Erikas Engaged Learning Reflection

As an intern at Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, I worked to aid fellow

investigators in enforcing equal employment opportunity laws that make it illegal to
discriminate against a job applicant or employee, which is outlined in the Civil Rights Act of
1964. Furthermore, I assisted EEOC employees with organizing case files, summarizing and
analyzing evidence, interviewing witnesses over the telephone, and assisting investigators
with case closures. Other than learning more about how EEOC law works, my internship has
exposed me to the necessity of advocating for justice and equality for all.
Throughout my internship, I observed discriminatory practices against women that
had a profound effect on me. During my internship experience, I interviewed many women
who grew uneasy when I spoke with them because they feared the possibility of losing their
job. Even though these women experienced mistreatment from their bosses, they thought it
would be easier to deal with the abuse than file a claim or go to court. As a woman, this
troubled me. Even though women have made great progressive strides in achieving equal
political, social, and economic rights compared to men, many people I interviewed
exemplified how much harder women must work in order to achieve equality. Through
gaining knowledge of the different forms of oppression that these women faced, I know I
possess the civic duty to be an advocate for change and reform.
Although I am unsure about what I want to do once I graduate, my internship has
increased my interest in a career path that connects to Loyolas mission. As a sociology
major, I have always been interested in taking up a career that incorporates the advocacy for
social change and achieving justice. As Loyolas mission statement states, I too want to
dedicate my lifes work to serving others. By expanding my knowledge to serve humanity

through learning and justice, I hope to work toward a more equal and peaceful society. In
addition, my year long EEOC internship reaffirmed this desire to spend my life working to
remedy the countless injustices that exist within society. Ultimately, this realization has
furthered my development as intertwined within a personal, civic, professional, and
intellectual identity.
The engaged learning experience in this course impacted my growth both personally
and professionally. The course concept of civic professionalism has opened my mind to
working somewhere that has a strong civic identity and duty to others. Personally and
professionally, I believe it is important to work somewhere that gives back to the community
and possesses a lot of civic engagement. Therefore, I know I will work best in an
environment that aims to serve and help others.
Additionally, this course has forced me to aspire to be a leader. In the first week of
class, we had to write down our personal, professional, and civic learning objectives for our
internship. My goals included hoping to become more familiar with the process behind
investigating claims of discrimination in the workplace, gaining information about the
preservation of equal rights and our legal system which upholds these rights, and taking my
knowledge of present social and economic injustices to seek the advancement of society.
When reflecting on these goals, I realized that my ultimate personal, civic, and professional
objective is to be a leader. Without taking this engaged learning course, I would have never
been able to confidently assert myself as a leader who will advance the knowledge I have
gained at Loyola to further my personal, professional, and civic development in all aspects of
my life.