I also helped organize a women’s support group, and learned a TON about social services in San Francisco.  This internship definitely requires you to be adventurous and sometimes fearless as you will see and hear about things that you probably have never been exposed to in the past.  Shanti’s offices are located in the Tenderloin, so even getting to work can be eye-opening.  The people that work at Shanti are some of the coolest folks I’ve ever met- super relaxed, liberal, and eager to help interns learn.  I loved my summer their and continue to fundraise for the organization and stay in touch with people who work there.