On fire for the mission.
By Grace McConaghie
Legal Services Program Intern
Summer 2021
As an incoming senior in college, this is my last summer before I graduate and enter a world with fewer guardrails and more opportunities than I have yet to experience. This summer, I wanted to learn from Lighthouse Immigrant Advocates (LIA) and align my trajectory after graduation. I knew what I'm passionate about, and I believed in my ability to make a difference. Even then, I did not know what skill set I had to turn that passion into action and where my role was in that mission.
This summer at LIA offered me the chance to learn from experienced professionals about the complex challenge of advocating for immigrants in the nonprofit sector. I learned legal jargon (in Spanish and English), welcomed new clients to our office, researched legal policy and case context, and represented LIA at community events. One of the interns' main responsibilities this summer was being Intake Specialists. LIA launched a new method of welcoming clients this summer by going through an intake before having a consultation. This saves time and effort for both the legal team and the clients and has streamlined the efficiency, so the legal team can consult more clients in a quicker timeline. I felt most myself while researching the case contexts. I navigated through the USCIS website and wrote cover letters to advocate for clients, all under the watchful eye of Founder and Managing Attorney Sarah Yore-Van Oosterhout. This work felt the most satisfying to me because I had the chance to holistically understand the client's case and write a persuasive letter to officers explaining the complexity and necessity of their case.
Beyond the paperwork and tasks, I have been able to observe the roles of the professionals at LIA and take notes on the work culture. As someone who is currently starting my own non-profit organization, LIA was a fantastic example of a successful, unified, and determined team who is on fire for the mission. I admire how LIA clearly states their goals and turns them inward to apply them to their own staff. LIA starts the work in-house before moving it outward, and I believe that is the most sustainable, authentic practice to make change happen. It is an attitude I hope to bring to my non-profit, Hope College, and my future career endeavors.
This fall, I will be continuing my internship at LIA as an Event Intern as I return to Hope College for my senior year. I will be helping to prepare the Strength in Stories event that will take place on September 22nd. Regarding future plans, I am still determining if attending law school is the right path for me. I admire all the work that Sarah and the legal team do, but I am still unsure if that is the role where my strengths and interests align.
Thank you, LIA Team, for bringing me alongside the amazing work you do. Thank you for showing me perseverance and inspiration. I am looking forward to another semester working with you!
Grace McConaghie
Hope College
This post is part of a series of reflections by LIA’s Legal Services interns who served throughout summer of 2021.
In a world of “fake news” and fear-mongering campaigns, Lighthouse’s community education services are needed more than ever. To that end, our efforts include opportunities for interns to join our work to learn and work alongside our legal team. Together, we work to empower organizations and businesses with the resources and knowledge they need to best help the immigrants who walk through their doors. We are committed to play our best part in educating the next generation of legal professionals.
We'd also like to ask for your help! Are you a student seeking an internship? Do you know someone who may be, or is connected to people seeking a career that serves immigrants, refugees, and our community? Please share this post with them, and invite them to learn more about LIA's internship opportunities: Internships.