Linette Sanchez
By Zoë Eitel
Because of her interest in immigration law, Linette Sanchez decided to research different immigration-related nonprofits in Chicago, which is how she found Mil Mujeres. Linette sent the organization her resume, and after the internship coordinator determined she was a good fit for their mission and goals, she was offered an internship.
Mil Mujeres is a nonprofit that helps the Hispanic community with the legal immigration process, and Linette’s internship focused on U-Visas for undocumented immigrants who have been a victim of a crime and have cooperated with the police.
“I was responsible for looking at a client’s file, compiling the evidence, translating documents, and drafting and editing cover letters that would be processed and submitted to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services,” she says.
Linette’s internship was fully remote because of the COVID-19 pandemic but she had daily check-ins with the team.
Legal Intern at Mil Mujeres
BA Political Science 2022
“COVID-19 changed how we went about completing work because for the most part it was up to us to ask any questions and it was our responsibility to make sure we got the work done on time,” she says. “This experience showed me how important it is to always have a positive mindset and to be responsible.”
“COVID-19 changed how we went about completing work because for the most part it was up to us to ask any questions and it was our responsibility to make sure we got the work done on time. This experience showed me how important it is to always have a positive mindset and to be responsible.”
This internship made Linette realize that she’d like to work in immigration law in the future and at an organization that directly helps the community.
“I learned that even though it can seem like a lot of work to help immigrants apply for these different immigration processes, like a U-Visa, it is a very rewarding experience that makes the work meaningful and worth it,” Linette says.
Because this internship was unpaid, Linette was able to apply for and receive the Career Center’s Internship Plus Award to financially support her. It allowed her to take an internship that really appealed to her and gave her important experience in her field.
“It was a huge relief to have received the Internship PLUS Award because receiving it allowed me to decrease the hours for one of my on-campus jobs and focus on my internship.”
Linette learned about the Internship Plus program from one of the Career Center’s peer career coaches. She has had appointments with both peer coaches and career advisors at the Career Center and has attended career fairs that have informed her of different work and internship opportunities.
