Rochelle Danquah (History), Wayne State University Press
Rochelle Danquah worked at Wayne State University Press. She worked in the Marketing Department with Emily Nowak. Her duties included editing marketing and catalog copy, working on book covers and press packets, producing promotional materials, and graphic design. She also developed new online marketing strategies, including the use of more effective keywords to improve the visibility of Press titles in Amazon book searches. Finally, Rochelle assisted with organizing book signings and other Press events.
“Working at Wayne State University Press this summer gave me great insight and understanding into how a university press operates. I had the opportunity to learn about the life cycle of a publication, and various departments’ responsibilities. I was thoroughly overwhelmed to learn about the two–three year process of a publication’s cycle from proposal to publication date. This internship has given me opportunities to work in promotion/marketing department, attend a book launch, and meet Rochelle Riley, author of The Burden: African Americans and the Enduring Impact of Slavery and Jeff Morrison, author of Guardians of Detroit: Architectural Sculptures in the Motor City (March 2019). It was an excellent opportunity to learn how my transferable skills that could be utilized effectively in this industry. It is extremely important that these kind of opportunities continue to be readily available to Ph.D. students in the humanities so that one can see additional career path opportunities, other than teaching. It was a fantastic experience, and the knowledge I gained will be invaluable for years to come. I would like to personally thank Dr. Elizabeth Faue, Dr. Josiah Rector, and the Next Gen Humanities Program for the opportunity.”
Georgina Adlam (English), InsideOut (iO) Literary Arts Project; Walter P. Reuther Library of Labor and Urban Affairs 
Georgina Adlam worked with InsideOut (iO) Literary Arts Project and the Walter P. Reuther Library of Labor and Urban Affairs. At Inside Out, Georgina compiled a comprehensive directory of youth-serving non-profits in Detroit, enhancing the organization’s grant documentation and fund-raising case statements. At the Reuther Library, Georgina designed assessment questionnaires for the Archival and Primary Resource Education Lab (APREL), which evaluates the effectiveness of K-12 and undergraduate archival education methods.
“Being part of the [Humanities Clinic] program allowed me to explore pathways outside of academia where my skills could make a contribution. This is especially important within the humanities, as, unlike STEM fields, it is assumed that the only career for PhDs is to remain in the academy. During this internship, I was able to use my skills as a researcher to build resources for a Detroit non-profit, and my educational experience to help the Reuther archive with creating an impact study for their educational outreach. Having completed the internship, I feel better able to understand the multiple applications for the skills and knowledge developed through graduate study that aren’t within academia. Knowing how versatile those skills are for multiple careers has been truly beneficial, and has given me a wider scope of potential careers.”
Stacey Deering (Political Science), Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History
Stacey Deering worked at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. Building on her forthcoming dissertation on K-12 education in Michigan, Stacey organized three panels at the Wright Museum on the impact of charter schools in Detroit, and the challenges facing the Detroit Public Schools. Speakers will include Detroit Public Schools Superintendent Nikolai P. Vitti, Senior Deputy Executive of Charter Schools Jendayi Gardner, Larry Lemons of the Detroit School Board, and a host of other public officials, education experts, and Detroit parents and community members.
“My internship with the [Humanities Clinic] program has been an invaluable experience. Over this eight-week time span, I was granted the opportunity to serve as an Executive Public Program Coordinator in the Public Program Department. I was given the creative space to develop a public program that is directly related to my dissertation topic –The Detroit Charter School Movement. I was able to design every component of the program: the dates/series, selecting the panelists, creating discussion topics and questions, identifying the moderator and conducting the background research. This internship opportunity has opened more doors for me, allowing me to network with other education policy scholars and researchers while creating future opportunities in my career path.”
Samuel Hogsette (History), Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History
Samuel Hogsette worked at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. He organized a 50th Anniversary Celebration of the founding of the Detroit Black Panther Party, scheduled for November 7, 2018. He facilitated steering committee meetings, scheduled panels, and designed posters and audio/visual programming. He also organized fund-raising events for the Detroit Black Panther Historical Project.
“The Humanities Clinic and the work I was able to complete as an intern was extremely fruitful and helped to add to my skill set. The working relationships I developed as an intern with the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History will continue to benefit me in my career as a historian and professor of the African American historical experience. I want to thank everyone at Wayne State’s Department of History, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, and the other academic and community partners who made this experience possible for myself and all my fellow interns.”
Karine Ibrahim (Political Science), Wayne State University Press
Karine Ibrahim worked at Wayne State University Press in the Acquisitions Department with Annie Martin. Her duties included processing manuscript and book proposal submissions, contacting peer reviewers, writing acceptance and rejection letters, and corresponding with prospective authors and editors.
“Working with the acquisitions team at the Press, I enhanced my skills to become a stronger candidate for the job market outside the scope of Academia, a path which most Ph.D. students usually pursue. Going through the whole publication process was also very essential for my academic background especially my aim to start publishing myself in future years of my graduate education. As I reviewed both scholarly and non-scholarly books within different disciplines, it was an interesting exposure to different fields outside of Political Science, my main academic discipline. I dealt with various authors and peer reviewers which definitely enhanced my communication skills particularly with scholars, which is extremely useful for any Ph.D. candidate. Because books are not only edited and published, looking at the marketing aspect for various books, marketing events and marketing peak months was also essential for a comprehensive publishing experience. Finally, I have worked on the universal software for books management “Bibliolive”, a must-know for any similar work opportunity and definitely an added value to my resume.”
Kelly Kourouma (French), International Institute of Metropolitan Detroit (IIMD); Sugar Law Center
Kelly Kourouma worked with the International Institute of Metropolitan Detroit (IIMD) and the Sugar Law Center. At IIMD, Kelly worked in the legal immigration department, providing general support, client intake, research, and database management. At the Sugar Law Center, Kelly helped to develop an outreach program for temporary workers in Saginaw, Michigan, Toledo, Ohio, and Fort Wayne, Indiana. Her tasks included researching community partners for know-your-rights trainings and living-wage ordinance proposals.
“My internship with the [Humanities Clinic] was largely inspired on gaining new experiences outside of academia. There are so many experiences I have gained from this internship that just cannot be achieved in a traditional classroom setting. I believe internships are a practical way to find out if your field of study is one that you are truly interested in. Plus, the experience looks fantastic on a resume! This internships also gave me the opportunity to acquire “real-world” experience, and to explore other areas of interest and job opportunities that might be a good fit for me in the future. I think every college student should have the opportunity of an internship. Unlike a traditional classroom experience, where you are given the tools to understand your major, an internship is a hands-on experience. It helps you get a feel of your career choice so that you can decide if this is the right job for you.”
Jade Metzger-Riftkin (Communications), Walter P. Reuther 
Library of Labor of Urban Affairs; American Federation of Teachers-Michigan
Jade Metzger-Riftkin worked with the Walter P, Reuther Library of Labor of Urban Affairs and the American Federation of Teachers-Michigan. At the Reuther Library, Jade created K-12 archival education modules for the Archival and Primary Resource Education Lab (APREL). These included creating classroom activities for elementary school students utilizing the Reuther’s primary sources, including a speech by Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered in Detroit in 1963 (the “first ‘I have a dream’ speech”). At the American Federation of Teachers-Michigan, Jade used her Communications training to update and streamline the organization’s digital communications and social media networks.
“During my time as a [Humanities Clinic] intern, I had the opportunity to help organizations in Detroit meet their project goals. Using my knowledge of how to adapt messages for target audiences, I developed lesson plans for 3rd and 4th grade Michigan educators using the resources provided by the Walter P. Reuther Library. Flexible thinking was vital to adapting the archive’s resources into viable classroom activities. My ability to listen critically allowed me to perform effective interviews which allowed me to assess the needs of grassroots organizations. From these interviews, I compiled a comprehensive communication plan that allows 8 organizations to coordinate social media messages more effectively. As a [Humanities Clinic] intern I did what I always believed my degree in Communication was meant to do; improve the way people can understand one another.”
Heather Mooney (Sociology), Detroit Justice Center
Heather Mooney worked at the Detroit Justice Center, serving as an assistant to Executive Director Amanda Alexander. Her primary task was helping put grants awarded to the Detroit Justice Center into action such as projects with collaborators like Designing Justice+Designing Spaces, and other Detroit youth organizations to create a youth “participatory justice workshop” involving Detroit youth in designing alternatives to the new Wayne County Jail. She also contributed to the Detroit Justice Center blog and assisted the Executive Director with development work to expand this new organization.
“My graduate education was incredibly enriched by my summer internship at the Detroit Justice Center (DJC) which provided the opportunity to participate in visionary social justice work. I was impressed by the way DJC synthesizes non-profit, government, university, and foundation resources to address the full spectrum of civil and criminal advocacy for citizens impacted by the criminal legal system and mass incarceration. One way my experience at DJC helped me prepare for the job market was by introducing me to many professionals in co-working spaces for projects and events. I networked with other doctoral professionals engaged in applied research and public humanities who are clearly able to influence society in very direct and meaningful ways. Additionally, I was able to put my scholastic skills to good use by assisting with community-driven programs, like The Bail Project and DJC defending the public’s right to a referendum on the new jail in court. The level of creative, cutting edge and interdisciplinary work that I was exposed to and engaged in was far more stimulating and rewarding than anything presented in the academy.”
Joshua Morris (History), Walter P. Reuther Library of Labor and Urban Affairs; the Sugar Law Center
Joshua Morris worked with the Walter P. Reuther Library of Labor and Urban Affairs and the Sugar Law Center. At the Reuther Library, Josh helped to develop an assessment tool for the Archival and Primary Resource Education Lab (APREL). His tasks included testing the impact of current methods of archival instruction on “first time in any college” and other non-traditional college students. He also created an archival document set for use in remote classrooms at the high school level. At the Sugar Law Center, Josh developed outreach/“know your rights” materials for temporary workers in Saginaw, Michigan, Toledo, Ohio, and Fort Wayne, Indiana. He also created outreach materials for community benefits advocates and other community partners.
“Working with the Humanities Clinic over the summer of 2018 gave me a tremendous experience I would not have obtained otherwise. Working with an advanced team of archivists at the Walter P. Reuther Library of Labor and Urban Affairs, I helped work with primary sources to build a teaching program to assist 7th grade through 12th-grade students learn to interpret, understand, and utilize primary sources as a means for discovering truth and meaning in history. This gave me experience in not only working in an archival setting but also building a teaching methodology that focuses in on the types of resources that can be found at archives across the nation. Additionally, I did research and data gathering work for the Maurice Sugar Law Firm in downtown Detroit. This gave me research in practical contemporary data gathering within my own field of expertise, labor studies. Without this clinic over the summer, I would most certainly not have gained the knowledge of how to effectively explain the significance of primary sources nor how to gather pertinent data on labor groups through direct research.”
Erin Stanley (Social Work and Anthropology), Detroit Community Wealth Fund; Dignity Housing Restoration Program at the Coalition to End Unconstitutional Tax Foreclosures
Erin Stanley worked with the Detroit Community Wealth Fund and the Dignity Housing Restoration Program at the Coalition to End Unconstitutional Tax Foreclosures. At the Detroit Community Wealth Fund, Erin worked on capacity building, strategic planning, and impact framing for cooperative businesses seeking start-up financing. She also developed a community outreach plan. With the Dignity Housing Restoration Program, Erin worked to re-house Detroit residents who have lost their homes due to excessive tax assessments and helped design and facilitate a neighborhood canvassing campaign for the “Make it Home” buy-back program.
“I had the privilege to serve as an intern through the [Humanities Clinic] over the 2018 summer. I am confident that it will have a lasting impact on my academic pursuits and future career. This internship was perfectly timed for me as a rising second-year Ph.D. student since it offered a chance to explore potential research/dissertation interests while also emphasizing the many ways to use academic skills after finishing graduate school. I split my hours as an intern between two organizations, the Detroit Community Wealth Fund and the Coalition to End Unconstitutional Tax Foreclosures, both of which reflect my interests and passions. Working with these organizations has helped me conceptualize both Ph.D. research and career options that explicitly benefit the community and are rooted in scholar activism. I am specifically grateful for the opportunity to work more intensively and committedly around the tax foreclosure crisis in Detroit, as this is an issue important to me personally and professionally. I think the [Humanities Clinic] internship is essential to reimagining the possibilities for academic work to be relevant, meaningful, and practical.”