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In today’s blog post, Victoria recounts her experiences as a summer intern with Voices for Children. 

Victoria with Policy Coordinator Juliet Summers

My name is Victoria Beaugard. I am a junior at Roncalli Catholic High School, and this July I interned at Voices for Children in Nebraska. I was lucky enough to participate in this internship through Eureka. Eureka is a five year program that encourages girls to work in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, the four main components of Eureka. But in trying to find a possible career path, I have gravitated towards a legal setting.

Last summer, I interned at the County Attorney’s office with a civil lawyer, then UNO with a political science professor. It was very hectic, but very interesting, and taught me a lot. I feel that this summer really helped me get more in-depth information about certain topics. Instead of someone telling me the information, I had the chance to research it myself and then ask questions. My knowledge on these topics is slim and I hope to expand it in the near future.

Victoria with Senator Adam Morfeld

In my time here I have worked on three projects: human trafficking, child welfare financing, and the school to prison pipeline theory. Before this summer I was interested in Juvenile Law and these subjects added to my curiosity. I learned that the average age for human traffic victims is 12 years old, Hawaii has not reported their child welfare financing, and larger states like California and New York spend more money on prisons than on schools.

During my four weeks at Voices for Children I was able to meet many new people, including the staff at Voices for Children and Senator Morfeld. I even had the chance to meet him at the State Capitol in Lincoln. One of my favorite parts, aside from my research, was getting to go on walks with the staff. It was nice to unwind and relax before getting back to work.

Working at Voices for Children really helped me realize that law has more to it than just court rooms and criminals. After my last internship I wasn’t sure what side of law I wanted to pursue. But now, after a bit of evaluation and LOTS of thinking, I believe that I would like to gravitate towards criminal law. When I was researching human trafficking, one thing that came to mind was: “Are these human traffickers being caught and convicted?” I wanted justice for these victims and I believe that I would be very interested in helping with cases such as these.

Overall my time here at Voices for Children was one that I will never forget. I am truly thankful for all that they have given me: knowledge, academic advice, and an all around fun time.

If you’re interested in interning with us in the future, you can contact voices@voicesforchildren.com. 

Thank you to taking the time to share!