World on the Doorstep

By Matt Hawkins

International studies major Shannon Vance ’15 discovered the world at her doorstep as a summer intern for the American Red Cross in Peoria. Her work received recognition from ARC’s national headquarters and earned Bradley’s outstanding intern honors from the Springer Center for Internships.

Vance, a Mahomet, Illinois, native, spent the summer working with ARC’s Restoring Family Links, Military Services and International Human Law programs. Her effort to design and implement a volunteer training program through RFL unexpectedly caught the national office’s attention. That led to a trip to Washington, D.C. for meetings with ARC staff.

“It was one of the biggest accomplishments of my life,” Vance said. “I was star struck to have someone at national headquarters ask for the work of an intern in central Illinois. I’m thankful for the doors that opened.”

In addition to discovering the plight of refugees in the Midwest, Vance completed casework for several divisions, explored international law and developed talking points to promote the agency’s diverse array of services in the community.

The exposure to international matters at home surprised Vance, who previously interned in the nation’s capitol and spent a semester abroad.

“I never thought I’d get this kind of experience in Peoria,” she said. “Even though I was close to home, it felt like being abroad because the programs had international reach.”

Though she appreciated past ventures at large non-governmental organizations, she enjoyed the breadth of experience provided by working in a small team for several different programs. Not only did she benefit from a day-to-day variety of duties, she gained greater understanding of issues she engaged as part of a Bradley student group that studied international law.

The summer visit to Washington, D.C. also opened the door to an ongoing long-distance internship for the agency’s youth education team.

Additionally, experience eased Vance’s mind about her future. She’s now settled on a career in smaller NGOs that work with international law. Law school with a similar focus is also on the radar.

Plus, she discovered working in the Midwest could be a surprising benefit to her career ambitions.

“Because the Midwest doesn’t have the cultural and governmental hubs like the East Coast, I worried I would miss valuable career-shaping experiences. However, I discovered the same issues affect Peoria. As it turns out, the education and internship in my backyard prepared me even better for a career in international issues.”