Annes Named EHS Intern of the Year

By Matt Hawkins

Claire Annes ’16, a special education major from Glen Ellyn, Illinois, is the Smith Career Center’s 2016 Intern/Co-Op of the Year for the College of Education and Health Sciences.

Annes interned at Keshet, a Northbrook, Illinois organization that provides education, recreation and religious opportunities for children with developmental disabilities. She worked one-on-one with a 10-year-old boy for the summer.

She sought the internship because she desired to gain professional experience and make an impact in a person’s life at the same time.

“I wanted to help children have the best summer possible,” Annes said. “Children with special needs have a better quality of life if they can fully participate in an inclusive environment.”

Annes worked through early communication challenges to make the summer memorable for her young partner. The two spent the summer trying sports, crafts, music and drama together.

Annes also collaborated with speech and occupational therapists as well as school counselors. Those conversations helped her apply Bradley classroom knowledge to the professional environment. As a result, she learned new ways to apply strategies and available tools to assist children with learning disabilities.

The summer showed her the impact she could make as an educator and confirmed her career aspirations.

“The most gratifying part of the experience was seeing my camper’s progress over the summer,” Annes said. “We worked together so he could communicate more effectively and be more confident in social situations. Seeing his growth made the summer great for me.”