Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Hi! My name is Aisha Waggeh. I am a junior attending Brandeis University. I am majoring in Health, Science, Society & Policy, which is a mouthful, but in short, my main interest lies within the intersection of public health and public service. In my free time, I love baking delicious treats and going to new places.
How did you get involved at REACH? What made you interested in interning at REACH?
I am currently taking a class titled When Violence Hits Home, a seminar class, and we talk about trauma and violence issues. Through this class, I heard about REACH, and my professor told me that they were looking for interns and volunteers. There were different organizations also looking to hire volunteers and interns at the time. However, I was drawn to REACH the most because of their dedication to their community and their mission statement, explicitly providing services to “foster safety and support while engaging communities to promote healthy relationships.” REACH was the best fit for me because I believe in providing service to the local community and becoming part of the positive change that REACH accomplishes every day. I think this work is vital because we do not talk about domestic violence enough in our communities and so having spaces like REACH is essential.
What role will you be in, and what are you most excited about experiencing in your internship?
I originally interviewed to be a receptionist intern. However, because REACH’s office will be closed to the public for the foreseeable future, I will be helping by working on mini-projects and the Online Chat platform from home. I am most excited about one of the mini projects on resources. This project entails researching all services that specific towns in Massachusetts have to offer. Not only will I be helping REACH in gathering info on services offered around MA, but this will help me become more knowledgeable about possible resources that people may not know about.
What did you learn in training?
I have learned a lot from the training offered to me. What has stuck to me most is understanding the different perspectives that people may bring and how this looks different from person to person. I also learned that an abuser could be anyone; we have preconceived notions of what an abuser looks like, and this training has challenged my perception for the better. In working with survivors, it essential to understands each person’s unique situation and where they are coming from because everyone is different, and no case is the same. My training taught me to keep an open mind when working with domestic violence survivors and that coming to REACH takes a lot of courage.
