The Council is excited to have Katie Withers, a Master of Social Work student at North Carolina State University, interning with us for the 2017-2018 academic year. Katie introduces herself below:
My name is Katie Withers. I’m from Yanceyville, a small town in rural North Carolina. I recently graduated from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro, N.C. with a bachelor’s degree in Social Work and now I attend North Carolina State University where I am working toward a Masters in Social Work.
As a woman of color there are already so many odds against me. Attending a historically black college, my classmates and I were taught always to strive for what we believe is just and true. Interning with the Council of Churches gives me the chance to put that desire into action. Here I expect to come up with new and creative ways to help those who are disenfranchised or who live in marginalized and disadvantaged communities. I am interested in strategizing different ways that people of faith and those who do not consider themselves to be religious can create bridges between those who are different and work together to create a more just society.
Some of the experience I have involves working on campus in a diverse environment with Veteran and Disability Services assisting students with disabilities with their class notes. I also interned with the Greensboro Housing Authority where I referred residents to resources that would assist them in paying their rent and I issued bus passes and vouchers for food. I have also coordinated a summer reading program for students who were reading below grade level at the local library in my hometown. I enjoy imaging possible solutions to complex issues. As the Council’s MSW intern I hope to leave something tangible for the Council long after I am gone.
Please join us in welcoming Katie Withers to the Council!
