Makala Forster

Final Reflection and Report

What is the mission of the organization?
The mission of the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services (DVSAS) is to provide
victims support, guidance, and advocacy counseling for those in need. Through campaigns
and work within the community, DVSAS aims to heal and protect victims, as well as prevent
instances of domestic violence and sexual assault through social change, education, and
awareness. The San Juan County is a small, rural community in the San Juan Islands in
Washington State. DVSAS plays a vital role in providing a service to those affected by
domestic violence and sexual assault, whether it was a recent event or many years ago.
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What were your internship duties?
As an office intern, and not a trained advocate, my work with clients was limited. Instead, I
was a support for the office staff, which included doing research and revising materials and
filing. The majority of my work was to provide a foundation for the organization to reach out
to the Spanish speaking community on the island. I translated outreach and materials into
Spanish, and worked with other organizations to create a web of resources and support
through more than one organization for Spanish speaking families. This was one of my
favorite tasks, because it allowed me to branch out to other organizations, and to practice
using Spanish outside of the classroom. It was also very important for the Spanish speaking
families that I spoke with to see and hear that these organizations are here and available, if
needed.
Another important task that I spent a lot of time on during the summer was a prevention
curriculum for the high schools on the islands. This curriculum is called Post-Island
Living. Because the island communities are isolated and rural, the goal of the curriculum is
to provide an educational forum for discussion and awareness on what leaving the
community may look like. In addition, we used a lot of educational materials that discuss
power roles, saying/hearing no, how to resolve conflict within peer groups, and much
more. This curriculum takes a lot of inspiration from other prevention curriculums used in
schools, but has been fine-tuned to apply to the audience of students who have grown up on
the islands.
The research for this project has also extended into researching other organizations in our
region, in order to determine what other trainings we can collaborate with others on.
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Did you receive helpful supervision?
Working with a small office staff, and being the only intern, made it the perfect environment
for helpful and thorough supervision, balanced with room for independent work. This was a
unique experience because I was able to have creative freedom per se, on designing an
internship that supported the organization in whatever ways they needed, while also creating
a connection with other organizations. This was a gap I saw, and that I wanted to fill by
making connections between the resource organizations and foundations that are in our
community. This was also necessary to do for creating a foundation for the Spanish speaking
families, because it connected the organizations with each other so that they can find support
within each other.
The supervision was incredibly helpfulthe positive office staff were the supportive
community that made me happy to show up to work every day. This is an organization that

Makala Forster
Final Reflection and Report
works in domestic violence and sexual assault, so having an office that is positive and
supportive to the staff creates a healthy environment for both staff and clients.
The most educational part of this office was being an observer to the relationship between
non-profit organization and its board. My internship was only about halfway done when there
were changes within the organization, dictated by the board. Although it did not directly
affect my daily work, it was fascinating to be a witness to the developments and the office
staff reactions. It was an education on the world of non-profit boards that I would not have
been able to learn in a classroom. Through these developments, the reactions to the changes
and trauma of transition and adjustment were a study of people and the psychology of an
office. There were lessons to be learned from each staff member.
I feel so lucky to have had such a supportive work environment to process, reflect, and
collaborate with.
How might this internship contribute to your studies and/or career interests?
This internship is a major contribution to my studies and career interests. My past
experiences have been focused on international development and youth leadership in
environmental sustainability. This internship allowed me to focus on a specific issue, and put
my skill set to use. It directly aligns with my psychology studies, and my interests in social
change through education, awareness, and dialogue. I am interested in working in public
policy at the national and/or international level, and this experience adds to my past
experiences to create a foundation for understanding the effects of conflict on both
individuals and the community. My psychology classes at Bryn Mawr have been greatly
supplemented by this experience. This in-field internship pushed me to take what I know
from classes and past experiences to react to sensitive situations with open ears, and offer my
perspective. My career interests are even more set on social justice issues, and I know that
this experience is one that will continue to provide sustenance to my work in class and in
future fieldwork. It has also proven to me how important small, local organizations are in
order to provide support for individuals needs.
What new skills and experiences did you gain?
I was lucky to feel that most of the experience I gained was fine-tuning skills that came to me
naturally. I enjoy listening to peoples stories, and being supportive in sensitive situations is a
welcome challenge. As I mentioned before, one of the many learning experiences I had
during this summer was the relationship between a non-profit and its respective board. Nonprofits have such an important role in my community, and before this summer I had very
little knowledge of boards and their roles. This was an incredible experience to learn first
hand the affects of board and employee relationships.
Did you feel well prepared for this experience?
Although this was entirely new experience, the tasks assigned to me all came naturally. I was
able to continue to use my Spanish skills, as well as offer my computer skills and research
skills. I also recognize that I had incredible supervisors and coworkers that were able to walk
me through new skills and unfamiliar territory. I believe that having such supportive
coworkers made the learning experience even more transformative and positive.