Lisa M. Keyes '01 (right) with internship sponsor Marla Ruth Allisan '78

by Lisa M. Keyes '01

In the fall, I decided to pursue a January Internship. I was unsure of what exactly I wanted to do. I knew I wanted to be a social worker, but there are many possible directions that career can take. One afternoon, I went to the Career Development Center and started flipping through the nonprofit and social work binders; there were many interesting opportunities. After interviewing at several sites, I decided to intern at Full Circle Adoptions in Northampton.

A nonprofit adoption agency that specializes in domestic adoption, Full Circle works with birth parents domestically and internationally. The agency provides a wide range of services for both birth parents and adoptive families—offering counseling services and acting as a liaison and referral source for food, housing, allowable living expenses, independent legal advice, educational and training opportunities, parenting, and childbirth education for birth parents.

Full Circle also aids adoptive families in connecting with a birth mother and prepares the adoptive family for the steps leading to adoption. The director of the agency, Marla Ruth Allisan, is a 1978 graduate of Mount Holyoke. The agency staff, which networks with people all over the United States, also includes social workers and support workers.

At my interview, while reviewing my résumé, Allisan told me that we had similar backgrounds. We were both psychology majors at Mount Holyoke, and we even had some of the same professors. She was also a women's studies major and I am a women's studies minor. Allisan founded the Mount Holyoke College Woman's Center, where I am now one of the directors. She even did a January Internship at the Everywoman's Center at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Also at the interview, Allisan warned me that an internship at the agency would not involve a lot of guided instruction. Things move quickly in adoption, and there is so much to be done that there would not a lot of time to tell me exactly how to do things. Unfazed, I decided to take the internship.

I worked the same hours as one of the support staff, because I wanted to get a feel for a typical day. At first, I was mainly helping to draft letters, addressing envelopes, assembling welcome packets for potential adoptive families, and putting together adoptive parents' handbooks. Completing these tasks gave me the opportunity to learn about adoption and Full Circle. I read through the welcome packet and handbook and asked questions about things I did not understand.

After several days, I took on more responsibility, setting up a contact list on the computer server of local health, food, and shelter contacts and researching and contacting local companies that might donate supplies for newborns or make contributions. I helped to edit the Web page, which will be up and running soon, and did other research for the agency. It was a great feeling to know that the agency had confidence that I could handle these projects on my own.

This internship was extremely useful in helping me gain some focus on my career plans. As a result, I have become a little less fearful about my future. I received excellent advice about opportunities to pursue that coincide with my interests. I also learned that adoption is a lot more than matching adoptive parents with a baby. There are many legal and counseling issues, as well. Perhaps most importantly my internship confirmed for me that social work is where my future lies.