Meet Diana: Former Children’s Home + Aid Development Intern

“I wanted to give Children’s Home + Aid my best! I’m proud of what I was able to leave behind,” former Children’s Home + Aid Development intern, Diana Lidia recalled.

Diana interned for Children’s Home + Aid in the spring of 2017 while completing her Bachelor of Social Work degree at Olivet Nazarene University. This fall, Diana begins her Master of Social Work program at the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Jane Addams School of Social Work. Diana loved her experience as a Development intern at Children’s Home + Aid so much that she hopes to work for the agency once she completes her Master’s degree. “Next year when I graduate, I will be looking for a position again with Children’s Home + Aid — this time as a full-time employee!” “My internship at Children’s Home + Aid helped me to realize that you can find an amazing place to work that is both a perfect fit for you and suits the purpose you want to fulfill in your career.”

What made this internship so special to Diana? Diana raved about her supervisor, Heather Blankenship (the pair is pictured above). “Heather was such a great mentor; she was not just my supervisor,” Diana said. Diana detailed Heather’s exceptional ability to adapt to her learning styles and come up with new projects that allowed Diana to engage with a wide variety of Children’s Home + Aid programs and staff. “Heather knew that I came from a more clinical background rather than macro-level. Even as a Development intern working in the corporate office, she always found ways for me to connect with people at the direct-practice sites. This was so important to me because I got to see what my work on the Development Team was doing for the kids we serve!”

Heather also had wonderful things to say about Diana, stating, “Diana was truly a pleasure to work with during her internship in the Development Department at Children’s Home + Aid! As an intern supervisor, I have the opportunity not only to teach, but most importantly, to learn and grow from students coming to their internship with a wealth of knowledge and experience. I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to learn and grow with Diana during her semester with us. Diana’s passion to serve children and families is phenomenal and the kind of passion that the agency looks for in their employees. I have no doubt that Diana will continue to do amazing things in her career as a Social Worker!”

Children’s Home + Aid is committed to providing thought-provoking, real-world internship opportunities. We enjoy working with interns like Diana who are enthusiastic about learning. If you are interested in interning at Children’s Home + Aid, please visit our Internship Opportunities page

Simone Kohn is a Children’s Home + Aid Human Resources intern completing her Master of Social Work degree at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.