Current student Aidan Connors shared the following about being an Intern at The Bronx Defenders…
How did you find this internship?
I found out about The Bronx Defenders and their Community Organizing department via personal research into engaged public defense organizations around the country. BxD stood out, so I applied!
What did you enjoy most about your internship?
Working with the organizing department was, all in all, a dynamic, exciting experience. Whether it was collecting ballots for the citywide Participatory Budgeting campaign or getting the word out about our annual block party, we were out on the ground talking to people in the community. I was able to stumble through conversations (many conversations) in Spanish, and, most importantly, listen to people from the Bronx tell their stories. The job was, in essence, about human connection– which is beautiful and fulfilling.
What did you find challenging?
While I enjoyed the work, learned a lot, and feel that I’ve grown as a result of this internship, I did also grow to question the efficacy of a “Community Organizing” department at a large-scale organization like The Bronx Defenders. It was difficult for me to navigate this work given practical obstacles: the organization is largely funded by the city, and (naturally) harbors concerns about liability. It was a lesson in practicality: it is never enough for just the idea to be there. The rest of the world has to fall in to place as well.
What advice would you offer to someone who wants to make the most of an internship like yours?
Ask questions. Set up meetings. Get to know your fellow interns. This summer I built long lasting friendships with the people I worked with. I also forged professional relationships with my mentors and other adults in the organization that I set up meetings with. If I hadn’t reached out to people and asked for meetings, or been outgoing among the other interns, my summer would not have been nearly as fulfilling.
About the Organization
The Bronx Defenders is a public defender nonprofit that is radically transforming how low-income people in the Bronx are represented in the justice system and, in doing so, is transforming the system itself. More info at www.bronxdefenders.org
