On a Saturday morning, Chloe M. went into her job, hoping to continue working her way up in the company. Instead she was told that a background check had come in which made her unqualified for promotion to management and, in fact, she was going to be terminated. Chloe’s pastor encouraged her and told her about the Clinic’s Expungement Help Desk.

I didn’t realize what an obstacle a criminal record really is. It’s hard to make any forward progress. It’s a wonder they don’t give up. Working here, you become a more compassionate person, because you’re exposed to peoples’ stories that you never would have known anything about.

Makenzie Winger was spending Valentine’s Day 2019 with her then fiancé when she received an email from her department head at Taylor University. The email described something called a Justice Fellowship at a nonprofit legal organization in Indianapolis. “I stopped everything we were doing to read my fiancé the job description,” Makenzie recalls. “It was an opportunity to continue to learn more about justice issues, to step into the legal field for the first time, and to do work that felt meaningful. I also wouldn’t have to worry about finding housing. It just sounded like the perfect job for this phase of my life.”

Kanfing Camara worked with Director of Immigrant Services Rachel Van Tyle in the Immigrant Justice Program (IJP) during her internship. She helped the IJP staff by filling out various immigration applications and completing other administrative work. Of her experience, she says, “I learned a lot about different immigration applications, and which forms handle what sort of issues, from getting a work visa to obtaining a green card. I became more aware of the actual work that immigration lawyers do, and how to be personable to clients.” Her favorite part was hearing the stories of the clients, where they came from, and why they came to the United States. She says, “I really liked seeing how they lit up when they were told that their case would be picked up by the Clinic.” This fall, Kanfing is heading into her last year of undergrad at Purdue University.

In case you missed it, for the month of May, we highlighted Project GRACE and our Expungement Help Desk, unique client stories, national media coverage of the work being done by our staff, and the importance of the Second Chance Law for the flourishing of our communities. We kicked off the month with a special message from Help Desk Manager Julie Mennel.