Hi! My name is Alí Rodríguez and I’m part of the class of 2022. I declared a Psychology major and will hopefully attain a minor in Hispanic Studies and or Sociology as well. This semester I have been interning at the Blue 
Mountain Action Council (BMAC), located in Walla Walla. When I started my internship, I was hoping to put my Spanish into practice and help expand and develop the English-Spanish Learning and Financial Literacy Programs.
Given the Pandemic, many of the students have been unable to meet with their tutors to continue their English learning process. To help those who had the opportunity to continue learning electronically from home, I compiled a list of free user friendly, online English learning resources that adapted to the learners’ schedule, pace of learning and level of language mastery. This project in particular meant a lot to me because I knew that by making these resources available to the students, I was going to be able to make someone’s learning process a little bit easier. Learning a new language, especially during adulthood can be quite a challenge. However, resources like this can make that transition from having someone personally teach you to learning online by yourself much more smoother. I had a lot of fun creating these list of resources because I had to test a lot of these programs and courses and found myself learning new things along the way. Working on expanding this program has given me a better look at the dynamics of Latino community of Walla Walla. On top of that, translating papers and other resources has also helped me keep in touch with my Spanish.
Right now, I’m working on developing a Financial Literacy program. This has been challenging given that part of developing this program in a way that would serve the needs of the community, we need to have in person contact with different communities in Walla Walla, which isn’t a possibility at the moment. Working on this project, despite the slow progress, has been quite interesting. I have been able to improve my own financial literacy as a result of the research I have done on the topic, and it excites me to share this knowledge with others. I’m hoping that the spread of Covid-19 minimizes over the next couple of months, so Barbara and I can further develop our plans for this project and have it up and running soon.
Experiences like Alí’s are made possible by the Whitman Internship Grant, which provides funding for students to participate in unpaid internships at both for-profit and non-profit organizations. We are happy to be sharing blog posts from students who were supported by either a summer, fall, spring, or year-long Whitman Internship Grant at organizations, businesses, and research labs all around the world. To learn how you could secure a Whitman Internship Grant or host a Whitman intern at your organization, click here or contact Assistant Director for Internship Programs Mitzy Rodriguez