By Maddy Smith

The experience that I’ve had during my time at the Project Grace Help Desk can’t possibly be summed up into 200-300 words but I’ll give it my best shot. There are so many invaluable aspects to this position that have led me to decide to stay on board as a volunteer after the conclusion of my internship. First of all, the absolutely incredible volunteer staff has made me feel like a member of the “Help Desk family” from day one. The manager, Julie, is one of the kindest, most selfless, and inspirational women that I’ve ever met. Not only has she guided me through the internship with an overabundance of patience and understanding, she has also taken me in as one of her own and asked me to watch her dog overnight as well as invited me and a few other volunteers over to her house for Easter lunch. Meeting Julie and being able to work alongside her has been one of the greatest blessings and I’m overjoyed to know that she will remain in my life.

Through my internship I was also able to meet a group of incredible people from a variety of backgrounds. A fellow volunteer, Katie, aside from being the most considerate person I’ve ever met serves as a huge inspiration for me due to the extent to which she dedicates herself to serving the community. She and I share similar educational backgrounds in sociology and we will both enter law school later this summer at Indiana University McKinney downtown. This internship blessed me with irreplaceable friends that I hold so dear to my heart.

The visitors that I’ve been able to help and get to know have also made a huge impact on my viewpoint of life as well as my career goals. Before this internship began I already had an idea that I wanted to practice as a criminal defense attorney but after witnessing firsthand how the legal system affects different members of the Indianapolis community, there is no doubt in my mind that I want to serve as a public defender. There is a certain image of what a “criminal” is that is unfortunately engrained in all of us through our society and whether or not an individual consciously thinks about it, we all make assumptions about who we think “criminals” are. This internship has completely dissolved any preconceived notions that I may have had about different types of people. I have encountered so many different people and they all exist regardless of whether or not they have a criminal record. We as humans are not defined by our mistakes but rather how we grow from those mistakes.

This experience couldn’t have presented itself at a better time in my life. As I get closer and closer to graduating and leaving Butler, my connection to the Indianapolis community as well as the legal community within it only gets stronger. At a time that could potentially be overwhelming and terrifying I am comforted through my friendships and the opportunities that are waiting ahead of me. I am forever grateful for the opportunity that Butler, the Center for Faith and Vocation, and the Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic made possible and this experience will stay with me for the rest of my life.