SOPHIA RAMIREZ
School: UNC-Chapel Hill Class of 2022
Hometown: Newport News, VA
Internship: Outreach and Evaluation Intern at Edgecombe County Health Department
"I was able to get a better sense of who I was, what I wanted to do, and who I wanted to be going forward. Being in Tarboro taught me the value of having pride in your hometown while also being honest with yourself about its issues. This combination creates citizens who actively work to improve their community. I am grateful to all the people in Edgecombe County who made us feel welcome and inspired us."
OLIVIA OLSHER
School: Duke Class of 2022
Hometown: Huntington, WV
Internship: Vidant Health
“I am so incredibly grateful to have worked with Vicki Dougherty at Vidant Health last summer. I met some wonderful people who gave me a new appreciation for the importance of showing compassion and empathy in everything you do. People want to feel heard by their healthcare providers, and that means staying around and asking the right questions so that you can truly understand their needs. These small acts of kindness and patience truly make all the difference.”
KENYA DOWNING
School: UNC-Greensboro Class of 2018
Hometowns: Elizabeth City, NC
Major: Psychology
Internship: Camp Counselor at Michael's Angels Girls Club
"This past summer I was reminded of the quote ‘It takes a village.’ Michael's Angels Girls Club creates a safe space and opportunities for young girls to develop and transform into powerful individuals. This impact was increased, for both the girls and the Tarboro natives, when community ties were incorporated through partnerships of different events. I often found myself glancing around at the girls. Seeing their joy, passion, fearlessness, goofiness, and intelligence . For a second, I saw the younger version of myself. I realized that my summer with Michael's Angels girls Club was going to boil down to one word: PROSPER."
STEPHEN KENNEY
School: UNC-Chapel Hill Class of 2021
Hometown: Cary, NC
Major: Media and Journalism
Internship: Communications Intern at Edgecombe Tourism Authority and Downtown Tarboro
"Working with Edgecombe Tourism Authority and Downtown Tarboro strengthened my professional skills as I worked under the guidance of caring and supportive mentors. ENCIP is an incredible opportunity! You’ll make a true impact on a community that will grow you in the most surprising ways."
CHARNITA COOK
School: UNC Class of 2020
Hometown: Creedmoor, NC
Majors: Psychology and human development and family studies
Internship: Summer Teacher at Peacemakers Freedom School
"My summers with Freedom Schools has meant everything to me. The countless memories, lessons, successes, and connections that I have experienced while being a part of this great movement are incomparable. I have had the opportunity to challenge myself and young minds, to learn and grow with the next generation of brilliance, and be a part of a strong and encouraging cohort of change agents, all while experiencing the delightful town of Tarboro, NC. I could talk about my experience for days, but to sum it up, my summers with Freedom Schools of Tarboro, NC was simply the best.”
ANJALI GUPTA
School: Duke Class of 2022
Hometown: Edison, NJ
Major: Self-designed: “The Interplay Between Health and Educational Outcomes”
Internship: Summer Teacher at Peacemakers Freedom School
"My summers with Freedom Schools has meant everything to me. The countless memories, lessons, successes, and connections that I have experienced while being a part of this great movement are incomparable. I have had the opportunity to challenge myself and young minds, to learn and grow with the next generation of brilliance, and be a part of a strong and encouraging cohort of change agents, all while experiencing the delightful town of Tarboro, NC. I could talk about my experience for days, but to sum it up, my summers with Freedom Schools of Tarboro, NC was simply the best.”
BERYL BORTEY
School: UNC-Chapel Hill class of 2022
Hometown: Charlotte, NC
Major: Health Policy and Management
Internship: Mental Health and Innovation in Education at Edgecombe County Public Schools/ Tarboro Pediatric Psychology
"This summer redefined my image of school. Our incredible team reimagined education by centralizing empathy, identity, and innovation in the curricula. We prioritized a scholar-driven model to learning. My internship experience highlighted that education cannot simply be limited to the classroom. We are all perpetual learners.”
JESS EDELSON
School: Duke University Class of 2022
Hometown: Blue Bell, PA
Major: Political Science
Internship: Research Intern at Rural Opportunity Institute
"Living in Tarboro and working throughout Edgecombe County was one of the most meaningful summers I have ever had. From picking blueberries at the crack of dawn, to engaging in challenging design work, to competing at Thursday Night Trivia, I am grateful for my bosses and for the community members who welcomed me with open arms. I am walking away from the summer with many useful skills, but most importantly, a sense of humility, gratitude, and a deep admiration for the rural communities like Tarboro, that are seeking to challenge the status quo."
NAIRA IKRAM
School: Duke University Class of 2021
Major: Program II on Psychoneuroimmunology and Stress
Hometown: Austin, TX
Internship: Peacemaker’s Freedom School
“Every single minute at the Tarboro Freedom School felt so impactful, and although I was the teacher, my students taught me so much about the real worlds and its issues, which are only shallowly introduced in textbooks. I’m studying why stress makes people sick, and I learned so much about the most severe kinds of stress—intergenerational ones based out of needs rather than wants--at the Freedom School. Teaching at the Freedom School was the most meaningful way to understand how nuanced and inspiring rural America the South can be."
Grace o’Connor
School: Duke University Class of 2022
Major: Program II in Child Policy, Rights, and Development
Hometown: Syracuse, NY
Internship: Peacemaker’s Freedom School
“My summer with Peacemaker’s Freedom school was a summer of learning and meeting people filled with endless kindness.”
A note for prospective applicants: You may notice that most of our past interns are from either UNC-CH or Duke. This is because ENCIP is a young organization that started by partnering with campus programs well-known by the board, and Duke and UNC happened to be the two universities best known by the board at that time. Now that we are more established, we are actively recruiting students from any college or university.