Senior Connects English Major with Chicago Non-profit Internship

Kailyn Baum ’11 of Hudsonville, Michigan, has taken advantage of Trinity’s proximity to Chicago this semester by working as an intern with The Chicago Lighthouse for People Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired.

The Lighthouse is a prominent non-profit organization that, for more than 100 years, has been providing services and programming opportunities for blind or visually impaired people. Baum became connected to the Lighthouse through Professor of History Dr. Robert Rice, a member of the Lighthouse.

At the start of her internship, Baum’s efforts were focused on the Lighthouse’s September 24-25 Flair Fashion Show and Sale, one of the organization’s biggest annual fundraising events.

“Working with the Flair event was really rewarding,” said Baum. “I was meeting new people every day, either those who worked on the Flair committee, or people who I volunteered with during the event. I met individuals with lives very different from my own, and getting to know them was an exciting experience.”

Recently, Baum put her English major to work, writing and distributing press releases highlighting 49 students who are legally blind or visually impaired or have multi-disabilities and who have been granted scholarships for higher education through the Lighthouse.

“My English major has helped me prepare for this internship through the writing I’ve done at Trinity,” she said.

Baum said responses she receives from the media encourage her in her work.

“Not only are press release pitches creating interest in the various outlets, but they add to the Lighthouse’s network,” she said. “This also means that the scholarship recipients are getting much-deserved recognition from their communities for their hard work and achievements, regardless of their disabilities.”

In all of her work with the Lighthouse, Baum says that her experience so far has prompted her to think differently about her future.

“I never thought I would be working in event planning, but that is essentially what I’ve been doing at the Lighthouse, and I really enjoy it,” she said. “I can see myself being a part of similar processes, conceptualizing and planning events where I can learn new skills while benefitting others in my community.”