Meet Some of Dressember's 2018/2019 Interns
Teamwork makes the dream work. We couldn’t do the work we do without a team of passionate people who volunteer their time and talent to Dressember. Meet some of the members of Dressember’s intern team this season!
Krystal Grant,
Editorial Intern
“I teach music theory and composition, and I like to find out different ways to teach my students; whether it is through art, film, digital art or crafts. I just love creating.”
Krystal is a musician, a part-time composer, and a college level professor. Krystal has a lot of plans for herself. While she is adjusting to her pending motherhood in the spring, she wants to continue being the voice for those who feel they have no one fighting for them. “In five years, I just want responding to brokenness to be a regular part of what I do,” Krystal said. “Whether it is writing for another organization or working for a nonprofit, or even being a board member to help and give ideas, I want to continue fighting brokenness.”
~ Interviewed by Kendra Martin
Emily James,
Editorial Intern
"When the email announcing: 'We’re looking for interns!' came to me," Emily writes, "there was no way I could pass it up!"
Emily is a student at Azusa Pacific University. "When the email announcing: 'We’re looking for interns!' came to me," Emily writes, "there was no way I could pass it up!" She applied for the internship and was accepted. When asked what drew her to participate in Dressember as a dress-wearer, as well as a writer, she stated, "Dressember stands for everything I want to do with my future: I want to use my writing to tell the stories of marginalized people, people that are strong and resilient but are not given a platform to speak. I want to give them their platform. As for being an advocate, well, there’s just no way I could do all of this research and read through all of these articles without my heart breaking…I had to stand up and wear a dress!"
~ Interviewed by Lucas Moore
Mrinalini Nagarajan, Editorial Intern
“I have loved getting to know many different non-profit organizations and learning about the part that they play in raising awareness.”
Mrinalini is 20-years-old, and is originally from Massachusetts. She is currently a junior at University of Maryland and is pursuing a degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice, with two minors in cyber security and Spanish. With her degree, she hopes to pursue a job in corporate crime where she would help prevent fraud and anti-money laundering tactics! Mrin is passionate about Dressember and advocating for justice because she realizes the freedom and privilege that she has, and it lights a fire in her knowing that there are many people who do not have the same thing. She recognizes her privilege and uses the voice that she has to raise awareness, educate others and fight for freedom.
~ Interviewed by Olivia Kyles
Lucas Moore,
Editorial Intern
“Interning with Dressember has given me a sense of confidence and accomplishment as a writer. It humbles me and forces me to slow down, taking a wider view of the world and my surroundings. The small-but-mighty core team behind Dressember makes me feel seen and heard, respected and appreciated and cared for.”
Lucas is a writer in Los Angeles. He likes Neo-noir films, running and cycling, classic American novels, small venue music shows, and burritos. After participating in the Dressember 5k, Lucas decided to take one step further and join Dressember’s editorial team. “Dressember reminded me that, with a little creativity, you can help people while doing something you love.” Throughout the internship, Lucas has explored and researched everything from fair trade chocolate bars to comic books that fight against slavery.
Tania Miron,
Admin Intern
“I am thankful for the style challenge, and the information and resources that I gained. I’m even more thankful for the fuel that it gave me to continue learning more, and to continue advocating not only in December or January but for the rest of my life.”
If you’ve written into the Dressember general email inbox, you have probably come into contact with our administrative intern, Tania. Originally from North Carolina, Tania now calls Los Angeles, California home. And we’re pretty happy to have her close to us, because her creativity and commitment to Dressember has challenged us to keep pushing even when we feel tired. “This internship has shocked me in so many ways that I did not expect. It’s been a breath of fresh air, encouraging, life-giving, inspirational, and the sweetest of times.”
Erin King,
Editorial Intern
“The world needs imperfect you now way more than it needs some hypothetical perfect version of future you.”
The resident of a 112-year-old house in downtown Jonesboro, Arkansas, Erin ministers with her high school sweetheart (who, incidentally, is named Aaron), and their one-year-old child, Sam, at their church. Erin recently finished her MA in Hebrew and is a freelance writer and editor at www.erinflippinking.com. As a writer by trade, Erin uses her passion for writing any way that she is able, whether that is through teaching and writing at church, or creating content for the Dressember blog. Staying motivated to keep fighting, to keep wearing dresses when your town has several feet of snow, to keep posting awareness on social media when it seems no one is listening—it’s not always easy. But Erin has come to the realization that advocating is not about reaching millions of people and earning the most donations. Advocating is about making a difference and being faithful in your fight against human trafficking. It is about doing what you can and fighting in the ways that you can.
~ Interviewed by Megan Gerig
Danyella Wilder,
Editorial Intern
“Smaller organizations and nonprofits may not be as effective in combating slavery when working alone, but when ideas are gathered together and when groups are pulled in to work as a team, tackling human trafficking can become a task we don’t have to be afraid of.”
Danyella is a senior at California Baptist University studying Journalism and New Media with two minors in Public Relations and Global Justice. Through the Dressember internship, Danyella was able to research more about how human trafficking impacts her county. “Researching more about the work my community is doing makes me wonder what the statistics are like in other places as well. No place is perfect, yet I believe every country should be equipped with some form of a task force specialized to fight modern slavery.”
Hannah Blair,
Editorial Intern
“I’ve been there and I’ve walked in those shoes; I get how hard it is and I want to help other women who have been through it!”
Hannah is a mother, a freedom fighter, and a talented writer. As a survivor of human trafficking herself, Hannah is deeply grateful to use her story to inspire and educate others. It is no surprise that she has been able to relate her story to other victims and rise above her experience by using it to bring awareness. “I’m so passionate about human trafficking because it shouldn’t exist,” Hannah says. “I’ve been there and I’ve walked in those shoes; I get how hard it is and I want to help other women who have been through it!”
~Interviewed by Danyella Wilder
