Category: BF NEWS

My name is Giancarlo Serrato, and I will be working this summer as a legal intern with Becky’s Fund. I am originally from Geneva, Switzerland but currently reside in Maryland.

By way of education, I attended high school in Geneva Switzerland, at the Collège Du Léman, and later earned a B.A. in political science from the George Washington University in Washington D.C. I am currently a law student at the Pennsylvania State University, Dickinson School of Law and will be entering my second year in August of 2013.

My interests in interning with Becky’s Fund over the summer are based on my desire to learn about domestic violence law, and develop better advocacy, research and writing skills for my future endeavors as a law student and eventually as a practicing attorney.

I hope Becky’s Fund will offer me the opportunity to explore the legal intricacies of domestic violence law and work on researching and assimilating domestic violence policy on both a micro and macro scale. I want to learn about a new area of law and in that process, apply some of the skills I learnt from my first year at law school. In addition, I want to gain as much real life legal experience as possible. Although law school introduces its students to thinking like lawyers, there is a huge disconnect between theory and practice. I want to be exposed to situations in which I will be required to apply critical legal thinking and reasoning, and work one on one with clients and other parties concerned. Taking part in helping craft practical and effective legal solutions to client problems and policy issues, will be a perfect vehicle by which to help my eventual transition from law student to practicing attorney following law school.

Finally my interest in working with Becky’s Fund is also motivated by its legal activism role in fighting against domestic violence. A lawyer’s duty is not only to protect those that come to him for help, but also to protect and fight for those that are not aware of their rights and cannot easily protect themselves. Working to put the law on the side of domestic violence victims and working on promoting awareness to counter domestic violence from occurring in the first instance is the sort of legal activism that I believe is essential to becoming a true advocate, and something I want to be a part of.

My name is Sarah Anouilh, and I am about to begin my senior year at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia. I have lived in Arlington, Virginia for most of my life, but have always enjoyed traveling to other countries. Growing up in an Army family at Fort Myer, I was taught to value volunteerism. I am majoring in International Affairs, and I plan to join the Peace Corps after graduating. Eventually, I want to focus my career fully on international development and serve as a Foreign Service Officer. I am interning at Becky’s Fund to learn how domestic violence affects women in the US so that I may apply that knowledge and experience to my service abroad.

Due to my major, I knew that I wanted the experience of interning in Washington, DC as well as with an organization that focuses on an important issue that extends beyond US borders. I want to expand my knowledge of domestic violence and its effects on families through my internship at Becky’s Fund because women’s empowerment is a crucial issue in international development. Women’s education, advocacy, and empowerment are focuses of many non-government organizations that successfully aid victims of domestic violence abroad. By interning at Becky’s Fund, I will gain the experience of working within Washington, DC as well as the opportunity to empower countless women across the United States.

Unfortunately, domestic violence is present both in developed and underdeveloped nations. The United States must place their efforts in ending domestic violence within the US so that they may act as a positive influence to developing countries. I want to work for Becky’s Fund because international development cannot occur without women’s rights. I believe that the US should extend its values of gender equality to areas in which women have little rights or representation. With the experience gained from my internship at Becky’s Fund, I will not only be doing my part to advocate against domestic violence but also learning how to help women in nations whose regimes do not lend them a voice. I believe that by eradicating violence against women in the US, we will be well on our way to ending domestic violence worldwide.

My name is Michaela Quimby and I am a junior at Westfield State University in Westfield, MA. I am interning at Becky’s Fund from February to May. I grew up in a small suburb about 20 minutes north of Boston. My town is the kind of place where “everyone knows everyone” so living in DC is a huge change of pace compared to small-town New England.
I grew up in a home where I was taught to always be patient with people because you never know the demons they are dealing with. My older brother is autistic. He looks the same as you and I but his mannerisms may seem peculiar to someone who is not familiar with his disability. My mother has raised me to be understanding of all people because we all come from different places and we all have different problems. Her lessons are the reason why I want to go to college to help those who cannot help them self.
My career goal is to be a counseling psychologist specializing in post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The military faces two major challenges in relation to PTSD and domestic violence. The first being that PTSD is a taboo subject many veterans do not want to talk about. They sweep their problems under the rug and take them home with them. Often anger is taken out on their loved ones and leaves a family in pieces. The second issue relating the two is sexual assault within the military. Every day women are sexually abused in the military yet the government continues to ignore this crisis. Many people do not know that there are actually more women suffering from PTSD in The United States due to rape than veterans returning from combat. It is time to remove the stigma of counseling and help these men and women.
While I am interning here at Becky’s Fund I hope to focus on the issue of families facing PTSD at home. I want to learn more about how we can help those dealing with PTSD at home with their loved ones. What programs can we offer them? What support systems are necessary? What therapy works best? Is only one type of therapy effective or can we individualize it? PTSD is not a new disorder but the effects are finally coming to surface. I hope with Becky’s Fund I can help end this crisis.