This month we said goodbye to our summer interns who have been leading volunteer groups, serving the communities of the greater Birmingham area, and demonstrating our mission at CSM. Together, they have made a positive impact in the workplace and at service projects in our garden, construction sites, and partner churches/organizations. Bringing interns from different walks of life to our team allowed our organization to thrive amid summer volunteer groups and service projects. Each person brought a different perspective and could relate to our volunteers and those we served in unique ways.
Braydon Schick, a junior at Auburn, was a huge help in our gardens as well as with the many youth groups we had serving with us this summer. Braydon grew up in the Birmingham area and spoke on how his perspective about this community changed through his time at CSM. “I think I have grown through this internship by seeing the divide that I didn’t know about growing up and actively doing things about it.” Serving with youth groups this summer allowed intentional conversations to occur, which influenced a better understanding of why we are called to serve.
Allyscia Brown, a sophomore at Jacksonville State, focused much of her time with our construction team, providing compassion and positivity to each project. “One of my favorite parts was seeing how beneficial our work was for the homeowners,” she said. Actively being the hands and feet of Jesus is the best way to demonstrate the Church in action, and Allyscia and our construction team have beautifully executed that all summer.
Kali Berggren, a senior at Samford, spent a lot of her time on volunteer experience and administrative tasks. She explained how this summer internship guided her through faith and leadership. “I have personally grown by challenging all previous biases and learning from other leaders. I saw God’s love for cities and churches in a new light this summer.”
Callie Morrison, a junior at Samford, focused on communications and marketing and various administrative tasks. Callie spoke on how the connections she made within the office challenged her leadership skills and helped her grow throughout the summer. She learned that being a part of a group of service-oriented leaders encourages service-oriented actions.“Connecting with the other interns and creating new friendships throughout the workplace helped create community while serving with volunteer groups.”
Sara Teichmiller, a junior at UAB, helped administer our construction grant with the City of Birmingham, and she had the opportunity to accompany Tracy to Kids Across America Kamp. “My favorite part of this summer was the opportunity to travel with 40+ students to Kids Across America in Golden, MO. It was so powerful to experience the way that CSM creates and connects opportunities for the urban youth of Birmingham to encounter God.”
Our interns grow in leadership and challenge themselves through every project our organization does. We are so grateful for the hard work of these summer interns and their joyfulness to serve this community and their heart to see Biblical reconciliation come about in Birmingham. We love hosting interns because we recognize that drawing perspective from anyone outside your team or daily operations inspires creativity. If you are interested in a fall or spring internship and want to learn more, visit our intern page.
