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“Yes, I am.”
He smiles and slaps my shoulder. “Come to my office. I have what might be an interesting opportunity for you.”
Warmth blooms in my stomach. “Okay. I’ll be there. Thanks, Coach.”
He gives me a nod and jogs onto the field as I wonder what I just agreed to.
Rae
“Rae McKinley?” I stand up as the head of Promise Advocacy walks over with her hand extended to me. I shake her hand firmly and smile.
“Hi,” I say, keeping my voice firm but sweet.
“I’m Kristen Keller. It’s nice to meet you.”
“It’s nice to meet you too.”
She nods down the hall. “Follow me.” She leads me to her office and gestures to a comfortable chair. As I sit down, I find it hard not to sink into it and get cozy. She smiles, watching me force myself to sit up straight. “That chair is insanely comfortable, right?” I nod. “I may or may not have taken a quick nap in it a time or two.” She smiles a genuine smile, and it relaxes me.
I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. A woman who runs an advocacy center and counsels women who have been assaulted or raped should be a warm and inviting person.
“So, Rae, these interviews are all about me getting to know you and why you want to work here. I learn a lot from the questionnaires and the references and all that, but the question I don’t ask until I meet someone in person is why they want to work here. Anyone can lie on a piece of paper, but that’s harder to do in person. This internship is so competitive because we want to be sure we hire the right people. Tell me, when did you first hear about Promise and why do you want to work here?”
I smile warmly.Because this is where I belong,I think. “I heard about Promise at the beginning of my first semester. It was spoken about in a reverent way. I immediately looked it up because the name alone intrigued me, but when I found out what your mission is here, I knew I wanted to be a part of it. I didn’t even know you hired interns every year initially. When I found out, I started prepping every ounce of information I thought I’d need to apply. What you do here isexactlywhat I want to do. You’ve seen my background and you know I worked at Hope and Healing back in my hometown. They do some of what you do. But your outreach, getting involved with students and giving them a safe place in the midst of something terrifying is incredible. And you’re active in the community. Everyone knows who you are and what you do. Hope and Healing isn’t like that. I never knew the depth of what they did until I…“ I trail off. I’m not sure if I’m supposed to get into my own life right now. Sure, it’s a big part of why I want to do this, but I guess I don’t know if that’s professional.
Kristen looks at me with soft eyes. “You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to, but if you’ve had an experience that Promise might have helped with… well, I think it’s important to embrace that in this job.”
I nod. “I don’t talk about it often, though I’m working on that. I wasn’t sure what Ishouldshare.”
She waves her hand. “I encourage everyone to share whatever they’re comfortable with in these interviews. That’s what really helps me determine who might be a good fit.”
With a deep breath, I recount my experience from being sexually assaulted, to how I dealt with it—or didn’t—to going to Hope and Healing, telling my parents, and reporting him. “Nothing came from it, which felt awful, but now I’m glad I did it.” I let out a sigh. “I always knew I wanted to help people. I especially found myself drawn to the idea of working with teens and younger adults. I jumped on board to help launch an outreach program for Hope and Healing at my high school. Still, I want to do more. There aren’t that many things I’m certain of in life, but working for an organization like this is exactly what I want to do.”
“I’m sorry for what you went through. It sounds like you had a great support system, though.”
“I did. But that’s the interesting thing. It didn’t matter initially. I still felt so isolated. What I needed was this. I needed someone who had been through it. Someone who truly understood. That’s a big part of why I want to do this. I want to be able to support the girl who feels completely alone and is trying not to blame herself after what happened at a party or after a date or with a guy she thought she could trust.” Impassioned, I shake my head. “And because I reported him and nothing happened. That’s the truth for so many of us. You can’t stop it from happening. The offender often receives no consequences. But this feels like something I can control. I can be there to help someone reclaim their life and their sense of self and find something better after such a harrowing experience. It’s a way to bring light to the darkness, and that’s what I want to do.”
Kristen smiles wide. “That’s incredibly inspiring.”
Damn. That was awesome.
The rest of the interview went well, though it wasn’t quite as heavy. I felt like I got along well with Kristen and could see myself fitting in there. It seemed like she felt the same way, but I don’t want to get my hopes up too high. All I know is that even if I don’t get the internship, I’m going to beg her to let me volunteer there.
When I get to my car, I check my phone. I have several texts, but the only one I care about is the one from Aaron.
Aaron: Went to see Coach M this morning. We talked for a bit. Gave me a card for the athletic PT on campus. Also have a meeting with him Friday.
My eyes go wide and my heart speeds up. I do a little happy dance in my seat. Then I call him. Because this is worth more than a text.
“Hey.” He answers on the first ring.
“Hi. So. PT? Meeting with the coach? What for?”
“PT, yes. I already called and have an appointment next week. As for the meeting, honestly, I’m not sure. But he said he has an interesting opportunity for me.”
I smile and continue my happy dance. “And how do you feel about that?”
He sighs. “Nervous… but excited.”
