Internship helps May grad find new path

Shanna Fitzgerald — Wed, 11 May 2016 14:56:39 +0000

Tynesha Ivory had a plan. The first-generation college student was going to study criminal justice at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock before attending law school to become an attorney. That was her strategy, anyway. Then, she discovered a new calling during an internship through the ��Vlog��ýLR criminal justice program. As Ivory worked at the , she encountered young people who felt marginalized and stereotyped as troublemakers. “One thing that they said they wanted was for someone to just listen to them,” Ivory said. Through that internship, Ivory discovered a passion for counseling and a new direction for her studies. “This is where I need to be,” Ivory said. “I like to work with people.” While she earned a criminal justice undergraduate degree, she also added a Spanish major so she could better communicate with members of the Latino and Hispanic populations. Rather than going to law school after graduation, she worked toward a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling — a journey she completed during the May 14 commencement ceremony. About a week after the ceremony, Ivory will start her post-graduation job as a vocational counselor in Hot Springs. She will continue her studies with the hope of becoming a licensed professional counselor within the next two years.

Bumps in the road

Ivory faced some difficult decisions on her way to a master’s degree. One of the biggest challenges involved finances. In order to complete an internship required for her degree, Ivory left a full-time job she enjoyed. She took a graduate assistant position at ��Vlog��ýLR Counseling Services to help pay the bills, but without a full-time job, her income shrank considerably. “With her faith in God and enormous heart, Tynesha has pressed through college despite her financial burdens, because she had a dream for herself and believed that God did, too,” said KaBriya Baldwin, a ��Vlog��ýLR junior and ��Vlog��ýLR Works student who became friends with Ivory while working with her at Counseling Services. Leaving her job required a lot of “faith and prayer,” Ivory said. “Coming from Gurdon, Arkansas, I learned long ago that sometimes you have to sacrifice to get where you’re going, and it was a sacrifice I was willing to make,” she said. She credited her family, including mom, Charleszetta, and brother, Ta’Quan, as well as her boyfriend, Garrian Lattimore, with supporting her through the process. On Saturday, they’ll share some special time with Ivory, who expects to be relieved and full of joy during the ceremony. “It’s definitely going to be a celebration,” Ivory said. “I just hope I don’t fall as I strut my way across that stage and on to life’s new adventures.”

��Vlog��ýLR student plays important role at Lucie’s Place

Taylor Aldana — Tue, 27 Oct 2015 19:02:57 +0000

University of Arkansas at Little Rock graduate student Shalonda Johnson has always been an active supporter of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. This fall, she became the first intern at , a Little Rock organization that provides long-term shelter for young LGBT adults in central Arkansas. In addition to providing a safe living environment, the organization offers job training and counseling services. “I believe homeless LGBT youth has been an underprivileged population that deserves more than what is being offered,” said Johnson, a North Little Rock resident. Johnson might be the first intern at the organization, but she won’t be the last, said Penelope Poppers, Lucie’s Place executive director. “Now that we’ve had Shalonda, I’ve come to realize that we need interns here,” Poppers said. “It’s been me and her against the world.” The organization was founded in 2011 as a program of The Living Affected Corp., a nonprofit group in central Arkansas focused on HIV/AIDS in marginalized communities. By mid-2012, Lucie’s Place became its own non-profit organization and in August of this year, the group opened an office space and drop-in center for homeless LGBT youths at 300 Spring St. in downtown Little Rock. At Lucie’s Place, Johnson helps clients obtain necessities such as hygiene products, cellphones with available minutes, toiletries, food, and bus passes. She also assists clients in their search for jobs and in creating resumes to secure employment. Since 2012, the organization has assisted 130 homeless individuals with a variety of services. It helps about 45 to 50 people annually. Johnson spends 15 hours a week at the organization and provides help as needed, but most of her time is devoted to building relationships by listening and talking to people served by the organization about concerns they might have. A graduate student in her last year in the ��Vlog��ýLR rehabilitation counseling program, Johnson wants to help women, substance abuse victims, and the LGBT community after graduation. Johnson has enjoyed the Lucie’s Place environment. “I appreciate the atmosphere where no one is there to judge the other, but to help one another,” she said. “I have witnessed many clients lift one another up. It is apparent that they are and have been one another’s backbone.”

- University News Archive - ����Vlog��ý Little Rock

Internship helps May grad find new path

����Vlog��ýLR student plays important role at Lucie’s Place

- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

��Vlog��ýLR student plays important role at Lucie’s Place