From Fall 2016-Spring 2019, 18 undergraduate interns have participated in the Lives In Translation internship program. Interns speaking Spanish, Ewe, and Russian have been placed at the Rutgers Law School Immigrant Rights Clinic. Additionally, Spanish-speaking interns have worked with two of the Immigrant Rights Clinic staff attorneys. Notably, all the asylum cases which employed RU-N interns from Fall 2016-Spring 2019 were successful. The Rutgers Law School Child Advocacy Clinic, Rutgers Law School Health and Education Clinic, and American Friends Service Committee have all utilized Spanish-speaking interns each semester. Every internship site has continued to request interns through Lives In Translation each semester. "There's so much power in language. Ithink it is important to understand that being a successful interpreter and translator means one must be able to be empathetic, patient, and dedicated to their client’s story and success." "The experience was an entirely great spiritual and educational reward. It humbled me in my understanding of translation, interpretation, and my overall Spanish vernacular. It has helped me gain confidence in speaking Spanish among a big group of people. The internship fomented a greater sense of purpose in my undergraduate studies at Rutgers and as a bilingual American. " “Interning at the Rutgers Child Advocacy Clinic was a really impactful and learning experience. It was definitely a different experience from past internships. However, it was still one of the best I’ve had so far, especially because I want to become an attorney."
“Throughout the internship, I also learned more in depth about the political situation in our country and how it affects such a broad range of people. I learned numerous legal terms and the situations faced by immigrants attempting to escape from such detrimental conditions in their countries of origin. This internship not only allowed me to augment my work ethic, but also my sense of humanity, because there were very difficult cases that I participated in, that empowered me with a desire to help oppressed individuals."
