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Government and law major Danielle Rosiejka ’08 (Allentown, N.J.) is serving an internship with the director of Easton’s Weed & Seed program. Weed and Seed is a nonprofit that tries to “weed” out gang violence, poverty, etc. in Easton’s West Ward and “seed” the community with resources. After graduation, Rosiejka plans to work in a law related field for a year and then attend law school.
For the past two semesters, I have been working closely with Nadine Loane, the AID Team Coordinator for the Weed and Seed organization in Easton. I decided to intern for Weed & Seed in the beginning of the year because I really liked Weed & Seed’s goal of identifying and weeding out crime, drugs, abuse, domestic violence, and poverty in Easton’s West Ward.
I also decided to work for this particular internship because I feel that by improving the neighborhood of Easton it may also improve some of the communications between Lafayette and the surrounding areas. Currently, I do not think many Lafayette students are involved with the Easton community and I feel that by improving certain areas in Easton this would hopefully change.
In working for Weed & Seed I have performed a variety of tasks. I have been responsible for attending and taking minutes at monthly Steering Committee meetings as well as various researching, writing, and hands-on tasks. Through the course of my internship I have particularly enjoyed hands-on activities that involve directly working with the Easton community residents. Throughout the year Weed & Seed plans and sponsors multiple events such as Seasonal and Summer Nights to help form a relationship and sense of community between West Ward residents, their children, and the neighboring schools.
This past February I participated in one of Weed & Seed’s events called Good Eats & Good Treats that took place at the Easton Area Middle School. At this event there were door prizes given out throughout the afternoon, healthy food, story time, crafts, games, and information hand-outs. For this event I helped Nadine set up the different stations in the middle school and then ran the games section for the children for the rest of the event.
Although, I always enjoy working for Weed and Seed, I especially enjoy working at these types of events. I find these activities particularly rewarding because I am able to directly see the parents and children interacting together and having a good time. Not only are these events about having a fun time, but they are also about learning. At this program there was a lot of useful information about health and nutrition that both the parents and children can learn and benefit from.
In interning for the Weed and Seed program I know I am obtaining valuable information that will help me in the future. By working with Nadine, the other members of Weed & Seed, local residents, and civic leaders I have improved my communication, researching, and computer skills. By enhancing these valuable skills, I know they will prove to be an important asset in any future occupation that I hold.
As I continue to work for the Weed and Seed organization I have become increasingly interested and involved with the program. I see how important it is to have a program like Weed and Seed in the community. Overall, by participating in this internship I have became part of an organization that is really working on improving the quality of life in Easton and I feel rewarded that I was able to participate in such a program.