Nina Harris Changemaker Catalyst Award recipient. Nina interned at ‘CONNECT To End Violence’ in the Summer of  2018. Nina was a court advocate and learned about the justice system through a sexual violence and domestic violence lens. Nina is majoring in Political Science and Social Policy & Practice. 

The first time I had the 24 hour hotline for CONNECT I was so nervous, to the point where I was constantly calling the phone to make sure I had service. As an intern, I was responsible for being the person on call two weeks during the Summer; and in my first week alone, I received 12 calls. At Tulane, where I am a member of the Sexual Aggression Peer Hotline and Education (SAPHE), we only take calls from students; however, the population calling CONNECT’s hotline could be anyone. Many of the calls I received were actually from the police informing us about domestic violence and sexual assault cases.

I grew comfortable interacting with professional and non-professional members of the community and representing CONNECT. I was an intern at CONNECT for a total of 12 weeks, in which I learned so much about advocating for survivors. In addition to helping with the hotline, I mainly went to court twice a week, where I supported survivors seeking restraining orders or dealing with criminal cases. It was eye-opening having the opportunity to learn about sexual assault and domestic violence in the court house. I met and supported people of all walks of life, and now have so much more experience in to bring back to my work with SAPHE at Tulane.

One of the really amazing aspects of my internship is that everyone who works for CONNECT is a woman. I was constantly surrounded by strong, woman leaders, and that alone felt really empowering. My coworkers were mentors and inspirations to me. One woman who I worked with at CONNECT had just graduated college, and CONNECT was her first job out of school. To work with someone just a couple years older than me who was already such a capable counselor was truly inspiring. She was a leader and mentor to me, and helped me feel comfortable at CONNECT. I believe leadership is all around you in the work place, and the more you learn, the more you can help others, and build your own leadership skills. 

I learned that to become a more effective problem solver, I have to keep an open mind. I can’t just think that cases I deal with will fit into one box because every woman’s situation is different, and I have to be open to the idea of unexpected circumstances arising. I’m beyond grateful for this opportunity and for everything I’ve gained from this experience.