To be empowered

Week four of the EYA internship invited me to reflect on the most meaningful experiences I’ve had in DC thus far. We were joined by the Micah Corp and Project Transformation interns, which led to being asked multiple variations of “What’s been your favorite part of the internship?”. The following are my reflections:

The EYA internship has offered me a much more well-rounded experience than I expected. Each aspect of this experience is something I appreciate and value. Through seminars at GBCS, I have gained a deeper understanding of the United Methodist Church and how my own organizing can play into not only my work as a Christian, but also the work of the Church. Through the World Refugee Day congressional meetings I had the opportunity to attend, I learned the process by which non-profits provide resources and create influence on our elected officials. Moreover, I have seen the profound impact faith-based organizations can have by being representatives of people of faith. As an intern at Church World Service, I have learned so much about immigration and refugee reform—particularly the issues with our current refugee resettlement program. These experiences are all things that I can’t wait to take back into my own community.

Despite the great impact these invaluable experiences have brought into my life, they do not epitomize my time in DC. The embodiment of my growth as an EYA can be seen through my experiences in putting my feet on the ground and protesting alongside organizers from around the city and around the world. Before coming to DC, I had a fear—admittedly an irrational fear– of going to rallies, marches, and protests. I was always scared that I didn’t know enough. I wasn’t an expert on the solution, therefore I wasn’t cut out to stand up against the problem. Following the riots in Charlottesville, NC last year, I even wrote about this fear for the Pacific Northwest Conference’s magazine. The problem was, before coming to DC I did nothing to overcome that fear. Being here, in the city where it happens, forced me to leave that fear behind. I was pushed into the streets, and I’ve been running on it ever since.

As a media intern for Church World Service, one of my responsibilities is to attend actions and take pictures and videos to be shared on social media. Through this role, I was present when hundreds gathered to protest family separation outside the office of Customs and Border Protection. I livestreamed Congressmembers speaking at press conferences calling out the broken refugee resettlement program. I was part of the rapid-response rally following the SCOTUS ruling that upheld Trump’s racist, xenophobic Muslim ban. Most recently, I joined over 30,000 people who rallied in front of the White House and marched to the Department of Justice during the Families Belong Together March. I would describe all of these experiences with one word: empowerment. Nothing compares to the empowerment that comes from standing side by side and chanting with thousands—even in 90-degree weather under the blazing sun. It is in those moments that new hope is found. It is with those people that we pave pathways for change. It is on these streets that hatred is overshadowed by the uplifting of strength and love.  

Nica Sy
Blog Post 4
07/01/18