My Experience at Hospitality House

For the Summer of 2022, I was fortunate enough to be accepted as an intern for the Hospitality House of Northwestern North Carolina. I recently graduated in May 2022 with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice. I always knew that I wanted to help others and have always been fascinated with the criminal justice system. This internship has given me the perfect opportunity to engage in both while learning new things about myself and the clients at the facility. Here, everybody has a chance to grow be it staff members, interns, residents, clients, whoever! My favorite part of the experience was being able to interact with clients at the facility.

Overall, this experience has been great. The staff members treat the interns with such kindness it makes you never want to leave! During this internship, I was able to learn a lot more about the homeless population in Boone, which many people never get a chance to experience. I have a newfound respect for people who do not have access to many things some individuals consider necessary. I think everyone should volunteer at a homeless shelter at least once in their lives; many people should be made aware of what it takes to survive without being able to buy groceries, have reliable transportation, or even have a sheltered bed to sleep in. This experience will stay with me forever, and I hope the interactions I have had with clients will stay with them too.