Name: Nattalya Pacheco
Class Year: 2018
Major: Sociology; Child and Family Studies minor
Hometown: Guaynabo, P.R.

Internship Placement: Puentes de Salud
Job Title: Puentes Hacia el Futuro Tutor
Location: Southwark School

What’s happening at your internship?

At my internship, I am one of 17 tutors working with Latinx children in South Philadelphia between the ages of 8 and 12. We guide the students through a summer bilingual literacy program. Our mornings include group read aloud and literacy focused small-group work. Our afternoons with the kids are filled with enrichment activities such as art, Scrabble, dance and healthy living lessons with nurse practitioners. Additionally, every Friday there is a field trip to a different location, such as Snipes Farm, Drexel University’s Academy of Natural Sciences, and others.

Why did you apply for this internship?

I applied to this internship because I really enjoy working with kids and I wanted to learn more about and work with the Latinx community in Philadelphia. Additionally, I loved the fact that Puentes is focusing on such an important factor such as language development and use among Latinx children living in the U.S.

What has been your favorite part of this internship?

Honestly my favorite part is the kids. They bring this amazing energy with them and I love hearing everything they have to say and seeing how they balance two languages in their daily lives. They are extremely sweet and just wonderful to be around.

Can you give us three adjectives and three nouns that describe your internship experience?

Rewarding, challenging, fun. Team, home, energy.