University Honors student Whittney Barth left the cozy town of Oxford for the big city in the summer of 2007 as part of Miami University’s Urban Leadership Internship Program, a program managed by a satellite office of the Honors and Scholars Program. Interning at Interfaith Youth Core, a Chicago-based non-profit organization promoting religious pluralism among youth from around the globe, Whittney worked in development and fundraising for the organization. Her duties, she said, vary from day to day. “Each day is so unique – I never know what I’m going to get into. I get projects throughout the day from all kinds of people,” Whittney said.

As a participant in the Urban Leadership Internship Program, Whittney worked five days per week at her office. She also volunteered for various community service opportunities around Chicago just as all other program participants do. The program also awarded its students with $3,500 to cover living expenses while in the city. After applying for the Urban Leadership Internship Program during her junior year, Whittney was accepted and began working with Honors and Scholars staff members to find a position which would suit her best. Whittney says her employer approached her with open arms. “Early on, I felt that they welcomed me, to give my opinion, and I was a part of it from day one. I felt like if I had an idea, I could approach one of them and we could make something happen, and I’ve never had a job like that before,” she said. Whitney added, “The people I worked with everyday were so diverse – personalities, faith traditions, and the staff culture was one of the most amazing things I’ve seen. It was truly amazing, and I’m thankful everyday that I got to be a part of it.”

Whittney plans to use her experiences gained this summer in her remaining year of college and throughout her career. “I want to leave a lasting legacy at Miami by building religious pluralism on our campus,” she said, “working together for the common good while affirming the diversity of our traditions and experiences.” “As for beyond college, this summer opened up a lot of opportunities for me to explore, just as a way to get my feet wet and see what’s best.”