My name is Sasha Morgan. I am a sophomore Computer Science major and Hispanic Studies minor at Whitman College. This fall, I am interning at Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (aka NWIRP). The office I am connected to is located in Wenatchee, WA. Because I am doing my internship remotely, I primarily do research projects for attorneys at NWIRP and reach out to potential clients.
A typical week of work for me includes direct communication with one to three potential or confirmed clients. This work includes scheduling and conducting initial interviews to confirm NWIRP’s ability to help said clients. Other tasks include updating clients on their cases, answering basic questions, and outlining any additional information or files an attorney may need. I also write research reports for attorneys. This way they do not have to spend as much time researching legal statutes, medical information, or any number of other things. If I am working on a type of case I’m not very familiar with, I often also watch a training video or look at other training materials provided by NWIRP. Every other week, I meet with my supervisor via Zoom to get feedback on my work and plan out what I will do before the next meeting.
My biggest professional accomplishment within this internship has been increasing my familiarity with many types of visas and other paths toward legal status in the United States. I’ve also become more familiar with common acronyms and specific legal software. Personally, I feel accomplished every time I work through a case and am able to pass it on to an attorney because it represents someone getting one step closer to what, for many, is a long-term goal with many obstacles.
This internship has been helpful to my career at Whitman because it gives a real-world application to class content. Currently, I am enrolled in Constitutional Law, as well as a Spanish language course. My internship has felt like a bridge between the two and provides me with the current context for much of what we cover in my law course. Interacting with many ESL clients gives me an opportunity to improve my Spanish language skills and deepen my cultural understanding of specific Spanish-speaking regions. Since the Hispanic Studies minor includes both language and cultural components, my internship contributes to my success in this program and deepens my understanding of class content. Next year, I hope to participate in an off-campus studies program in the Southwest that focuses on political and legal issues impacting the southern U.S. border. My work with NWIRP provides me with background knowledge so that I will be able to get more out of this academic experience.
This internship also connects to my long-term goal of practicing immigration law. Through this work, I have become more confident in this career path. In working under a team of people in jobs I envision myself in, I now have several people I can ask career-related questions that know better than almost anyone else. These also serve as connections for future internship opportunities either with NWIRP or others focusing on immigration. Everything I am learning as an intern is information that I would have to learn later in my career, without this opportunity.
Experiences like Sasha’s are made possible by the Whitman Internship Grant, which provides funding for students to participate in unpaid internships at nonprofit, some for-profit, and government organizations. We are happy to be sharing blog posts from students who were supported by either a summer, fall, spring, or year-long grants 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, contact us at ccec_info@whitman.edu.