Miles Williams ’24, Economics Major, Shares about their Internship Bridging the Gap: Achieving Long-Term Goals through LISC
“From the very beginning of this internship, my aspirations have been driven by a deep-seated passion to immerse myself in the struggles faced by underprivileged individuals and communities, and to evolve into an individual who actively brings about real change rather than simply discussing it in theory. In this blog post, I am excited to reflect and share how I feel this opportunity has contributed to helping me achieve these aspirations.
I’ve spent most of my time learning from my mentor, Ricardo Flores, the executive director of LISC San Diego, who has a plethora of experience with engaging with lower-income communities, and has contributed to raising their quality of living. The process of applying my knowledge from academic courses to real-world applications has been enjoyable, but has also reinforced my premonition that engaging with challenges at their root is significantly different than in the classroom. My economic classes at Whitman were helpful with big picture statistics. We looked at ways in which the fluctuating economy affects the average employment rates, amount of money saved and so forth. Working with Ricardo (my mentor) I’ve been exposed in a more personal way to the communities seldom mentioned with any significance other than a statistic in my courses. I’ve also been introduced to ways in which LISC is currently trying to lower the exceedingly high cost of living in San Diego. The spread of single-family house zoning units across the county is the main reason the average cost of owning a home is so high. It has also contributed to maintaining the exclusionary segregation tactics of bygone legislation. Right now Ricardo and LISC are supporting the mayor’s proposition to subsidize some of these single-family homes into multiple smaller sized homes on the same plot of land effectively lowering the cost for homes in the more vied for areas of the city. This will allow historically marginalized communities to integrate into historically white neighborhoods that often are in closer proximity to public transportation, better schools, and jobs. In relation to this, one of the goals I have for my career and as a person is to involve myself in the challenges that underprivileged individuals and communities face. I want to use the knowledge I’ll gain from my economics degree to help increase the quality of life of those people. Embracing the initiatives of LISC represents a significant stride in the right direction and has intensified my desire to accomplish my goal of actively participating in the pursuit of economic and racial equity.
Another one of my long-term goals that this opportunity has positively impacted is learning how to be someone who can get things done, rather than just talk, read or write about things. The reason LISC has had a positive impact is that the members of this organization, especially Ricardo, are people who have accomplished this goal already. I now know that I have found the ideal platform to channel my passion for social impact with LISC. Learning about their programs, initiatives, and collaborations has introduced me to purposeful action that goes beyond theory and embraces hands-on-problem-solving. Leading up to this internship I’ve often harbored ideas of making a difference, contemplating ways in which I can improve people’s quality of living, but struggling to translate that into something tangible, to take action. Now working with LISC, and being involved with a group of like-minded individuals I am starting to learn and understand ways in which I’ll be able to bridge the gap between ideas and action.
The experiences and insights gained have reinforced my commitment to involving myself in the challenges faced by underprivileged communities and have empowered me to become a doer, not just a dreamer. My time at LISC has provided me with the tools, knowledge, and connections to make a meaningful impact on the lives of those in need. Moving forward, I am excited to continue honing my skills and channeling my passion to effect real change. With each step I take, I am reminded that progress is a collective effort, and I am eager to collaborate with others who share the vision of a more just and equitable world.”