Anjuli

Anjuli

Hometown: Oakland, CA
Previous School: Orinda Academy
Internship(s): Redwood Empire Food Bank
Career Interests: Culinary arts, social services, performing arts, retail, environment

On Why I Chose Dynamy
I had often thought about taking a year off after high school, and luckily, my parents supported that idea. We were working with an educational consultant who recommended some gap year programs; Dynamy was one of them. It seems to me that there are no other programs quite like Dynamy, which offers structure, yet a lot of freedom and a chance to discover what interests you in the work world.

On My Internship Experience
Because I did Dynamy’s fall semester option, I had only one internship. It was with the Redwood Empire Food Bank. I helped with one of their projects called the Harvest Pantry, where we brought fresh produce to mothers and children. They do very important work; many people think no one is hungry in that county because there is wealth, but there actually are quite a few poor and hungry people, many of whom speak Spanish. I was able to use my Spanish language skills to communicate with the Food Bank’s clients. Even though I am not totally bilingual, I got along pretty well. Pretty soon, I was answering phone requests from Spanish speaking residents, and I felt pretty proud of using my Spanish; it got a lot better too! I met people who are really dedicated to their work, even though they don’t get paid a lot, and that was impressive. Also, I was told the Food Bank was like one big family, and that turned out to be true! Everyone was so nice and welcoming. The Food Bank people didn’t know how to use programs like Publisher to make newsletters and fliers, so I did that I taught myself the program and created some things for them and felt proud of my ability to do that.

On Apartment Life
At Dynamy I finally realized that you can really get along with people of all types, people you would likely not choose to live with, and still get along, cook together, hang out. I found that I liked the other interns, even though at first glance, I did not expect to. I think some of us will be friends for a long time.

On Adventure Challenge
The adventure challenge was so much fun. They did a fantastic job of leading it; we had great food and learned a lot about surviving outdoors. I loved being outdoors so much and learned that it really brings balance to my life to spend time in nature. It was also the perfect way to get to know the other interns; by the time we got back to our house, we really knew each other, and it wasn’t that awkward kind of getting to know each other.

On Community Service
I did lots of community service events as part of the Food Bank’s activities. The other interns and I also helped clean up a stream, and some of us worked on a farm, re-wiring a chicken coop for a hen and her 14 baby chicks. We also did some work at Bethlehem Towers, a low-income senior center near our house. It was a great feeling to contribute to a good cause. I learned that lots of organizations don’t have the resources they need and rely on volunteers.

On My Dynamy Experience
There is no other program like Dynamy, as far as I know. It offers a chance to develop your interests, lots of advising, and some direction and structure, yet the independence of living with others your age. It is a really good way to explore what you want to do and see what skills you have and what skills you might need to develop. Now I have an interest in nutrition, through my work at the Food Bank, as well as social work. I got so much out of my experience with Dynamy! I wasn’t sure of my aims and was given a lot of honest help. The staff seemed truly interested in me as a person. It was good to be doing a job that wasn’t entry level and yet, not be paid. At first I thought, I wish I was getting paid! But after awhile, I was glad I didn’t have the pressure of being paid and could really learn on the job. I couldn’t get a job on my own, doing what I was doing, and it was worth it to be unpaid but gain such good experience.