9/29/11
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Emily Halata '06 says her R-MC internships played a pivotal role in her career choice. |
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Sociology Professor Reber Dunkel is the coordinator of SERVE. |
Randolph-Macon College alumna Emily Halata '06 is making a difference. One child at a time.
Halata is the U.S. Project Specialist for Children, Incorporated, a nonprofit organization that provides resources for children in need in the United States and abroad. The organization’s administrative offices are located in Richmond, Virginia, and program sites are located in 12 states and 23 foreign countries.
"Children, Incorporated believes in education, hope and opportunity," says Halata, a sociology major. "We provide basic needs for children—clothing, school supplies, school fees, food, health care and medicine, hygiene items and learning aides. Improving the lives of impoverished children strengthens families and communities."
In August 2011, Saxon Shoes welcomed 124 students served by the U.S. Programs division of Children, Incorporated into one of its Richmond, Virginia locations. There, each child was fitted with a brand new pair of shoes. "It was tremendously fulfilling," says Halata of the experience. "For some children it was the very first time they received a brand new pair of shoes."
Halata, who has worked for the organization since 2006, says her R-MC internships played a pivotal role in her career choice. She did an internship with The New York Foundling, a human services organization in New York City. "As a marketing intern, I helped the organization prepare for their biggest fundraiser of the year, the Albert J. Costello Golf Outing," she explains. Halata’s second internship, arranged through R-MC, was with the Hanover Health Department Resource Mothers program, an organization that provides support for pregnant teenagers in Hanover County. Halata counseled teenagers and gave them information about pregnancy, labor and parenting.
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Halata finds the nonprofit world fulfilling—a way to “help others and make a difference in the lives of children"—and says she would love to help arrange internships for R-MC students.
"We are looking for interns to help us with administrative tasks, marketing and development, and international relations," she explains. Academic and volunteer internships are available, and students who would like more information can contact Halata, who is in charge of recruiting and managing volunteers and interns, at ehalata@children-inc.org, or visit R-MC's Jobs4YellowJackets database.
R-MC Sociology Professor Reber Dunkel, coordinator of Students Engaged in Responsible Volunteer Experiences (SERVE), says that internships can play a vital role in a liberal arts education.
"Emily’s work with Children, Incorporated epitomizes the positive influence that internships have on Randolph-Macon students in terms of career opportunities in community-service agencies and non-profit organizations," says Dunkel. "Students gain valuable experience in the 'real world,' and they can take part in helping and improving communities in need. That they can also network with R-MC alumni is icing on the cake."
In 2010-11, R-MC students collectively amassed almost 8,000 volunteer hours. Nearly 50 students spent an alternative Spring Break in Florida for a combined 950 hours with Habitat for Humanity and 130 hours for a Haiti Relief project. Students in R-MC’s Greek organizations contributed more than 4,500 hours of collective service to the community, collected 550 pounds of canned food, donated 60 inches of hair to Locks of Love, 21 toys to Toys for Tots and generous funds to various organizations. In addition, money was raised on campus and donated to the Red Cross & Partners in Health for the Haiti Earthquake Relief.The SERVE program, in the Office of Student Life, is an integral part of Randolph-Macon’s Leadership Development and Service Initiative.