Laura Hickson – EAP volunteer

“I was born and raised in Pascagoula, Mississippi, and graduated from the University of Mississippi last May. During my university experience, I studied abroad in Barcelona for a semester and then in Cape Town for a year. I loved my experiences in both, but knew I had to return to Cape Town before I’d even left. I remember sitting in a cafe not too far from Scalabrini and researching potential NGO’s. When I came across Scalabrini, I was really impressed with the work they do and wanted to contribute however I could.

I studied history and sociology while at school, and although I was passionate about my courses and found the content fascinating, I knew I wanted to keep traveling after graduation. I’m interested in the fields of human rights and social equality, so my placement with the Employment Access Programme has gone so well.

“A lot of my motivation stems from my students and their eagerness to learn. My advice for future interns is to embrace these challenges that might be thrown at you, because they could shape some great relationships and opportunities for growth.”

On a daily basis, I help clients make or update their CV’s, apply for jobs, and I also teach a Microsoft Excel course on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Recently, I’ve started working with the Women’s Platform, and I enjoy interacting with clients face-to-face and getting to understand issues of migration first-hand, instead of just as numbers and statistics. 

My favourite memory at Scalabrini has been teaching the Excel class, because it was such a challenge for me at first but has turned into something to look forward to. A lot of my motivation stems from my students and their eagerness to learn. My advice for future interns is to embrace these challenges that might be thrown at you, because they could shape some great relationships and opportunities for growth.

I plan on going to law school eventually, and want to specialize in human rights or immigration law. I’m especially passionate about the inequality of the criminal justice system, so long-term, I see myself doing work in that field.”